Core Viewpoint - The recent measures to regulate disorderly competition among enterprises have positively impacted production prices in various industries, which is expected to help the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recover [1] Industry Summary - The government has been actively promoting industry self-discipline and capacity governance in key sectors, with gradual effects becoming evident [1] - In August, the year-on-year decline in factory prices for industries such as coal, steel, new energy vehicles, and photovoltaics has narrowed, leading to a reduced downward impact on the Producer Price Index (PPI) compared to the previous month [1] - These changes are conducive to the return of price operations to a reasonable range [1]

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the divergence in industrial production, the continued recovery in infrastructure construction, and the weakness in real estate transactions, indicating mixed signals in the economic landscape [2][4][29]. Group 1: Industrial Production - The high furnace operating rate increased by 0.9 percentage points year-on-year to 6.8%, while the apparent consumption continued to weaken, dropping by 1.9 percentage points to 0% [4]. - Chemical production showed significant declines, with soda ash and PTA operating rates down by 4.1 percentage points to 1.7% and 5.5 percentage points to 12.1%, respectively [11]. - The automotive sector also faced challenges, with the operating rate for semi-steel tires decreasing by 0.3 percentage points to 6.2% [11]. Group 2: Construction Industry - Infrastructure construction is showing signs of recovery, with the asphalt operating rate rising by 0.1 percentage points to 9.2% [2][23]. - However, cement production and demand have declined, with the national grinding operating rate and cement shipment rate down by 3.3 percentage points to 9% and 1.3 percentage points to 4.2%, respectively [17]. Group 3: Real Estate and Demand - National new housing daily transaction area remains weak, with a year-on-year increase of 9.6% to 0%, particularly in first and third-tier cities [29]. - The migration scale index decreased by 7.6% year-on-year to 12.8%, indicating a marginal decline in human mobility [40]. Group 4: Price Trends - Agricultural product prices have declined, with pork, eggs, and fruit prices down by 0.2%, 0.2%, and 0.5% respectively, while vegetable prices increased by 1.7% [56]. - The industrial product price index rose by 0.2%, with the metal price index also increasing by 0.2% [62].

Economic Overview - The core viewpoint of the article emphasizes that despite facing risks and challenges, China's economy is showing steady progress with supportive macro policies and expanding market demand [3][12]. New Productive Forces - In July, the added value of high-tech manufacturing above designated size increased by 9.3% year-on-year, outpacing the overall industrial growth by 3.6 percentage points [4]. - The digital economy is rapidly developing, with the added value of digital product manufacturing increasing by 8.4% year-on-year in July [4]. - Production of green low-carbon products is also on the rise, with new energy vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and wind turbine generators seeing year-on-year growth of 17.1%, 29.4%, and 19.3%, respectively [4]. Foreign Trade - In July, the total value of goods imports and exports increased by 6.7% year-on-year, with exports growing by 8% and imports by 4.8% [5]. - The diversification of trade partners is evident, with exports to ASEAN, the EU, and Belt and Road countries increasing by 14.8%, 8.2%, and 11.7%, respectively [5]. - The export of integrated circuits saw significant growth of 21.8%, indicating enhanced international competitiveness [5]. Consumption - In July, the total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 3.7% year-on-year, with service retail sales growing by 5.2% in the first seven months [6]. - The sales of home appliances, furniture, and communication equipment saw substantial growth, with increases of 28.7%, 20.6%, and 14.9%, respectively [7]. - The tourism and leisure sectors experienced rapid growth, with retail sales in related services maintaining double-digit growth [7]. Investment - Fixed asset investment grew by 1.6% year-on-year in the first seven months, with actual growth (adjusted for price factors) estimated between 4% and 5% [8][9]. - Manufacturing investment increased by 6.2%, significantly outpacing overall investment growth [9]. - Investment in high-tech industries, such as aerospace and information services, saw substantial increases of 33.9% and 32.8%, respectively [9]. Price Trends - In July, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed positive changes, with a month-on-month increase of 0.4% [10]. - The core CPI, excluding food and energy, rose by 0.8% year-on-year, indicating a strengthening market demand [10]. - The Producer Price Index (PPI) saw a month-on-month decline of 0.2%, but the rate of decline has narrowed, marking the first reduction in the rate since March [10].

