Report Summary 1. Report Industry Investment Rating No specific industry investment rating is provided in the report. 2. Core Views - **成材**: The price of finished products is expected to move in a range-bound consolidation. The market is in a situation of weak supply and demand, with a pessimistic market sentiment, leading to a continuous downward shift in the price center. The winter storage this year is sluggish, providing limited support to prices. Attention should be paid to macro - policies and downstream demand [4]. - **铝锭**: The price of aluminum ingots is expected to remain high in the short - term and fluctuate. The short - term fundamentals are stable, but the market sentiment is affected by repeated overseas macro - interference events. Attention should be paid to macro - expectations, geopolitical crises, mine resumption, and consumption release [5]. 3. Summary by Related Catalogs **成材** - **Production Disruption**: In the Yungui region, short - process construction steel enterprises will stop production for maintenance from mid - January, with a resumption around the 11th to 16th day of the first lunar month, affecting 74.1 million tons of construction steel production. In Anhui, 1 out of 6 short - process steel mills stopped production on January 5th, and most others will stop around mid - January, with a daily production impact of about 16,200 tons [3][4]. - **Real Estate Transaction**: From December 30, 2024, to January 5, 2025, the total transaction area of newly built commercial housing in 10 key cities was 2.234 million square meters, a 40.3% decrease from the previous week and a 43.2% increase year - on - year [4]. - **Market Performance**: The price of finished products continued to decline in a volatile manner yesterday, reaching a new low. The market is in a pattern of weak supply and demand, with pessimistic sentiment and low winter storage, resulting in a downward - shifting price center [4]. **铝锭** - **Macro Environment**: The market expects the Fed to cut interest rates by 25 basis points in the October meeting and again in December. The U.S. federal government shutdown has hindered the release of key macro - economic data, increasing market uncertainty about the U.S. economy [3]. - **Supply and Demand**: In October, the commissioning and resumption of replacement and technological transformation projects are expected to increase aluminum ingot production. Domestic alumina production capacity is at a high level, with a 400,000 - ton reduction in Shanxi due to the rainy season, but the supply surplus pressure remains. The overall alumina industry still has a profit, and the spot market is in a state of loose supply. The average开工率 of domestic aluminum downstream processing leading enterprises is 62.5%, a 1.4 - percentage - point decrease from the same period last year, and different sub - industries face various challenges [4]. - **Inventory**: On October 16, the inventory of electrolytic aluminum ingots in domestic mainstream consumption areas was 627,000 tons, a decrease of 23,000 tons from Monday and 22,000 tons from last Thursday [4].

Report Title - South China Futures Coking Coal and Coke Industry Weekly Report [1] Report Industry Investment Rating - Not provided Core Views - The overall trend of coking coal and coke is strong, but negative feedback risks need to be vigilant. The rebound height and sustainability of coal and coke prices ultimately depend on whether the supply - demand balance sheet of downstream steel products can achieve a "soft landing" [2]. - In the short term, the coking coal spot market has a tight resource pattern, but the downstream steel product supply - demand contradiction has deteriorated marginally, and the steel mill's profitability is under pressure, restricting the rebound space of coking coal [2]. - In the long term, in the fourth quarter, domestic mine production is restricted by policies, and the supply elasticity of coking coal is limited. The market expectation for the winter storage in 2026 is improved, which will support the prices of coking coal and coke [8]. Summary by Directory Chapter 1: Core Contradictions and Strategy Recommendations 1.1 Core Contradictions - The coking coal spot market has a tight resource pattern. Before the festival, there was overselling at the pithead, the upstream inventory pressure was generally light, and the mine owners were strongly willing to hold prices. The supply of Mongolian coal at the port has also tightened, and the inventory in the regulatory area is low [2][4]. - The supply - demand contradiction of downstream steel products has deteriorated marginally, the steel mills' profitability is under pressure, and the black industry shows the characteristic of "not prosperous in the peak season". The rebound space of coking coal is restricted, and there is a risk of negative feedback [2]. - The rebound height and sustainability of coal and coke prices depend on whether the supply - demand balance sheet of downstream steel products can achieve a "soft landing" [2]. 1.2 Trading - Type Strategy Recommendations - **Market Positioning**: The entry interval is (-70, -60) [10]. - **Basis, Calendar Spread, and Hedging Arbitrage Strategy Recommendations** - Basis strategy: The recent basis of coking coal and coke has little fluctuation, and the coke futures price is between the dry and wet coke warehouse - receipt costs, with a relatively reasonable valuation. There is no definite spot - futures positive arbitrage opportunity [11]. - Calendar spread strategy: It is recommended to pay attention to the 1 - 5 reverse spread of coking coal. Reasons include industrial hedging short positions and warehouse - receipt pressure in the 01 contract, weak short - selling power in the far - month 05 contract; limited position constraints in the 01 contract and fewer restrictions in the far - month contracts; and the expansion of delivery warehouses and capacity by the DCE, which is beneficial for short - selling delivery [11]. - Hedging arbitrage strategy: Short the coking profit on the futures market at high prices, with the recommended entry interval of 01 coke/coking coal (1.5 - 1.55) [11][13]. - **Recent Strategy Review**: Some strategies such as the 9 - 1 reverse spread of coking coal, shorting the coking profit on the futures market, etc., are in different states of execution [17]. 