Report Title - Zinc Futures and Options February 2026 Report [1] Report Industry Investment Rating - Not mentioned in the provided content Core Viewpoints - **Macro**: The Fed has paused rate cuts, and the manufacturing sectors in China and the US show resilience. Geopolitical disturbances, the emphasis on key supply chains in AI, high - tech manufacturing, and energy transition have amplified the positive impact on the supply side. Capital flowing from precious metals to non - ferrous metals has boosted sector rotation. However, there is a divergence between strong expectations and actual demand, and a significant correction due to weakening expectations should be guarded against [6]. - **Supply**: Zinc concentrate supply is seasonally tight. Domestic smelters have completed winter stockpiling, but some lead - zinc mines in China had routine maintenance and shutdowns in January, weakening domestic supply. Overseas mines are also affected by factors like the Iran situation and community protests. European natural gas price hikes and low LME inventories have strengthened the external market. Domestic refined zinc shows a situation of weak supply and demand and is in a stage of inventory accumulation [6]. - **Demand**: In 2026, the real estate sector is stabilizing and recovering. Manufacturing is expected to be led by high - end manufacturing and AI development. There is a divergence between price increases and seasonal weakness in the downstream. In terms of imports and exports, the export performance was good in 2025, and in 2026, the incremental space for zinc demand is still mainly in the overseas market. The domestic and export demand for galvanized products is expected to remain strong [6]. - **Inventory**: Domestic inventory is recovering, while LME zinc inventory has recovered from a low level but remains relatively tight. The LME 0 - 3 spread is in a slight contango state, and the strong LME zinc price boosts the domestic market [6]. - **Outlook**: In February 2026, geopolitical changes will affect the non - ferrous and precious metals sectors. Supply - demand mismatches around the Spring Festival and capital flows during the holiday may lead to a temporary cooling of the market. However, the downside space is expected to be limited. Buy - hedgers can consider the opportunity to buy on dips. The market is expected to operate in the range of 24,000 - 27,000 yuan/ton, and after a full correction, a long - biased strategy on dips can be considered [6]. Summary by Directory Global Macro and Zinc Market - **Long - term Zinc Price Trends**: After the subprime mortgage crisis, factors such as global liquidity floods, supply - side reforms, the Fed's QE, the European energy crisis, the COVID - 19 pandemic, the Fed's tightening cycle, and the current Fed's rate - cut expectations and geopolitical disturbances have all affected zinc prices [10]. - **Weakening US Dollar Trend**: In 2026, the Fed is expected to cut rates twice. Concerns about policy continuity and independence, political risks, global capital re - balancing, and the strengthening of external currencies all contribute to a weakening US dollar [12]. - **Manufacturing Recovery**: Zinc prices are highly correlated with global manufacturing sentiment. The Fed's rate - cut expectations and the recovery of manufacturing data support non - ferrous metals. However, the strong performance of the sector has exceeded the manufacturing recovery rhythm, and there is a divergence between strong expectations and weak reality [16]. - **US Stagflation Expectations**: The US employment market growth is slowing, inflation is volatile, and geopolitical situations are causing oil price fluctuations [19]. - **Domestic Policy Support**: China will maintain a loose fiscal and moderately loose monetary policy in 2026. There will be continued optimization and upgrading in consumer goods and large - scale equipment renewal, and infrastructure construction related to technology development will also continue [24]. Zinc Supply Analysis - **Overseas Zinc Mine Production**: In Q3 2025, the total output of tracked mines decreased slightly quarter - on - quarter by 0.9% but increased year - on - year by 9.69%. From January to September 2025, it increased year - on - year by 11.35%, with an incremental contribution of about 400,000 tons. Mines like Antamina, Kipushi, Tara, and Gamsberg are the main sources of incremental production in 2025 [31]. - **Global Zinc Mine Output**: In 2025, global zinc mine supply rebounded after three years of decline. In 2026, there is still room for growth, but overseas growth may slow down while China's growth may emerge. The copper/zinc ratio may lead to an adjustment in mine - end increments [37]. - **Domestic Zinc Mine Production**: In 2025, domestic zinc concentrate production increased by about 70,000 tons year - on - year. In 2026, projects like Huoshaoyun and Zhugongtang may bring an increase of 100,000 - 200,000 tons and 50,000 - 80,000 tons respectively [39]. - **Zinc Concentrate Imports**: In 2025, zinc concentrate imports reached 5,325,542.08 tons, a year - on - year increase of 30.62% [44]. - **Global Refined Zinc Production**: In 2025, refined zinc production recovered to some extent, but the improvement from the mine end to zinc ingot production was affected by overseas profit factors [47]. - **Processing Fees**: In January 2026, domestic and imported processing fees weakened seasonally, indicating a strong mine end [51]. - **Refined Zinc Enterprise Profits**: Refined zinc enterprises are in a loss situation, but the long - term contract price in 2026 has generally increased [55]. - **Refined Zinc Output**: In 2025, refined zinc output increased with profit recovery, but it weakened at the end of the year and in early 2026, and is expected to decline during the Spring Festival [59]. - **Refined Zinc Imports and Exports**: In 2025, imports decreased by 31.78% year - on - year, and exports increased by 459.90%. In 2026, there is still a possibility of intermittent export window openings [63]. Zinc Demand Analysis - **Apparent and Actual Consumption**: In 2025, the apparent consumption of zinc ingots was mostly higher than the five - year average and slightly higher than the actual consumption, indicating an improvement in supply. However, supply