Core Insights - Monthly commodity price forecast indicates oil prices in a fluctuating range, while copper and gold prices are expected to trend upwards [2] Domestic Demand - New housing and passenger vehicle sales growth rates have declined, while second-hand housing sales have rebounded; consumer electronics sales prices in August have shown a year-on-year decline [2] - In August, new housing sales saw a year-on-year decline, while second-hand housing sales increased but prices fell; the high base and hot weather contributed to a decrease in passenger vehicle sales growth, with retail sales declining and wholesale sales recovering [2] - Movie box office revenue and attendance have decreased but remain at historically high levels; tourism consumption continues to rise, with hotel occupancy rates increasing and revenue per available room up compared to last year [2] External Demand - The extension of the US-China tariff exemption for three months has been announced, while shipping volumes from China to the US continue to decline [3] - Overall exports are weakening, with a drop in CCFI shipping rates and a significant decrease in container throughput; however, the number of departing ships has increased [3] Production - The effects of capacity reduction are yet to be seen, with manufacturing employment reaching a new low [4] - Recent steel production has decreased due to maintenance and iron water transfer, while the profitability of sample steel mills has slightly declined but remains acceptable [4] - The average daily coal consumption of six major power generation groups has significantly increased, driving up coal prices [5] - The manufacturing employment index has increased month-on-month but shows a year-on-year decline, reaching a historical low [6] Prices - Tariff exemptions have suppressed gold prices; domestic rebar prices have increased, while cement and thermal coal prices continue to rise, and glass prices have decreased [6]

Domestic Demand - New housing and passenger car sales growth has declined, while second-hand housing sales have rebounded[2] - In August, new housing sales saw a year-on-year decline of 8%, while second-hand housing sales volume increased, but prices fell[2] - Retail sales of home appliances in August showed a downward trend in year-on-year growth[2] External Demand - The extension of tariff exemptions between China and the U.S. for three months has led to a continued decline in shipping volumes from China to the U.S.[2] - Overall exports are weakening, with the China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI) showing a decrease in shipping rates and a significant drop in container throughput[2] Production - Manufacturing employment index has reached a historical low, with a year-on-year decline continuing[2] - Steel production has decreased due to maintenance and operational adjustments, while rebar prices have started to rise[2] Prices - Tariff exemptions have suppressed gold prices, while domestic rebar prices have increased, and cement and coal prices continue to rise[2] - The geopolitical situation and rising U.S. commercial crude oil inventories have put downward pressure on oil prices[2] Risks - Potential policy changes and economic recovery not meeting expectations pose risks to the forecasts[2]

Monetary Policy Stance - The People's Bank of China (PBOC) will implement a moderately easing monetary policy [1] - The PBOC will maintain ample liquidity in the market [1] - The PBOC aims to align the growth of social financing and money supply with economic growth and price stability targets [1] - The PBOC considers promoting a reasonable rebound in prices as an important factor in monetary policy [1] Economic Objectives - The PBOC aims to maintain price levels at a reasonable level [1]

Group 1 - The "anti-involution" policy aims to address low-price disorderly competition rather than driving up prices, as the fundamental factor determining prices remains supply and demand, with current domestic effective demand still insufficient [1] - The "anti-involution" policy has been reinforced throughout the year, with various measures such as legal revisions and policy implementations to combat low-price competition, including the revised Anti-Unfair Competition Law and the draft Price Law [1][2] - The Producer Price Index (PPI) showed a year-on-year decline of -3.6% in July, but the month-on-month decline narrowed from -0.4% in June to -0.2%, indicating some stabilization in industrial prices due to policy effects [2] Group 2 - The Consumer Price Index (CPI) remains weak overall, but the core CPI has rebounded for three consecutive months, benefiting from reduced price wars in the automotive and home appliance sectors, as well as seasonal increases in service consumption [2] - The improvement in PPI is primarily seen in upstream raw materials and industrial products, which have a low direct correlation with consumer spending, indicating that the transmission mechanism from PPI to CPI remains ineffective [3] - The essence of the "anti-involution" policy is to correct rather than stimulate, focusing on market-oriented and legal methods to shift competition from price wars to quality, service, and innovation, promoting a healthier market structure [4]