1.3 Industry Customer Operation Recommendations - **Price Range Forecast**: The price range of coking coal is predicted to be 1100 - 1300, and that of coke is 1550 - 1800 [14]. - **Risk Management Strategy Recommendations** - Inventory hedging: Steel mills' profitability is shrinking marginally, and coke enterprises' price increase is difficult. Coke enterprises can short the J2601 contract to lock in the sales price, with different recommended hedging ratios and entry intervals [14]. - Procurement management: Affected by policies, the supply of coking coal is disturbed. Coking plants can go long on the JM2605 contract to lock in the procurement price, with different recommended hedging ratios and entry intervals [14]. 1.4 Basic Data Overview - **Coking Coal Supply and Inventory**: The production of coking coal in some mines and washing plants has increased, and the total inventory has increased slightly. The inventory in some ports has decreased [15]. - **Coke Supply and Inventory**: The production of coke in independent coking plants and steel mills has decreased, and the total inventory has decreased [15]. - **Spot and Futures Prices**: The prices of coking coal and coke in the spot and futures markets have shown different trends, and the basis, calendar spread, and coking profit have also changed [16][18]. Chapter 2: This Week's Important Information and Next Week's Attention Events 2.1 This Week's Important Information - **Positive Information**: The central safety production assessment and inspection are about to be carried out; the probability of the Fed's interest rate cut is high; mainstream coke enterprises plan to raise the price of dry - quenched coke [21]. - **Negative Information**: The supply and inventory of five major steel products have decreased, but the consumption is still lower than the same period in previous years; the average profit per ton of coke in independent coking plants is negative; the blast furnace operating rate of steel mills is flat, but the profitability is shrinking [22]. 2.2 Next Week's Important Events to Follow - Next Monday: Release of China's one - year loan prime rate, year - on - year growth rate of social consumer goods retail sales in September, and year - on - year growth rate of industrial added value of large - scale industries in September [23]. - October 20 - 23: The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee will be held [24]. - Next Thursday: Release of the number of initial jobless claims in the US for the week ending October 18 [24]. - Next Friday: Release of the US unadjusted CPI annual rate in September, the preliminary value of the US S&P Global Manufacturing PMI in October, and the final value of the US University of Michigan Consumer Confidence Index in October [24]. Chapter 3: Futures Market Analysis 3.1 Price, Volume, and Capital Analysis - **Unilateral Trend**: The main coking coal contract JM2601 is in a wide - range shock interval of 1100 - 1300 yuan/ton, with strong support at the lower edge of the interval [25]. - **Capital Flow**: The net short positions of the main coking coal seats have decreased significantly, and the market's bullish expectation for the future has increased. The net short positions of the profitable coke seats have first increased and then decreased, and the market sentiment has improved [27]. - **Calendar Spread Structure**: The coking coal and coke market shows a deep C - shaped structure. The 1 - 5 calendar spread of coking coal strengthened during the week and then declined slightly [31]. - **Basis Structure**: The recent basis of coking coal and coke has little fluctuation, and the coke futures price is between the dry and wet coke warehouse - receipt costs, with a relatively reasonable valuation. There is no definite spot - futures positive arbitrage opportunity [38]. - **Spread Structure**: The coking profit on the futures market has continued to fluctuate at a low level. It is recommended to short the coking profit on the futures market at high prices [44]. Chapter 4: Valuation and Profit Analysis 4.1 Industry Chain Upstream and Downstream Profit Tracking - The mine profit has improved month - on - month, but the immediate coking profit has been damaged. The steel mill's profit has continued to shrink, and the iron - making output has decreased marginally [46]. 4.2 Import and Export Profit Tracking - The import profit of Mongolian coal has recovered, and the customs clearance enthusiasm has increased. The import profit of sea - borne coal has shrunk, and the subsequent arrival pressure is expected to ease [50][54]. Chapter 5: Supply - Demand and Inventory Deduction 5.1 Supply - Side and Deduction - The production increase space of coking coal mines in the fourth quarter is limited. It is expected that the average weekly output of coking coal from mid - to late October will be 980 - 985 tons. The net import volume of coking coal in October is expected to be 980 tons, with an average weekly net import volume of about 221 tons [72]. - The coke production enthusiasm is suppressed, and it is expected that the weekly coke production from mid - to late October will be maintained at 773 - 775 tons [75]. 5.2 Demand - Side and Deduction - The blast furnace profitability has declined marginally, and some steel mills have gradually switched to producing hot - rolled coils. As the traditional off - season approaches, the number of steel mills planning to carry out maintenance is increasing, and the iron - making output is expected to decline slowly [77]. 5.3 Supply - Demand Balance Sheet Deduction - The supply - demand balance sheets of coking coal and coke are estimated, including production, import, total supply, theoretical iron - making output, actual iron - making output, and inventory [80].

