Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Buy-A" (maintained) [1][6] Core Views - The company has started shipping single-walled carbon nanotubes, leading to a recovery in profitability. The revenue from carbon nanotube conductive paste reached 1.44 billion yuan in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 5.8%, with a gross margin of 35.1% [4][6] - The demand for carbon nanotubes is growing rapidly, with the company maintaining a market share of 53.2% in China for carbon nanotube conductive paste in 2024, an increase of 6.5 percentage points from 2023 [5][6] Financial Performance - In 2024, the company achieved operating revenue of 1.45 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 3.1%, and a net profit attributable to shareholders of 250 million yuan, a decrease of 15.8% [3][9] - For Q1 2025, the company reported operating revenue of 330 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.0%, and a net profit of 60 million yuan, up 8.1% [3][9] - The estimated revenue for 2025 is projected to be 2.03 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 40.3% [9] Market Outlook - The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for carbon nanotube conductive agents is expected to be 26.7% from 2024 to 2030, driven by advancements in fast-charging technologies and new battery technologies [5][6] - The company is expected to ship 90,000 to 100,000 tons of multi-walled carbon nanotube paste and over 10,000 tons of single-walled and mixed paste in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for profitability [4][6]

Core Viewpoint - The lithium battery separator market is experiencing a recovery characterized by simultaneous increases in both volume and price, particularly in the dry separator segment, with prices expected to rise over 20% by 2025, indicating a potential end to the prolonged industry downturn [1] Group 1: Dry Separator Market - Recent reports indicate that leading companies anticipate a price increase of over 20% for dry separators by 2025, marking a significant shift from the previous trend of declining prices [1] - The price of dry separators fell by more than 10% in 2024, at one point dropping below the cost line due to oversupply and intense price competition, which led to reduced production willingness among manufacturers [1] - Long-term price wars have resulted in severe cost and profit imbalances for separator manufacturers, necessitating price increases to gradually restore profit margins [1] Group 2: Technological Developments and Demand - The rapid development of new battery technologies, such as BYD's second-generation blade battery and advancements in solid-state electrolyte membranes, has created new demand for dry separators, which are essential as a "supporting framework" [1] - The demand for high-performance separators is growing in traditional applications, particularly for fast-charging batteries and large-capacity energy storage cells, which require thinner and superior performance separators [2] - Emerging markets, including semi-solid batteries and lithium battery UPS for data centers, are driving demand for separators with high safety requirements, presenting significant market opportunities for aramid-coated separators [2] Group 3: Collaboration and Commercialization - A collaboration between Xingyuan Material and Taihe New Materials has successfully developed aramid-coated separators, which have been applied in the Kirin battery of the Wanjie M9 [3] - The production lines for aramid-coated separators from both companies are expected to be operational by 2025, paving the way for commercialization [3]