Report Industry Investment Rating No relevant content provided. Core View of the Report In July, the CPI turned from flat to rising month - on - month, mainly due to higher service prices during the summer travel season, rising international oil and gold prices, and increased demand driven by replacement policies. The PPI's month - on - month decline narrowed, and its year - on - year growth stopped falling. Overall, with policy promotion and external factors, prices improved marginally in July. However, the price improvement in the upstream of the industrial chain was significantly better than that in the mid - and downstream. Mid - and downstream enterprises' price increases were restricted by insufficient effective demand. Anti - involution policies cannot boost prices overnight, and "stabilizing prices, reducing production capacity, and increasing demand" need to be coordinated. In the short term, with the continuous implementation of replacement and anti - involution policies, domestic prices are expected to recover steadily [3][35]. Summary by Relevant Catalogs 1. Service and Industrial Consumer Goods Prices Rise, CPI Month - on - Month Exceeds Seasonal Improvement - The CPI was flat year - on - year, rising 0.4% month - on - month after a 0.1% decline last month. Its month - on - month growth was better than the seasonal average [11]. - The month - on - month increase in CPI beyond the seasonal level was mainly driven by rising service and industrial consumer goods prices. During the summer travel season, service prices rose 0.6% month - on - month, contributing about 0.26 pct to the CPI increase. International oil price hikes and replacement policies led to a 0.5% month - on - month increase in industrial consumer goods prices, contributing about 0.17 pct to the CPI increase [11]. - The carry - over effect turned negative, and the negative impact on the CPI year - on - year reading from the carry - over effect will expand from August to September [12]. - The year - on - year increase in the core CPI has been expanding for three consecutive months, with the highest month - on - month increase this year, mainly affected by rising prices of gold and platinum jewelry and services [14]. - Among the eight major categories, service - related items such as transportation, communication, education, culture, entertainment, and other supplies and services had relatively large month - on - month increases, while food and tobacco decreased both month - on - month and year - on - year [16]. - Food prices declined more than the seasonal average, dragging the CPI from rising to flat. In July, food prices fell 0.2% month - on - month, and the year - on - year decline widened, mainly due to high base prices last year [17]. - Non - food prices rose more than the seasonal average, supported by the summer travel season, rising international oil prices, and policies to boost domestic demand, which was the main factor for the CPI to turn from decline to increase month - on - month [20]. 2. Raw Material and Energy Mining and Processing Prices Improve, PPI Month - on - Month Decline Narrows - The PPI was flat year - on - year, and its month - on - month decline narrowed. In July, the PPI decreased 3.6% year - on - year, with the same decline as last month, and 0.2% month - on - month, with a 0.2 pct narrower decline than last month [25]. - The negative impact of the carry - over effect on the PPI weakened. In August, the PPI carry - over factor rose to - 0.7%, and from September to December, it will be in the range of 0 to - 0.1%. With the continuous release of policies to expand domestic demand and combat involution, the year - on - year decline in PPI may narrow significantly [27]. - The month - on - month decline in production material prices narrowed, while the decline in consumer goods prices widened [28]. - By industry, industries such as oil and gas extraction, fuel processing, and non - ferrous metal mining and processing had relatively large month - on - month increases, while industries such as coal, ferrous metal ore, and non - metallic mineral mining had relatively large month - on - month decreases. Overall, industrial product prices in most industries still declined, but some upstream industries showed obvious improvements [30]. - The decline in the PPI - CPI gap narrowed, but mid - and downstream industrial enterprises still faced significant pressure, mainly due to rising upstream prices, falling or stagnant downstream prices, and insufficient endogenous consumer demand [34]. 3. Conclusion: Positive Signals in July's Prices In July, the CPI turned from flat to rising month - on - month, and the PPI's month - on - month decline narrowed. Overall, prices improved marginally in July. However, the price improvement in the upstream was better than that in the mid - and downstream. Anti - involution policies need to be coordinated with "stabilizing prices, reducing production capacity, and increasing demand." In the short term, domestic prices are expected to recover steadily with continuous policy implementation [35].

Core Insights - The Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda stated that the Japan-U.S. trade agreement represents a significant advancement that requires attention to the impact of trade policies on financial markets, foreign exchange markets, the Japanese economy, and prices [1] Group 1 - The Japan-U.S. trade agreement is viewed as a major progress by the Bank of Japan [1] - There is a need to monitor the effects of trade policies on various economic aspects, including financial markets and the economy [1] - The implications of the trade agreement on price levels in Japan are also highlighted [1]

Core Viewpoint - The Governor of the Bank of Japan, Kazuo Ueda, emphasizes the necessity to monitor the impact of trade policies on the financial and foreign exchange markets, as well as on the Japanese economy and prices [1] Group 1 - The focus on trade policy's influence indicates a proactive approach to managing economic stability in Japan [1] - The statement suggests potential implications for monetary policy adjustments in response to trade dynamics [1] - The emphasis on financial and foreign exchange markets highlights the interconnectedness of global trade and domestic economic conditions [1]