Report Summary 1) Report Industry Investment Rating No specific industry investment rating is provided in the given content. 2) Core Views - For building materials (成材): Expected to move in a range with a downward - shifting center of gravity, and run in a weak and volatile manner. The market is in a situation of weak supply and demand, with pessimistic market sentiment, and this year's winter storage is sluggish, providing little price support. The view is for volatile consolidation [1][3]. - For aluminum ingots: The price is expected to run in a short - term range. In the short term, the fundamentals are stable, but macro - overseas interference events repeatedly affect market sentiment. The price is currently in a high - level shock, and future attention should be paid to the inventory - consumption trend [4]. 3) Summary by Related Catalogs Building Materials - Production suspension impact: Yunnan - Guizhou short - process building steel enterprises' production suspension during the Spring Festival is expected to affect a total of 741,000 tons of building steel production. In Anhui, 1 out of 6 short - process steel mills stopped production on January 5, and most of the rest will stop production around mid - January, with a daily production impact of about 16,200 tons during the suspension period [2][3]. - Real estate transaction data: From December 30, 2024, to January 5, 2025, the total transaction (signing) area of newly - built commercial housing in 10 key cities was 2.234 million square meters, a 40.3% decrease from the previous period and a 43.2% increase year - on - year [3]. - Market situation: The price continued to decline in a volatile manner yesterday, reaching a new low recently. The market is in a situation of weak supply and demand, with no significant highlights in the near term, and this year's winter storage is sluggish, providing little support for prices [3]. - Later focus: Macro - policies and downstream demand [3]. Aluminum - Supply - side situation: After entering October, due to the peak season of downstream processed materials demand, the proportion of direct aluminum water supply is expected to increase, resulting in low aluminum ingot production and reduced market supply, which supports the aluminum price [3]. - Demand - side situation: In early October, the overall performance of the aluminum processing industry was in line with seasonal characteristics, but there was obvious internal differentiation. The overall industry showed resilience, but the "Golden September and Silver October" in the demand side was lackluster, and the high aluminum price and order differentiation restricted the short - term upward space of the operating rate. High prices will gradually suppress downstream purchasing, leading to a marginal weakening of demand and limiting the upward space of aluminum prices [3]. - Inventory data: On October 13, the inventory of electrolytic aluminum ingots in domestic mainstream consumption areas was 650,000 tons, an increase of 1,000 tons from last Thursday and 58,000 tons from last Monday [3]. - Later focus: Macro - expectations, geopolitical crises, mine resumption, and consumption release [4].

Group 1: Report Industry Investment Ratings - There is no clear industry investment rating provided in the report. Group 2: Core Views - The price of finished products is expected to move in a sideways consolidation, and attention should be paid to macro - policies and downstream demand [3] - The price of aluminum is expected to be in a short - term strong sideways trend, and attention should be paid to macro sentiment and mining news [4] Group 3: Summary by Relevant Catalogs Finished Products - The production of short - flow construction steel enterprises in Yunnan and Guizhou regions during the Spring Festival shutdown is expected to affect the total output of construction steel by 741,000 tons. In Anhui, 6 short - flow steel mills have shutdown plans, with a daily output impact of about 16,200 tons during the shutdown [3] - From December 30, 2024, to January 5, 2025, the total transaction (signing) area of newly built commercial housing in 10 key cities was 2.234 million square meters, a 40.3% decrease from the previous period and a 43.2% increase from the same period last year [3] - Finished products continued to decline in a volatile manner yesterday, reaching a new low recently. In the pattern of weak supply and demand, the market sentiment is pessimistic, and the price center of gravity continues to move down. This year's winter storage is sluggish, and the price support is weak [3] Aluminum Ingots - In September, the domestic electrolytic aluminum production increased by 1.14% year - on - year and decreased by 3.18% month - on - month. In October, the proportion of molten aluminum direct supply is expected to increase, which will lead to low aluminum ingot production and support the aluminum price [3] - In the first week of October, the overall operating rate of aluminum processing sectors adjusted slightly, with obvious internal differentiation. The overall toughness of the aluminum processing industry remains, but the "Golden September and Silver October" in the demand side is lackluster, and the short - term upward space of the operating rate is restricted [3] - On October 13, the inventory of electrolytic aluminum ingots in the mainstream consumption areas in China was 650,000 tons, an increase of 1,000 tons compared with last Thursday and 58,000 tons compared with last Monday. High prices will suppress downstream purchasing and limit the upward space of aluminum prices [3] - Overseas interest rate cut expectations continue. With short - term macro - favorable atmosphere and stable fundamentals, the price is expected to remain high and volatile. Attention should be paid to the inventory - consumption trend [4]

