Guoxin Securities·2026-02-23 10:45Investment Rating - The investment rating for the lithium battery industry is "Outperform the Market" (maintained) [1] Core Insights - The lithium salt price has decreased, while the prices of battery cells have increased slightly. As of February 13, the price of lithium carbonate is 144,000 CNY per ton, down by 17,000 CNY from two weeks ago. The prices of ternary cathodes, lithium iron phosphate cathodes, electrolytes, and lithium hexafluorophosphate have also decreased, while the prices of anodes and separators remain stable. The prices for square ternary power cells, lithium iron phosphate power cells, and energy storage cells have increased slightly [2][3] - The solid-state battery industry is accelerating its commercialization, with the first national standard for automotive solid-state batteries expected to be reviewed and approved in April and officially released in July. Companies like Gotion High-Tech and BASF are collaborating to develop solid-state battery technology [3][10][11] - The domestic new energy vehicle sales in January 2026 reached 945,000 units, a slight year-on-year increase, while the penetration rate is 40.3%, up by 1.3 percentage points year-on-year [3][12] Industry Dynamics - The report highlights several leading companies in the lithium battery sector that are undervalued amid improving demand, including CATL, EVE Energy, and others. It also points to companies leading in low-altitude economy and robotics, solid-state and sodium battery materials, and charging pile industries [3] - The U.S. Treasury Department has updated details regarding the OBBBA Act, tightening certification for specific foreign entities and detailing the calculation of material assistance ratios [3][13][14] - The report notes significant investments in battery production projects, including an 80GWh project by Chuangneng in Wuhan and a 33 billion CNY investment by Penghui Energy for new battery production lines [10][18] Price Trends - The report provides a detailed overview of lithium battery material prices as of February 13, 2026, indicating a decrease in lithium carbonate prices by 10.4% compared to two weeks prior, while other materials like nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate have shown varying price changes [19] - The price of square lithium iron phosphate batteries has increased by 1.5% to 0.336 CNY/Wh, while the price of square ternary power cells remains stable at 0.582 CNY/Wh [19]