百亿A股，再出手！

Core Viewpoint - Dazhong Mining plans to invest 1 billion yuan in a lithium battery project, aiming to establish a second growth curve amid declining revenues from its traditional iron ore business, although the lithium project has yet to generate any revenue since its inception in 2022 [2][8]. Investment Project Overview - On June 18, Dazhong Mining announced a 1 billion yuan investment to build a "3000 tons per year lithium battery new materials project" in Linwu County [4]. - The project will be constructed in three phases: - Phase 1 focuses on research and development, expected to complete by 2025 [7]. - Phase 2 plans to establish a production line with an annual capacity of 1000 tons, starting construction in April 2026 and aiming for completion by the end of 2027 [7]. - Phase 3 aims for a production line with an annual capacity of 2000 tons, with construction starting in June 2027 and completion by the end of 2028 [7]. - Dazhong Mining currently holds 3.24 million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent in Linwu County, establishing a complete industrial chain for lithium mining and processing [7]. Financial Performance - In 2024, Dazhong Mining's total revenue was 3.843 billion yuan, a decrease of 4.01% compared to 2023 [11]. - The company's net profit for 2024 was 751 million yuan, down 34.17% year-on-year [12]. - The main products, iron concentrate and pellets, contributed over 90% of the company's revenue, with iron concentrate sales dropping by 22.04% and pellets increasing by 95.64% [11][12]. Market Conditions - The iron ore market is experiencing a downturn, with the Platts iron ore price index averaging 109.5 USD/ton in 2024, a decline of 8.7% year-on-year [11]. - The supply of iron ore is expected to enter a new growth cycle in 2025, while demand is projected to decline, leading to a continued softening of iron ore prices [14]. Lithium Market Challenges - Despite significant investments in lithium mining, the projects have not yet contributed to revenue, and the long construction cycle combined with falling lithium prices poses uncertainties for future returns [16]. - Lithium carbonate prices have shown volatility, with spot prices peaking at 81,680 yuan/ton in January 2024 and dropping below 60,000 yuan/ton by the end of May [16].