Group 1: Report Industry Investment Rating - No investment rating is provided in the report. Group 2: Report's Core View - The view on finished products is that they will operate in a state of shock consolidation, with the price center moving down and showing weak operation [1][3]. - The view on aluminum ingots is that the price is expected to undergo short - term shock adjustment, and it is necessary to pay attention to macro - sentiment and mining - end news. In the short term, it is expected to maintain high - level shock, and then pay attention to the inventory - consumption trend [4]. Group 3: Summary by Relevant Catalogs Finished Products - In the Yunnan - Guizhou region, short - process construction steel enterprises' shutdown and maintenance during the Spring Festival are mostly from mid - January, and the resumption time is expected to be around the 11th to 16th day of the first lunar month, with an estimated impact on the total construction steel output of 741,000 tons. In Anhui, 1 out of 6 short - process steel mills started to shut down on January 5, and most of the rest will shut down around mid - January, with a daily impact on output of about 16,200 tons during the shutdown [3]. - From December 30, 2024, to January 5, 2025, the total transaction (signing) area of newly built commercial housing in 10 key cities was 2.234 million square meters, a 40.3% decrease from the previous period and a 43.2% increase year - on - year [3]. - The finished products continued to decline in shock yesterday, reaching a new low recently. In the pattern of weak supply and demand, the market sentiment is pessimistic, and this year's winter storage is sluggish, with weak price support [3]. - Later, it is necessary to pay attention to macro - policies and downstream demand [3]. Aluminum Ingots - In September, the domestic electrolytic aluminum production increased by 1.14% year - on - year and decreased by 3.18% month - on - month. In October, the overall performance of the aluminum processing industry was in line with seasonal characteristics but showed obvious internal differentiation [3]. - The aluminum cable and wire production rate declined, but the orders from the power grid and photovoltaic sectors were still strong. The aluminum profile production rate decreased slightly, with the new orders for construction profiles being weak. The aluminum plate and strip production rate decreased to 68.0%, and the aluminum foil production rate decreased slightly [3]. - On October 13, the inventory of electrolytic aluminum ingots in the domestic mainstream consumption areas was 650,000 tons, an increase of 1000 tons from last Thursday and 58,000 tons from last Monday [3]. - Later, it is necessary to pay attention to changes in macro - expectations, the development of geopolitical crises, the resumption of production at the mining end, and the release of consumption [4].

1. Report Industry Investment Ratings - The rating for the building materials industry is "Oscillatory consolidation" [3]. - The rating for the aluminum industry is "Expected to be strong in the short - term and oscillatory, pay attention to macro - sentiment and mining news" [4]. 2. Core Views - For building materials, in a pattern of weak supply and demand, with pessimistic market sentiment, the price center continues to decline. The winter storage this year is sluggish, and the price is expected to oscillate and consolidate. Later, attention should be paid to macro - policies and downstream demand [3]. - For aluminum, in the short - term, due to the continuous overseas interest - rate cut expectation, the favorable macro - atmosphere and stable fundamentals, the price is expected to remain oscillating at a high level. Attention should be paid to the inventory - consumption trend [4]. 3. Summary according to Content For building materials - **Production suspension situation**: Yungui region's short - process construction steel enterprises will suspend production from mid - January, with an expected impact on the total production of 741,000 tons. In Anhui, 1 out of 6 short - process steel mills stopped production on January 5, most will stop around mid - January, and some will stop after January 20, affecting the daily output by about 16,200 tons [2][3]. - **Real - estate transaction data**: From December 30, 2024, to January 5, 2025, the total transaction area of newly - built commercial housing in 10 key cities was 2.234 million square meters, a 40.3% decrease from the previous period and a 43.2% increase from the same period last year [3]. - **Market situation**: Building materials prices continued to decline and reached a new low. With weak supply and demand and pessimistic sentiment, the price center moved down. This year's winter storage is sluggish, providing little support for prices [3]. For aluminum - **Production data**: In September, domestic electrolytic aluminum production increased by 1.14% year - on - year and decreased by 3.18% month - on - month. In September, the proportion of molten aluminum increased slightly, and in the first week of October, the overall start - up rate of aluminum processing adjusted seasonally with obvious internal differentiation [3]. - **Sub - sectors of aluminum processing**: The start - up rate of aluminum cables decreased due to logistics and price factors, but orders are strong and are expected to recover. The start - up rate of aluminum profiles decreased slightly, with weak new orders for building profiles and differentiated performance of industrial materials and photovoltaic frames. The start - up rate of aluminum sheets and strips decreased by 1 percentage point, affected by capital and accounts receivable. The start - up rate of aluminum foil decreased slightly, with stable demand for industrial products but weakening peak - season momentum [3]. - **Inventory situation**: On October 9, the inventory of electrolytic aluminum ingots in major domestic consumption areas was 649,000 tons, an increase of 57,000 tons from September 29 and 32,000 tons from September 25. The destocking in September was less than expected, and the premium of electrolytic aluminum may face pressure in the early post - festival period. In October, some northern enterprises expect to increase the proportion of molten aluminum, and the ingot - casting volume is expected to remain low, supporting the aluminum price [3].

