Summary of China Industrials Update Industry Overview - The report focuses on the **China Industrials** sector, particularly capital goods, construction machinery, lithium battery equipment, and automation [6][7][8]. - The overall industry view is categorized as **In-Line** [2]. Key Insights Sector Cycle and Outlook - A positive outlook for **capital goods** is driven by: - Industrial upgrades and technology iterations - Domestic replacement cycles - Overseas opportunities, particularly in lithium battery equipment and construction machinery [6]. - The sector is transitioning from a **down-cycle** of 3-4 years to an **up-cycle** [7]. - **Solar equipment** is identified as the weakest segment due to overcapacity and sluggish demand [7]. Performance Recap - **1H25 sector performance** shows mixed results across various sub-sectors: - Automation: +1% y-y - Heavy-duty trucks: +7% y-y - Lithium battery equipment: +39% y-y - Solar equipment: -41% y-y [11][12][13]. - The **trading P/E** for many sub-sectors is above the five-year median, indicating potential overvaluation [15]. Long-term Drivers - Three long-term drivers for growth include: 1. AI technology diffusion into intelligent manufacturing 2. Advanced equipment localization 3. Global expansion [6]. Heavy-Duty Trucks (HDT) - HDT sales grew by **7% y-y** in 1H25, with a forecast of **1 million units** for the full year [54]. - The market is expected to see a **5% y-y growth** in 2026, driven by domestic replacement demand [56]. Lithium Battery Equipment - Demand for lithium battery equipment is projected to grow by **46%** in 2025 and **24%** in 2026, driven by: - Capacity expansions by leading players - The first major replacement cycle starting in 2025 [118][121][124]. Solar Equipment - The solar equipment market is expected to remain weak, with a forecast of single-digit growth in global installations for 2026-27 [125][127]. - China may face a shortfall in solar installations in 2026-27 due to saturated downstream demand [128]. Automation and Robotics - The automation market is in a mild recovery stage, with expectations for continued growth in 2026-27 [68][69]. - Industrial robot shipments grew by **20% y-y** in 2Q25, with significant contributions from the auto and electronics sectors [107][112]. Additional Insights - **Construction machinery** utilization rates have declined slightly, indicating potential challenges in the sector [42]. - The report highlights the importance of **localization** in manufacturing, with expectations for increased market share for domestic players [114][115]. Conclusion - The China Industrials sector is poised for recovery, particularly in capital goods and automation, while facing challenges in solar equipment. The focus on technological advancements and domestic demand will be crucial for sustained growth in the coming years.

Summary of the Investor Presentation: China Industrials Update Industry Overview - The focus is on the **China Industrials** sector, particularly capital goods, automation, robotics, construction machinery, and lithium battery equipment [6][7][8]. - The overall industry view is rated as **In-Line** [2]. Key Insights - **Positive Outlook for Capital Goods**: The sector is expected to benefit from industrial upgrades, technology iterations, domestic replacement cycles, and overseas opportunities. Key areas include lithium battery equipment and construction machinery [6]. - **Long-term Drivers**: Three main drivers are identified: 1. AI technology diffusion into intelligent manufacturing and equipment 2. Advanced equipment localization 3. Global expansion [6]. - **Cycle Reversal**: After a 3-4 year down-cycle, the construction machinery and lithium battery equipment sectors are entering an up-cycle. However, the solar equipment sector is facing challenges due to overcapacity and sluggish demand [7][8]. Sector Performance - **Stock Performance**: Various sectors have shown mixed performance, with automation and lithium battery equipment experiencing significant growth, while solar equipment has struggled [11][12][13]. - **1H25 Sector Performance**: The trading P/E ratios for many sub-sectors are above the five-year median, particularly in automation and lithium battery equipment [15][17]. Construction Machinery Insights - **Domestic and Overseas Growth**: The domestic market for construction machinery is expected to grow due to replacement demand and large-scale infrastructure projects. The overseas market is also anticipated to recover, providing opportunities for Chinese OEMs [46][48][51]. - **Utilization Rates**: The average utilization rate for construction machinery has slightly declined to 44% [42]. Heavy-Duty Trucks (HDT) - **Sales Growth**: HDT sales grew 7% year-on-year in 1H25, with expectations for continued growth driven by domestic replacement demand [53][54]. - **Market Trends**: The penetration of LNG HDTs has increased to 30% in 2024, while new energy HDT sales surged by 176% year-on-year in 7M25 [61][66]. Automation Market - **Demand Recovery**: The automation market is in a mild recovery stage, with expectations for continued growth driven by replacement demand and AI applications [68][69]. - **Market Competition**: Competition remains less intense than in previous years, with limited margin downside for most markets [68]. Lithium Battery Equipment - **Demand Forecast**: Sustained demand growth is expected in 2026-27, driven by capacity expansions and the first major replacement cycle starting in 2025 [119][125]. - **Global Demand**: Global lithium battery equipment demand is projected to grow at approximately 30% annually in 2026-27 [122]. Solar Equipment - **Challenging Outlook**: The solar equipment sector is expected to remain at a trough in 2026 due to global overcapacity and sluggish demand [126][128]. - **Installation Shortfall**: China may experience a solar installation shortfall in 2026-27 following a rush in installations in 2025 [129]. Intelligent Robotics - **Adoption Trends**: The adoption of intelligent robots is expected to ramp up in 2H25, with new model launches anticipated [135][136]. Conclusion - The China Industrials sector is poised for growth, particularly in capital goods and automation, despite challenges in the solar equipment market. Key players are encouraged to focus on innovation and market expansion to capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The report focuses on the **Industrial Automation (IA)** sector in **China** and highlights the ongoing trends in demand and market dynamics as of **July 2025** [1][2][13]. Core Insights - **Demand Trends**: - Local IA suppliers experienced a sales growth of **+19% YoY** in July, up from **+18% YoY** in June and **+15% YoY** in May [2][13]. - Inovance's IA order growth improved to over **20% YoY** in July, up from **15% YoY** in June [2][13]. - Key sectors showing solid growth include **logistics, hoisting, battery, auto, woodworking, food & beverage, textile, machine tool, and packaging** [2][13]. - **Overseas Brands Performance**: - Sales growth for leading overseas IA suppliers moderated to **+1% YoY** in July from **+6% YoY** in June [3][13]. - Yaskawa's servo sales growth remained strong at **+25% YoY**, while inverter sales in China dropped to **-11% YoY** [3][13]. - ABB's inverter sales fell to **-6% YoY** from **+10% YoY**, indicating competitive pricing pressures [3][13]. - **Taiwanese Peers**: - Hiwin's sales were weak at **-6% YoY** in July, while Airtac maintained a firm growth of **+7% YoY** [4][13]. - Management expects automation demand to pick up in Q4 as interest rates are cut in the EU and US [4][13]. Macro Indicators - **Manufacturing PMI**: - The Manufacturing PMI declined slightly to **49.3** in July from **49.7** in June, indicating softened confidence in the manufacturing sector [5][67]. - High-end, large, and small companies' PMIs all dropped, while mid-sized companies' PMI recovered to **49.5** [5][67]. - **Business Conditions Index (BCI)**: - The BCI remained at **53.4** in July, down from a peak of **57.7** in April, reflecting cautious investment outlooks among SMEs [67]. - **Export Growth**: - Container export volumes in major ports increased to **+1.9%** in June from **+1.3%** in May, while total exports improved to **+7.2%** in July from **+5.9%** [67]. Sector-Specific Insights - **Servo and Inverter Demand**: - Projected servo demand growth remained at **+12% YoY** in July, while inverter demand fell back to **-2% YoY** [13][18]. - The top downstream applications for servos include **lithium battery, 3C electronics, industrial robots, solar, and machine tools** [24][30]. - **Downstream Demand Trends**: - Demand for servos from top applications slowed to **+15% YoY** in June from **+82% YoY** in May, primarily due to deteriorating solar demand [26][30]. - Inverter demand from top applications improved slightly to **+3% YoY** in June from **+2% YoY** in May, driven by recovery in machine tools and power sectors [26][30]. Conclusion - The IA sector in China is experiencing a divergence in growth between local and overseas suppliers, with local players showing stronger performance amid ongoing macroeconomic challenges. The outlook for the second half of 2025 remains cautiously optimistic, supported by favorable government policies and potential recovery in key sectors.

