东吴汽车黄细里团队·2026-01-07 12:21Investment Highlights - The automotive market began to show an upward trend in 2020 despite the pandemic, primarily due to a year-on-year increase in industry sales and a significant turning point in the penetration rate of new energy vehicles (NEVs), which led to a notable increase in the market share of domestic brands [2][26] - The core turning point for NEV penetration was driven by the localization of Tesla, with the Model 3 quickly becoming a best-seller, and improvements in the economic viability of the supply chain leading to a diverse supply [2][36] Historical Index Trends - In May 2021, the electric vehicle logic remained strong with a penetration rate of about 10%, and demand did not weaken despite a chip shortage that began in early 2021. The market anticipated a gradual easing of supply issues by July-August [3][45] - By May 2022, the penetration rate had increased to approximately 25%, with the resumption of production in lockdown areas and the implementation of tax reduction policies, which contributed to an upward trend in the index [3][48] - In February 2024, a shift in supply-demand dynamics occurred, leading to a price war initiated by Tesla's significant price cuts. The market began to rebound, with BYD's price reduction strategy proving effective [4][51] Profitability and Valuation Changes - The profitability of the automotive sector under the NEV trend has not significantly improved compared to the traditional fuel vehicle era, as selling NEVs has not altered the industry's business model, which remains rooted in manufacturing logic [5][56] - The valuation center for the automotive sector has shifted upward, with the price-to-sales (PS) ratio moving from a maximum of 2x during the fuel vehicle era to a current center of 1x, driven by increased market share and high-end breakthroughs of domestic brands [5][57] Competitive Factors in the NEV Era - The competition among automotive companies is characterized by a focus on hard power in the early stages, with soft power becoming more relevant later. The core competitive factors have evolved through different phases, including supply chain integration, electric vehicle technology, and marketing capabilities [6][60] - The first phase (2021-2022) emphasized supply chain advantages, while the second phase (2023) shifted towards electric vehicle technology and product definition capabilities, leading to a price war [6][60] - By 2025, the growth rate of NEV penetration is expected to slow down, with the main competitive logic focusing on imitating and surpassing leading NEV companies [7][60] Stock Performance Review - A review of stock performance from 2020 to 2025 indicates that early in the NEV development phase, the market had high expectations for leading companies from the previous cycle, while later periods required identifying emerging players based on changing competitive factors [8][20] - Notable stock performances include Seres as a tenfold stock, Jianghuai with an eightfold increase, and BYD with a fivefold increase, highlighting the importance of recognizing industry trends and selecting the best-performing stocks [8][20]