弱PPI的两条“暗线”——通胀数据点评（25.07）（申万宏观·赵伟团队）

Core Viewpoints - The weak performance of PPI is attributed to two "dark lines": the timing of statistics and low capacity utilization in the mid and downstream sectors [2][8][69] - In July, PPI continued to bottom out, with a month-on-month decline of 0.2% and a year-on-year rate of -3.6%, which was below market expectations [2][8][69] - The rise in commodity prices did not fully reflect in the PPI due to the timing of price surveys, which did not capture late-month price increases [2][8][69] PPI Analysis - The PPI's month-on-month decline was influenced by a significant drag from mid and downstream prices, which contributed to a -0.3% impact on PPI [2][13][69] - The PPI performance was also affected by tariffs, with industries heavily reliant on exports experiencing downward price pressure [2][13][69] - High-frequency data showed a divergence from PPI trends, with coal and steel prices recovering, while coal mining and black metal processing remained negative [2][8][69] CPI Analysis - In July, the core CPI rose to its highest level in a year and a half, driven by demand recovery and the end of commodity subsidies [3][20][70] - The CPI's month-on-month increase of 0.4% was slightly above the average since 2017, with core CPI rising 0.8% year-on-year [3][20][70] - The demand for core services improved due to summer travel, although rental prices remained weak [3][28][70] Food Prices Impact - Food prices were weak, constraining the CPI's recovery, with food CPI down 1.6% year-on-year, a decline that expanded by 1.3 percentage points from the previous month [4][33][71] - Fresh vegetable prices fell significantly, contributing to the downward pressure on CPI [4][33][71] - The supply of pork continued to rise, leading to lower pork prices, which also impacted the overall food CPI [4][34][71] Future Outlook - The "anti-involution" policy is expected to boost commodity prices, but excess supply in the mid and downstream sectors may limit the transmission of upstream price increases [4][39][71] - The forecast suggests that inflation will remain weak throughout the year, with limited recovery in both PPI and CPI due to the current supply-demand dynamics [4][39][71] - Core commodity CPI may be suppressed by downstream PPI, and agricultural supply is expected to remain ample, leading to moderate improvements in CPI [4][39][71]