Group 1: Report Industry Investment Rating - Not provided in the document Group 2: Core Views of the Report - In Q4, under the constraints of the "Anti-Involution" and "Overproduction Inspection" policies, the domestic mine operating rate faces a theoretical upper limit, and the supply elasticity of coking coal is limited. As the starting year of the 15th Five-Year Plan in 2026, the long-term market expectation has significantly improved, and this year's winter storage scale is expected to be better than last year, providing phased support for coal and coke prices. However, the rebound height and sustainability of coal and coke prices ultimately depend on whether the supply-demand balance sheet of the downstream steel sector can achieve a "soft landing." The ideal scenario is for steel mills to proactively ease the steel inventory pressure through early maintenance and production cuts based on the anticipation of profit contraction, creating a favorable upward space for the industrial chain. Conversely, if the production adjustment of steel mills lags, the shrinking terminal demand will exacerbate the finished product inventory contradiction, triggering the negative feedback risk of the black industrial chain and restricting the rebound height of coal prices [1][54]. - The trading range of the coking coal main contract is (1100, 1300), and that of the coke main contract is (1550, 1800). Adopt a range-bound trading strategy for single-sided positions, and focus on the reverse spread between the January and May contracts of coking coal, with an recommended entry range of (-70, -60) [1][54]. Group 3: Summary by Directory Chapter 2: Market Review - In the first half of the year, due to factors such as the tariff war, the market had a generally pessimistic outlook on the far-month contracts. As a result, all links in the industrial chain continuously reduced speculative inventories, and the terminal replenishment willingness was low, leading to a deteriorating coking coal inventory structure. A large amount of inventory was积压 at the upstream mines, weakening their bargaining power and resulting in frequent price cuts for promotion. Although the supply-demand contradiction of coke itself was not prominent supported by high hot metal production, the coke price remained difficult to stabilize and showed overall weakness due to the collapse of cost support [2]. - Since June, the expected weak export did not occur. Instead, the year-on-year growth rate of steel exports remained high, and the inventory-to-sales ratio of the five major steel products continued to decline, indicating a healthy steel fundamentals. Meanwhile, the low domestic mine operation and insufficient imported arrivals led to a tightened coking coal supply. Domestically, affected by environmental protection restrictions and regional safety accidents, the operating rates of major coal-producing areas were generally lower than the seasonal average. In terms of imports, the shrinking import profit due to the continuous decline of domestic coal prices in the first half of the year suppressed the import enthusiasm, and the net import volume of coking coal decreased month by month. This structural gap laid the fundamental basis for the subsequent rebound of coking coal. From a valuation perspective, the basis of the coking coal main contract fluctuated between -150 and 150 yuan/ton in the past two years, and this value reached the upper limit at the end of May, indicating significant overselling in the futures market. Subsequently, coking coal started a valuation repair rebound. As the basis turned negative, the cash-and-carry funds entered the market, driving the long-dormant speculative demand to recover and promoting downstream coking enterprises to conduct concentrated replenishment, forming a spiral strengthening mechanism of "futures market rebound - stimulating downstream replenishment - mine de-stocking and price support" [6]. Chapter 3: Core Focus Points 3.1 Coking Coal Supply: Domestic Coal is Constrained by Policies, and the Operating Rate has a Theoretical Upper Limit - Since July, the national level has elevated the political significance of "anti-involution" in the coal industry to curb disorderly competition and stabilize coal prices. Shanxi Province, as the core production area of coking coal in China, accounts for nearly half of the output and is mainly composed of large state-owned mines, playing a strong exemplary and binding role in policy implementation. Shanxi proposed a production strategy of "increasing output to offset price decline" multiple times in the first half of the year, and there were also overproduction phenomena in some other provinces. From January to June, the output of above-scale industrial raw coal was 2.40 billion tons, a year-on-year increase of 5.4%, and the cumulative output was the highest in the same period of the past five years, overusing the production quota for the second half of the year to some extent. To achieve the policy goals of controlling production and stabilizing prices for the whole year, it is expected that major production areas (especially Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Shaanxi) will face strong overproduction inspection pressure before the end of the year, and the mine operating rate has a theoretical upper limit, which is expected to provide phased support for coking coal prices [11]. - The recently issued "Work Plan for Stable Growth of the Iron and Steel Industry (2025 - 2026)" by five departments clearly states that it is necessary to "stabilize the supply of raw fuels, increase the supply and price stability of raw fuels such as iron ore and coking coal, support the normal production of compliant mining enterprises, and avoid 'one-size-fits-all' industry rectification measures." This statement sends a clear policy signal that while ensuring safety production and compliant operation, more attention will be paid to the stability and continuity of the supply side to prevent sharp price fluctuations of raw materials caused by excessive supply tightening. Based on this orientation, the possibility of coking coal prices skyrocketing as in 2021 is relatively low. The current policy environment emphasizes "supply stability and price control" and "precise regulation," which is fundamentally different from the background of strong supply constraints and concentrated demand release in 2021. In addition, the strong overseas demand in 2021 provided additional support for prices, while although exports still show resilience this year, there is limited room for further growth on the basis of last year's high base, making it difficult to reproduce the combined effect of domestic and foreign demand [14]. 