Group 1: CPI Analysis - The CPI year-on-year growth rate decreased to -0.7% in February, down 1.2 percentage points from the previous month, primarily due to the impact of the Spring Festival timing [1][4] - Excluding the Spring Festival effect, the CPI year-on-year increased by 0.1% in February, indicating a moderate recovery in prices [1][4] - Food prices contributed over 80% to the total decline in CPI, with fresh vegetable prices dropping by 12.6% year-on-year [5][6] Group 2: PPI Analysis - The PPI year-on-year decline narrowed to 2.2% in February, with the average for January-February also showing a 2.2% decrease compared to the previous year [2][7] - The main reasons for the PPI decline include the off-peak industrial production season and weak demand for construction materials [2][7] - The prices of production materials fell by 2.5%, while living materials prices decreased by 1.2%, with specific industries like coal processing seeing significant price drops [7][8] Group 3: Market Sentiment and Future Outlook - The PMI data indicated an increase in raw material and finished product price indices, but the PPI only slightly narrowed, suggesting a discrepancy between perceived and actual market conditions [3] - The current policy uncertainty may lead to a cautious approach from enterprises, affecting production enthusiasm [3] - Positive signals from the upcoming Two Sessions may help restore market demand and improve production and demand dynamics [3]

Group 1: CPI and PPI Overview - In January 2025, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 0.5% year-on-year, up from 0.1% in the previous month, and rose by 0.7% month-on-month, compared to 0.0% previously[2] - The Producer Price Index (PPI) remained at -2.3% year-on-year, consistent with the previous month, and the month-on-month decline slightly widened to -0.2% from -0.1%[2] Group 2: Seasonal and Policy Influences - The January CPI increase was weaker than seasonal expectations, which typically see an average month-on-month rise of 1.1% during the Spring Festival months[3] - Core CPI, excluding food and energy, has shown a continuous increase for four months, indicating some effectiveness of policies implemented since September 2024[3] Group 3: Sector Contributions - Key contributors to the CPI increase included food and beverage, transportation, education, culture, and entertainment, with respective year-on-year growth rates rising by 0.6%, 1.6%, 0.8%, and 0.5%[3] - Service consumption prices, particularly in tourism and household services, outperformed seasonal trends, with increases of 11.6%, 5.7%, and 1.5% month-on-month for various service categories[3] Group 4: Commodity Price Dynamics - Food prices rose by 0.4% year-on-year but were weaker than seasonal performance, with pork prices showing a modest recovery[6] - International crude oil prices increased, contributing approximately 0.1 percentage points to the CPI rise, with domestic gold and gasoline prices up by 3.0% and 2.5% respectively[6] Group 5: Future Outlook - The continuation of price recovery is contingent on effective policy measures and fiscal spending, particularly in infrastructure and industrial demand[11] - The PPI is expected to remain under pressure unless stricter industry regulations are introduced to support supply-side improvements[11]

Manufacturing PMI Insights - The official manufacturing PMI for February 2025 is recorded at 50.2%, an increase of 1.1 percentage points from the previous month, indicating a return above the growth threshold[1] - The average manufacturing PMI for the first two months of 2025 is 49.7%, lower than the average of 50.2% in the last quarter of 2024, suggesting a weaker manufacturing sentiment compared to seasonal norms[1] - The production index and new orders index for February are 52.5% and 51.1%, respectively, indicating that production is expanding faster than demand[2] Economic Trends and Risks - The new export orders index stands at 48.6%, reflecting a slight recovery but still indicating potential risks in external demand due to uncertainties in trade policies[2] - There is a notable divergence in sentiment among manufacturing enterprises, with large enterprises showing a PMI of 52.5%, while medium and small enterprises are at 49.2% and 46.3%, respectively, highlighting a reliance on large firms for recovery[2] - The manufacturing price indices indicate a potential narrowing of PPI declines, with the output price index at 48.5% and the main raw material purchase price index at 50.8%[2] Overall Economic Outlook - The comprehensive PMI average for the first two months of 2025 is 50.6%, down from 51.3% in the last quarter of 2024, suggesting a slower economic recovery trajectory[6] - The construction PMI for February is 52.7%, showing a strong recovery post-holiday, while the service sector PMI is at 50.0%, indicating a decline[5] - The overall economic sentiment remains cautious, with the need for further policy support for small and medium enterprises highlighted as crucial for sustained recovery[2]