decreased significantly at the end of the year [69]. - **Galvanizing Enterprises**: The operating rate of galvanizing enterprises was weak, with limited recovery in actual consumption. There is still an expectation of capacity release, and export demand has development potential [73]. - **Zinc Die - Casting Enterprises**: The operating rate of zinc die - casting alloy enterprises was better in the first half of 2025 but weakened in the second half. There was a polarization between large and small factories [76]. - **Zinc Oxide Industry**: The operating rate of the zinc oxide industry was weak, with a significant decline from May to June and a continuous decline from October to December [80]. Zinc Inventory Analysis - **Exchange Inventories**: As of the end of January 2026, LME zinc inventory was 110,000 tons, a year - on - year decrease of 39.13%, and SHFE zinc inventory was 65,154 tons, a year - on - year increase of 199.13%. Both overseas and domestic inventories are at relatively low historical levels [86]. - **Social Inventories**: As of January 2026, social inventories have recovered from a low level and are at a relatively high level in recent years, indicating a situation of increasing supply and weakening demand [89]. Zinc Supply - Demand Balance - **Global Refined Zinc**: In 2025, global refined zinc supply is expected to be slightly in surplus, and in 2026, the surplus is expected to expand to 290,000 tons [94]. - **Domestic Refined Zinc**: In 2025, domestic refined zinc turned to a slight surplus. In 2026, domestic production is expected to increase further, and there may be intermittent export opportunities, maintaining a surplus pattern [97]. Zinc Technical Analysis - Since the fourth quarter of 2025, zinc has been in an upward channel. In January 2026, it accelerated its rise but faced adjustment pressure at the end of the month. After breaking through last year's high, the upper - resistance level has expanded above 27,000 yuan. A long - biased strategy on dips can be considered [102]. Arbitrage Analysis - **Domestic - Overseas and Cross - Variety Arbitrage**: The zinc Shanghai - London ratio is highly correlated with the RMB - US dollar exchange rate. The import window for zinc has opened intermittently, and there may be opportunities for cross - market reverse arbitrage and export. The copper - zinc ratio reached a new high at the end of 2025, but there may be room for the ratio to return in 2026 [109]. Zinc Option Market - **Option Volatility Analysis**: In 2025, the historical and implied volatilities of Shanghai zinc options showed a trend of rising and then falling. Different option strategies can be adopted according to different volatility levels [113]. Summary: Zinc Market Outlook and Operational Suggestions - In February 2026, zinc is expected to maintain high volatility. Supply - demand mismatches, macro and mine - end changes may intensify fluctuations. The market is expected to operate in the range of 24,000 - 27,000 yuan/ton. Option strategies such as selling out - of - the - money calls during the consolidation period and buying zinc and selling copper for arbitrage can be considered. For the industrial side, buy - hedging can be considered at low levels after a full correction, and sell - hedging opportunities currently exist [121].

Core Viewpoint - The significant drop in gold and silver prices on October 21 is attributed to profit-taking, easing global trade tensions, and a stronger US dollar, which has made precious metals more expensive for buyers [1][3]. Price Movements - On October 21, spot gold experienced a drop of over 5%, falling below $4,130 per ounce, marking the largest daily decline since August 2020. Spot silver saw an even larger decline, dropping over 7% and falling below $49 per ounce [1][3]. - Prior to this drop, gold had surged nearly 3% to surpass $4,300 per ounce on October 16, and silver had increased over 2% to exceed $54 per ounce, both reaching historical highs [3]. Market Influences - Analysts indicate that profit-taking and a reduction in safe-haven demand due to easing trade tensions are primary factors behind the recent price declines. Additionally, news regarding the potential end of the US government shutdown has further diminished market risk aversion [3][5]. - The geopolitical situation, particularly the Russia-Ukraine conflict, has also introduced volatility in the gold market, with European leaders expressing strong support for a ceasefire and increased pressure on Russia [1]. Future Outlook - Analysts from WisdomTree and UBS suggest that while gold prices may continue to rise, the current pace of increase is aggressive, leading to potential pullbacks whenever new highs are reached [5]. - HSBC forecasts that the momentum for gold prices could persist until 2026, driven by strong central bank purchases and ongoing fiscal concerns in the US, with a target price of $5,000 per ounce [6]. - Long-term bullish sentiment on gold remains intact, with factors such as US fiscal deficits and the depreciation of the dollar continuing to support gold as a hedge against currency weakness [6][7].

Group 1: Gold Market Insights - Recent geopolitical tensions and liquidity expectations have led to a significant inflow of funds into the gold market, with gold prices rising by 12% since October 10, 2025[9][11]. - The current environment is reminiscent of the 1970s gold bull market, driven by excessive dollar liquidity and a loss of confidence in the dollar, suggesting that the gold bull market is far from over[2][17]. - As of mid-2025, gold investment accounted for 3.4% of the global stock and bond market, compared to over 10% during the 1970s, indicating substantial room for growth[2][25]. Group 2: Copper Market Dynamics - The copper-to-gold ratio is at a historical low of 2.43, suggesting that copper prices are significantly undervalued relative to gold, with potential for a corrective rally[3][29]. - The demand for copper is expected to increase due to global energy transitions and the AI revolution, while supply constraints are anticipated to create a structural shortage, raising the long-term price level of copper[3][35]. - Forecasts indicate a global copper supply deficit of 40,000 tons in 2026 and 180,000 tons in 2027, highlighting the tightening supply situation[36].