3.2 Coking Coal Imports: Pay Attention to the Impact of Imported Coal on the Balance Sheet - Currently, China's dependence on imported coking coal is approaching 20%, and the influence of imported coal on the domestic supply structure is continuously increasing. Since July, the price of Mongolian coal has rebounded by more than 300 yuan/ton from the low level, and the import profit has been rapidly repaired, significantly boosting the customs clearance enthusiasm of major ports such as Ganqimaodu. In terms of seaborne coal, as the domestic coking coal price rebounded, the import window was reopened. Recently, the coal shipments of major global coal-exporting countries have significantly increased, and it is expected that the arrivals of seaborne coking coal will remain at a high level in the fourth quarter. Against the background of the constraints on domestic coal mine operation by factors such as overproduction inspection, safety supervision, and environmental protection, the effective supplement of imported coal helps to relieve the supply pressure. On the other hand, the increasing import dependence also brings hidden concerns about the stability of coking coal supply. If domestic production continues to be restricted and there are disturbances in port transportation, policies, or geopolitics for imported coal (especially Mongolian coal with an increasing proportion), the coking coal supply-demand balance may be broken, significantly impacting prices. Therefore, coking coal imports will be one of the key variables affecting the coking coal market balance in the second half of the year [16]. 3.3 Demand: Positive Outlook at the End of the Year, Pay Attention to the Start Time of Winter Storage - During the Spring Festival, affected by factors such as coal mine holidays and logistics disruptions, the coking coal supply is temporarily tightened, and downstream enterprises usually conduct raw material reserves in advance to ensure production continuity, which is the "winter storage" process. The scale of winter storage is not only restricted by the actual supply but also affected by the downstream's expectation of the market in the coming year. When the expectation is optimistic, the replenishment is active; when it is pessimistic, the reserve is cautious. Looking back at the recent years' patterns, downstream coking plants usually start winter storage about 70 days before the Spring Festival, and the start time is strongly correlated with the rebound of the futures market. In most years, the winter storage behavior starts about one week after the rebound of the main contract and lasts until one week before the Spring Festival (except in 2024, when the market was overly pessimistic about the future, and the futures market did not show a seasonal rebound). The Spring Festival in 2025 is relatively late. Based on the historical winter storage rhythm, it is expected that this round of winter storage will start in mid-to-late November. Considering that 2026 is the starting year of the 15th Five-Year Plan and the policy expectation is positive, the market sentiment is expected to improve compared with last year. Therefore, although it is the traditional off-season, it is expected that the coking coal price will have strong bottom support and certain rebound potential at the end of this year [28]. Chapter 4: Valuation Feedback and Supply-Demand Outlook 4.1 Valuation Analysis - When the demand shrinks and causes steel mills to suffer losses, the profit pressure will be transmitted upstream along the industrial chain, usually manifested as steel mills reducing the purchase price of coke, thereby squeezing the coking profit. This feature was显著 in January - February and August - September 2024. In the first half of 2025, benefiting from the continuous decline of coking coal prices, the profits of steel mills and coking plants were generally stable, and there was no large-scale loss, especially the profit performance of steel mills was good. However, since July, as the expectation of the "Anti-Involution" policy has increased, the coking coal price has rebounded strongly, and the downstream profits have begun to be damaged. Coking plants have been the first to fall into losses, and the steel mill profits have also shrunk. Currently, most coking coal mines have turned losses into profits, and most steel products except for rebar can still maintain a profit of 50 - 100 yuan/ton, while coking plants have become the weakest link in the industrial chain, and some regions are approaching the break-even point or even suffering losses. Looking forward to the fourth quarter, if the coking coal price strengthens again due to supply contraction or the negative feedback of the black industrial chain occurs driven by weak demand, the downstream profits will be further pressured, ultimately leading to the reduction of blast furnace and coke oven production, which will in turn restrict the rebound space of coking coal prices [34]. 