HUAYOU COBALT(SH:603799) 光大证券研究·2026-01-06 23:04Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the article is that Huayou Cobalt is expected to see significant profit growth in 2025, driven by the production of nickel and lithium materials, as well as rising prices for cobalt and lithium [4][5]. - Huayou Cobalt anticipates a net profit attributable to shareholders of 5.85-6.45 billion yuan in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 40.8%-55.2% [4]. - The company expects a net profit of 1.63-2.23 billion yuan in Q4 2025, with a median estimate of 1.93 billion yuan, reflecting a quarter-on-quarter increase of 28% and a year-on-year increase of 70% [4]. Group 2 - The growth in performance is primarily attributed to the gradual release of nickel wet-process capacity, with the Indonesian Huafei project achieving overproduction and the Huayue project maintaining stable high production [5]. - The recovery of downstream materials business and the advantages of an integrated supply chain in lithium battery materials are becoming increasingly evident, showcasing a competitive strategy focused on product and cost leadership [5]. - The average price of standard-grade cobalt in Q4 2025 is projected to be $23 per pound, a 45% increase quarter-on-quarter, while the average price of domestic lithium carbonate is expected to be 88,000 yuan per ton, a 21% increase quarter-on-quarter [5]. Group 3 - The Pomalaa project, which aims to produce 120,000 tons of nickel metal annually, has commenced construction, while the Sorowako project is progressing well in its preparatory phase [6]. - A lithium sulfate project in Zimbabwe, expected to produce 50,000 tons annually, is entering the equipment installation phase, which will further reduce lithium salt production costs [6]. Group 4 - The Congolese cobalt export quota has been implemented, and based on the projected cobalt production in the Democratic Republic of Congo and global cobalt consumption, there is an anticipated supply shortage from 2025 to 2027, which is expected to support high cobalt prices [7]. - The projected supply-demand balance for global metallic cobalt from 2025 to 2027 indicates a shortfall of 75,000 to 33,000 tons, suggesting that cobalt prices are likely to remain elevated [7].