文 ： 华创证券研究所副所长 、首席宏观分析师 张瑜（执业证号：S0360518090001） 联系人： 陆银波（15210860866） 报告摘要 PMI 数据：制造业 PMI 回升至荣枯线以上 2 月制造业 PMI 为 50.2% ，前值为 49.1% 。具体分项来看： 1 ） PMI 生产指数为 52.5% ，前值为 49.8% ，回升 2.7 个百分点。 2 ） PMI 新订单指数为 51.1% ，前值为 49.2% 。 PMI 新出口订单指数为 48.6% ，前值为 46.4% 。 3 ） PMI 从业人员指数为 48.6% ，前值为 48.1% 。 4 ）供货商配送时间指数 为 51.0% ，前值为 50.3% 。 5 ） PMI 原材料库存指数为 47.0% ，前值为 47.7% 。 PMI 点评：回升的思考 （一）为何回升：春节或是主导因素 2 月，制造业与建筑业 PMI 明显回升，或主要来自春节因素。比较 2018-2025 年每年春节所在月的 PMI 与春节所在月下一个月的 PMI （注： 2020 年和 2022 年受疫情影响较大，不予考虑），均是明显回升的 走势。 1 ）制造业 PMI ...

Core Viewpoint - The manufacturing PMI for February returned above the threshold, indicating a relatively good state of manufacturing prosperity, with the average PMI for January and February overall better than in 2024 [1][3] Manufacturing PMI Analysis - The manufacturing PMI for February is 50.2%, an increase of 1.1 percentage points from the previous month, and 0.1 percentage points lower than the average of the past five years [2][3] - The average PMI for January and February is 49.65%, which is higher than the 49.15% in the same period of 2024, reflecting a better recent manufacturing climate [3] Economic Supply and Demand - Both supply and demand sides of the economy are performing well in the short term, with a potential short-term rebound in PPI readings [4] - The production index for February is 52.5%, up 2.7 percentage points from last month, and the average operating rate for six major industrial sectors is 71.0%, which is 2.0 percentage points higher than the same period in 2024 [4] Sector Performance - Among 15 major manufacturing industries, 7 have PMIs above the threshold, with the equipment manufacturing sector performing relatively well, such as electrical machinery at 57.1% and automotive manufacturing at 53.1% [5] - Conversely, some low-value-added industries are underperforming, such as non-metallic mineral products at 43.4% and petroleum processing at 42.6% [5] Non-Manufacturing PMI Insights - The non-manufacturing PMI for February is 50.4%, an increase of 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, driven mainly by seasonal recovery in the construction industry [6] - The service sector PMI decreased to 50.0%, while the construction PMI increased to 52.7%, indicating a seasonal rebound in construction activities post-Spring Festival [6] Future Economic Outlook - The overall economic performance is benefiting from previous consumption-boosting policies, tariff expectations, and the concentrated issuance of special bonds in the fourth quarter [7] - Future attention should be paid to the details of macro policies from the Two Sessions, the effects of consumption promotion on large items, and the impact of tariffs on exports [7]

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly state an investment rating for the industry Core Insights - Rising food prices have curbed demand, while catering and department stores have sustained growth [3][16] - Consumer confidence index fell to 35.2 in January 2025, the lowest in 16 months, indicating deepening economic concerns [2][7] - Inflation accelerated in January 2025, with CPI rising 4.0% year-on-year, driven by structural increases in food and energy prices [9][12] Macro Summary - In January 2025, the inflation rate accelerated again, with the consumer confidence index dropping to 35.2, marking a 16-month low since September 2023 [2][7] - Real wages in December 2024 increased by 0.3% year-on-year, marking the second consecutive month of growth, while nominal GDP grew by 2.9% in 2024 [2][12] - The January PPI rose by 4.2% year-on-year, continuing a moderate upward trend [13] Industry Summary - In the essential goods retail sector, food and beverage sales increased by 0.9% year-on-year, while drug and bath product sales rose by 4.9% [3][16] - The optional consumption sector, including dining and department stores, benefited from a surge in inbound tourism, with significant growth in same-store sales [5][16] Essential Companies Summary - In January, PPIH's same-store sales increased by 6.7%, while Aeon and 711 Japan reported increases of 2.0% and 0.9%, respectively [4][20] - The beer industry saw a high single-digit growth in traditional beer sales, driven by a record number of inbound tourists [4][23] Optional Companies Summary - Major dining companies like Sally's and Toridoll reported same-store sales growth of 17.3% and 12.5%, respectively, benefiting from the influx of tourists [5][32] - Uniqlo and ABC-MART reported same-store sales growth of 8.6% and 6.1%, respectively, driven by seasonal promotions and new product launches [5][36] Stock Market Summary - In January, most optional consumption stocks rose, while essential consumption stocks mostly fell [6] - The report suggests focusing on companies with optimistic profit growth prospects, such as Asics and Fast Retailing [6]