4.2 Supply-Demand Outlook - In the fourth quarter, under the constraints of the "Anti-Involution" and "Overproduction Inspection" policies, the operating rate of domestic coking coal mines has a theoretical upper limit, and the monthly average output may be lower than the same period in previous years. Meanwhile, the import profit of coking coal has been significantly repaired compared with the first half of the year, promoting the increase of coking coal imports, and the import proportion is expected to increase in the fourth quarter. Overall, although the imports effectively supplement the domestic supply, the coking coal market is unlikely to experience obvious oversupply under the limited domestic output. In addition, as the starting year of the 15th Five-Year Plan in 2026, the positive policy expectation boosts the market sentiment, and the downstream winter storage enthusiasm has increased. It is expected that this year's winter storage scale will be better than the same period last year, providing certain support for the coal price at the end of the year [37]. - There is a strong positive correlation between the short-term supply of coke and the immediate coking profit. As the post-festival coking coal replenishment demand temporarily declines and a round of coke price increase is implemented, the coking profit is expected to be slightly repaired, driving the short-term coke output to remain stable. Due to the high cost of starting and stopping coke ovens, coking plants usually maintain continuous production during the Spring Festival, so there is no significant seasonal characteristic in coke supply. It is expected that the output at the end of the year will be flexibly adjusted according to the coking profit. From the perspective of the capacity structure, the coke industry has been in a long-term overcapacity situation, resulting in its weak bargaining power in the industrial chain. The price mainly follows the fluctuation of the cost-side coking coal, showing obvious cost-driven characteristics. Although the winter storage demand for coking coal in the fourth quarter will support the coke price to a certain extent, limited by the bargaining power, the strength and sustainability of the coke price rebound are expected to be less than those of coking coal. It is recommended that industrial customers pay attention to the selling hedging opportunities of the near-month main contracts to avoid the risk of adverse price fluctuations [39]. - Recently, the rebound of coal prices has caused the steel mill profits to decline from the high level, and some products such as rebar have suffered losses, indicating that the pressure of profit contraction is being transmitted. However, most steel mills can still maintain a profitable state and have not reached the critical point of the negative feedback of the black industrial chain. It is expected that the hot metal production will remain resilient in the short term. However, as the traditional off-season for the black industry in the fourth quarter, the weakening demand will impact the steel supply-demand balance sheet, and the current relatively high hot metal production of over 2.4 million tons per day is difficult to maintain for a long time. In addition, there is also the pressure to meet the annual crude steel production reduction target in the fourth quarter, which may prompt steel mills to adjust their production plans in advance, helping to ease the steel inventory pressure. However, once the production adjustment of steel mills lags or the actual implementation of the crude steel production reduction policy is less than expected, the steel inventory pressure may further increase. Compared with the first half of the year, the absolute value of steel mill profits has significantly decreased, and the sensitivity of steel mills to losses has increased. If the profits are squeezed again, it is easy to trigger a negative feedback decline in the black industrial chain [50].

Group 1: Investment Ratings - No investment ratings are provided in the report. Group 2: Core Views - The finished products are expected to move in a volatile and consolidating manner, with the price center shifting downward and showing a weak trend [2][3]. - The aluminum ingot price is expected to remain high in the short - term, and attention should be paid to macro sentiment and mine - end news. Before the holiday, it is expected to oscillate at a high level, and later, the inventory - consumption trend should be monitored. Be vigilant about long - holiday risks [2][4]. Group 3: Summary by Related Catalogs Finished Products - The short - process construction steel enterprises in the Yunnan - Guizhou region will stop production for maintenance from mid - January to the 11th to 16th day of the first lunar month, affecting a total output of 741,000 tons. In Anhui Province, one of the 6 short - process steel mills stopped production on January 5th, and most of the others will stop around mid - January, with a daily output impact of about 16,200 tons [2][3]. - From December 30, 2024, to January 5, 2025, the transaction (signing) area of newly - built commercial housing in 10 key cities was 2.234 million square meters, a 40.3% decrease from the previous period and a 43.2% increase year - on - year [3]. - The finished products continued to decline in a volatile manner yesterday, reaching a new low. In the context of weak supply and demand, the market sentiment is pessimistic, and this year's winter storage is sluggish, providing little support for prices [3]. - Future factors to watch include macro policies and downstream demand [3]. Aluminum Ingots - The aluminum market supply has increased slightly due to the ramping - up of replacement capacity, and the supply - demand pattern is improving marginally. The aluminum processing comprehensive PMI index in September increased by 2.4 percentage points to 55.7% [3]. - Different aluminum sub - industries show different performances. The aluminum plate and strip industry PMI is in the expansion range, the aluminum foil industry PMI reaches 62.5%, the building profile industry PMI is below the boom - bust line, the aluminum cable industry PMI rises to 53.8%, the primary aluminum alloy PMI is above the boom - bust line, and the recycled aluminum industry PMI rebounds to 61.2% [3]. - With the decline in aluminum prices, processing plants have some stocking demand for the double festivals, and social inventories have decreased. On September 29, the inventory of electrolytic aluminum ingots in the main domestic consumption areas was 592,000 tons, a decrease of 25,000 tons from last Thursday and 46,000 tons from last Monday [3]. - Future factors to watch include changes in macro expectations, the development of geopolitical crises, mine - end resumption of production, and consumption release [4].

