Group 1: Report's Industry Investment Rating - The investment rating for methanol is "Short - term bullish" [1] Group 2: Report's Core View - In the short - term, methanol rebounded from a low level and is expected to run strongly. In the medium - term, the high supply pressure of the 01 - contract methanol in China is the main contradiction, and the price upside in December may be limited. In 2026, the overall fundamental situation of methanol may improve in the first quarter. The MTO fundamental is weak, and the production profit is continuously compressed. The fundamental pressure level is currently at 2,150 - 2,200 yuan/ton. The lower valuation of methanol mainly refers to the cash - flow cost line of coal - based plants in Henan, which is around 2,000 - 2,050 yuan/ton [5] Group 3: Summary According to the Catalog 1. [Fundamental Tracking] - In the futures market, the closing price of the methanol main contract was 2,136 yuan/ton, up 1 yuan from the previous day; the settlement price was 2,121 yuan/ton, down 5 yuan; the trading volume was 1,027,056 lots, up 83,284 lots; the open interest of the 01 - contract was 1,003,722 lots, down 45,066 lots; the number of warehouse receipts was 3,800 tons, unchanged; the trading volume was 2.178178 billion yuan, up 0.171558 billion yuan; the basis was - 18, up 7; the spread between MA01 and MA05 was - 96, down 12. In the spot market, the Inner Mongolia price was 1,970 yuan/ton, up 5 yuan; the northern Shaanxi price was 1,955 yuan/ton, down 5 yuan; the Shandong price was 2,180 yuan/ton, up 10 yuan [2] 2. [Spot News] - The methanol spot price index was 2,065.15, up 4.37. Among them, the Taicang spot price was 2,118, up 8, and the Inner Mongolia northern line price was 1,995, up 2.5. Among the 20 large and medium - sized cities monitored by Longzhong, 10 cities saw varying degrees of price increases, with increases ranging from 2.5 to 55 yuan/ton. As of November 26, 2025, the sample inventory of Chinese methanol ports was 1.3635 million tons, a decrease of 0.1158 million tons from the previous period, a month - on - month decrease of 7.83%. The overall unloading of foreign vessels was lower than expected, and the visible unloading during the period was only 152,000 tons [4]

Core Viewpoint - Since the end of July, domestic methanol futures prices have been continuously declining, with the 2601 contract dropping below 2000 yuan/ton, marking the lowest level since October 2020. The decline is primarily due to increased imports and high port inventories, which are expected to persist into the first quarter of next year [1][5]. Group 1: Domestic Supply and Inventory - Domestic operating rates remain high, with a current operating rate of 76.5% as of November 14, 2023. The coal-based methanol operating rate is at 82.5%, while natural gas-based and coke oven gas-based rates are at 50.6% and 59.4%, respectively. There are few domestic maintenance activities, but some natural gas-based facilities may undergo maintenance starting late November [2]. - Port inventories have surged to over 1.6 million tons, the highest level in recent years, driven by continuous imports since June. The expected import volumes for November and December suggest that inventory reduction is unlikely until at least 2025 [2][3]. Group 2: Profit Margins - Upstream profits have been significantly compressed due to rising coal prices since September, which have increased production costs for coal-based methanol. Despite this, methanol prices have fallen, leading to some regions experiencing profits dropping below breakeven levels [4]. - Conversely, downstream profits have begun to recover, particularly in the olefins sector, where profits have rebounded to their highest levels of the year following the decline in methanol prices. Traditional downstream profits are also improving, although they are expected to remain at historically low levels in 2024 and 2025 [4]. Group 3: Future Outlook - The recent acceleration in methanol price declines is attributed to increased imports and sustained high port inventories, which are expected to limit price recovery. If Iranian methanol facilities begin to shut down as planned at the end of November, import pressures may ease, but high inventories will continue to suppress prices into 2025 [5][6].

Core Viewpoint - The methanol market is experiencing differentiated changes in supply and demand, with port inventories accumulating and domestic production gradually recovering [1] Supply Side - Social inventory at ports continues to accumulate, exerting pressure on prices [1] - Domestic methanol enterprises are gradually restarting their production facilities, leading to a steady recovery in supply capacity [1] Demand Side - There are positive signs in demand, with an expected increase in external procurement of olefins, providing some support to the market [1] - However, after a previous price increase, market transactions show signs of fatigue, and buyers' willingness to purchase has decreased, leading to price fluctuations at high levels [1] Market Dynamics - Future attention should be paid to the actual procurement strength of olefins and the pace of inventory reduction, as these factors will influence market sentiment [1] - The interconnection between domestic and port markets is crucial, as inventory transfers and price transmission will affect regional market performance [1] Macro Factors - The impact of macroeconomic logic on forward contracts should not be overlooked, as macro factors may influence methanol prices through market sentiment [1] - There is a cautionary note regarding the risk of further price pressure under conditions of supply-demand looseness [1]