10 June 2025 Asian Industrial Technology China Automation Pulse Check: May 2025 Jay Huang, Ph.D. +852 2123 2631 jay.huang@bernsteinsg.com Weibin Liang, Ph.D. +852 2123 2666 weibin.liang@bernsteinsg.com Dien Wang, Ph.D. +852 2123 2622 dien.wang@bernsteinsg.com Complementing the Monthly Barometer, where broad industry indicators are presented for a comprehensive view, the Pulse Check exclusively uses the high-frequency data and comments from industry players to show trends most directly relevant to stocks in ...

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The conference call primarily discusses the **China and Hong Kong equity markets** and their performance metrics, including sector performance and investment recommendations. Core Insights and Arguments - **Market Performance**: The MXCN index ended down by **0.1% week-over-week**, influenced by mixed macroeconomic data for January and February, leading to a rotation into high-yield defensives and hard assets [6][9]. - **Sector Performance**: - **Consumer Discretionary**: Decreased by **1.1%** over the week but showed a year-to-date increase of **29.9%**. - **Financials**: Increased by **2.3%** week-over-week, with banks up **1.6%** and insurance up **3.5%** [5]. - **Information Technology**: Decreased by **1.7%** week-over-week, with software down **5.6%** [5]. - **Consumer Staples**: Increased by **3.8%** week-over-week, with food and beverage up **4.7%** [5]. - **Investment Flows**: Significant inflows into the stock market were noted, with record inflows of **Rmb29.6 billion** and **Rmb26.2 billion** on specific days [7]. - **Tariff Impact**: The US imposed a **25% tariff** on steel and aluminum imports, affecting trade dynamics [8]. Important but Overlooked Content - **China QMI Reading**: The JPMorgan China QMI softened, indicating a borderline contraction in January but a return to borderline expansion in February, influenced by seasonal factors and US tariff impacts [6]. - **ETF Flows**: Offshore inflows accelerated while onshore outflows decelerated, indicating a shift in investor sentiment towards offshore listings [52]. - **Active Fund Movements**: Active funds showed significant selling in major Chinese companies like Tencent and Meituan, while top buys included Alibaba and Geely Auto [52]. Future Outlook - **Index Targets**: - The **MSCI-China 2025 target** is set at **HK$77**, with a potential downside of **14%** from current levels [13]. - The **CSI-300 2025 target** is projected at **4,007 Rmb**, with a potential upside of **5%** [14]. - **Sector Recommendations**: - **Communication Services**: Underweight (UW) - **Consumer Discretionary**: Overweight (OW) - **Financials**: Underweight (UW) - **Industrials**: Overweight (OW) [21]. This summary encapsulates the key points discussed in the conference call, providing insights into market performance, sector dynamics, and future outlooks for investors.