Summary of Conference Call on Coking Coal Market Dynamics Industry Overview - The focus of the conference call is on the coking coal market, particularly its price dynamics and supply-demand situation leading into the fourth quarter of 2025 [1][2]. Key Points and Arguments Coking Coal Price Trends - Coking coal futures have shown signs of early correction, indicating market expectations of weakened replenishment demand post-National Day, with prices potentially peaking and declining [1]. - Current spot prices for low-sulfur coking coal have surged, with a notable increase of 160 yuan, reaching a range of 1,580 to 1,600 yuan [3]. - The market anticipates that the coking coal price may have reached a short-term peak, as washing plants and traders have significantly sold off their stocks, raising concerns about inventory buildup due to weak downstream replenishment demand [4]. Steel Market Dynamics - The steel market is experiencing a situation where raw materials are outperforming finished products, with significant price drops in rebar and hot-rolled coils, reflecting a lackluster "golden September and silver October" season [5]. - If steel prices continue to decline in October, it could compress steel mill profits, subsequently exerting downward pressure on raw material prices, including coking coal [5]. Future Market Expectations - The coking coal market is expected to exhibit a V-shaped trend in 2025, with a decline in the first half due to high production and weak demand, followed by a rebound in the second half driven by coal mine losses and better steel mill profits [7]. - The fourth quarter is projected to see a "first suppress then rise" trend, with initial weakness due to slowing replenishment demand and potential further weakening in the finished product sector [9]. Profitability and Production Insights - The steel industry is performing better than last year, with profit levels exceeding 50%, peaking at 70% [10]. - There are concerns regarding potential double counting in steel production statistics, necessitating careful year-on-year comparisons [12]. Supply Chain and Policy Impacts - The coking coal supply situation has been affected by both domestic production and imports, with a notable increase in imports from 2020 to 2024, although a decrease is expected in 2025 [15]. - The Energy Bureau's policies have had limited impact on supply, with some coal mines not strictly adhering to production cuts, which could affect overall market dynamics [16][17]. Price Influences - Coking coal prices are primarily influenced by demand and import levels, with domestic markets being relatively stable due to long-term contracts with state-owned mines [25]. - The anticipated rebound in prices during the winter storage period is expected due to proactive replenishment by downstream users and potential production cuts by upstream coal mines [13][14]. Additional Important Insights - The market is currently facing a potential supply-demand gap, which could lead to price fluctuations in the short term but an overall positive trend in the long run [33]. - The expected high point for coking coal prices in 2026 could reach around 1,600 yuan per ton, contingent on stable supply and demand conditions [37]. - The low point for coking coal prices by the end of this year is projected to be around 1,100 yuan per ton, with a potential high of 1,400 yuan [38]. This summary encapsulates the critical insights from the conference call regarding the coking coal market, highlighting price trends, market dynamics, and future expectations.

Group 1: Industry Investment Rating - There is no information about the industry investment rating in the provided content. Group 2: Core Views - The view on finished products is that they will run in a volatile and consolidating manner, with the price center of gravity moving downward and weak operation, and the market sentiment is pessimistic in the context of weak supply and demand, and this year's winter storage is sluggish with limited price support [1][3] - The view on aluminum ingots is that they are supported by the peak season, and attention should be paid to the inventory inflection point. The price is expected to be adjusted weakly in the short - term, and attention should be paid to macro - sentiment and mine - end news [1][4] Group 3: Summary by Related Catalogs Finished Products - Yunnan and Guizhou short - flow construction steel enterprises are expected to stop production from mid - January and resume around the 11th to 16th day of the first lunar month, affecting a total of 741,000 tons of construction steel production [2] - Six short - flow steel mills in Anhui, one stopped on January 5, and most others will stop around mid - January, with a daily production impact of about 16,200 tons during the shutdown [2][3] - From December 30, 2024, to January 5, 2025, the total transaction area of newly - built commercial housing in 10 key cities was 2.234 million square meters, a 40.3% decrease from the previous period and a 43.2% increase year - on - year [3] - Later, it is necessary to pay attention to macro - policies and downstream demand [3] Aluminum - The fundamental situation of alumina remains in an oversupply pattern. The domestic alumina operating capacity is at a high level, the import window is open, and the inventory is high [3] - As of last Thursday, the total installed capacity of national metallurgical - grade alumina was 110.32 million tons/year, and the operating total capacity was 92.33 million tons/year, with the weekly starting rate up 0.92 percentage points to 83.69% [3] - Last week, the starting rate of domestic aluminum downstream processing leading enterprises increased slightly by 0.1 percentage points to 62.2%, 1.3 percentage points lower than the same period last year [3] - On September 22, the inventory of electrolytic aluminum ingots at domestic mainstream consumption areas was 638,000 tons, the same as last Thursday and 100 tons higher than last Monday. From September 16 - 21, the domestic aluminum ingot delivery volume was 122,300 tons, an increase of 14,700 tons from the previous period [3] - Later, it is necessary to pay attention to macro - expectation changes, geopolitical crisis development, mine - end resumption, and consumption release [4]