Investment Rating - The automotive industry is rated as "Outperform" [4][5] Core Views - The industry is entering the mid-year performance reporting period, with a focus on the 2025 World Robot Conference. The July car market is expected to grow primarily due to the "trade-in and scrapping" policies, with retail sales of narrow passenger cars projected at approximately 1.85 million units, a year-on-year increase of 7.6% [1][3] - The long-term outlook emphasizes the rise of domestic brands and opportunities in incremental components driven by electric and intelligent trends. In the short term, the strong new product cycle of Huawei and the first year of the Xiaomi automotive industry chain are highlighted [3][12] Monthly Production and Sales Data - In July, the narrow passenger car retail market is expected to reach around 1.85 million units, with a year-on-year growth of 7.6% and a month-on-month decline of 11.2%. New energy vehicle retail is estimated at about 1.01 million units, with a penetration rate expected to rise to 54.6% [1] - Weekly data shows that from July 1 to 27, retail sales of passenger cars reached 1.445 million units, a year-on-year increase of 9% but a month-on-month decline of 19% [1] Weekly Market Performance - For the week of July 28 to August 1, the CS automotive index fell by 2.26%, with the CS passenger vehicle index down by 2.73%. The CS electric vehicle index decreased by 5.01%, while the overall Shanghai Composite Index fell by 1.38% [2] Key Company Earnings Forecast and Investment Ratings - Key companies such as Leap Motor, Geely, and JAC are rated as "Outperform" with respective earnings per share (EPS) forecasts for 2025 and 2026 indicating growth potential [4] - Leap Motor (9863.HK) is expected to have an EPS of -0.05 in 2025, while Geely (0175.HK) is projected to have an EPS of 1.36 [4] Investment Recommendations - The report recommends focusing on domestic brands and the opportunities in incremental components, particularly in the context of electric and intelligent vehicles. Specific recommendations include: - Vehicle manufacturers: Leap Motor, JAC, Geely - Intelligent technology: Kobot, Huayang Group, Junsheng Electronics - Robotics: Top Group, Sanhua Intelligent Control, Shuanghuan Transmission - Domestic alternatives: Xingyu Co., Fuyao Glass, Jifeng Co., New Spring Co., Horizon Robotics-W [3][12][24] Industry Long-term Outlook - The Chinese automotive industry is transitioning from a growth phase to a mature phase, with a projected annual compound growth rate of 2% over the next 20 years. The report anticipates that new energy vehicle sales will continue to grow significantly, with projections of 1.55 million units in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of over 25% [13][24]

Core Insights - The report maintains an "Outperform" rating for the automotive sector, highlighting the expected boost in market sentiment due to a surge in new product launches and the upcoming earnings reports [1][5][12] - The automotive industry is transitioning towards a technology-driven era, with significant advancements in electrification, intelligence, and connectivity, which are expected to create new demand [12][13] - The report emphasizes the growth potential of domestic brands and the opportunities in incremental components driven by electric and intelligent trends [22][23] Sales Tracking - In June 2025, retail sales of passenger vehicles in China reached 2.084 million units, a year-on-year increase of 18.1% and a month-on-month increase of 7.6% [1] - Cumulative retail sales from January to June 2025 totaled 10.901 million units, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 10.8% [1] - The new energy vehicle market saw retail sales of 1.111 million units in June, marking a year-on-year increase of 29.7% and a cumulative total of 5.468 million units for the first half of the year, up 33.3% [1] Market Performance - In June, the CS automotive sector experienced a slight decline of 0.13%, with the CS passenger vehicle index down 2.34% [2] - Year-to-date, the automotive sector has risen by 28.88%, outperforming the Shanghai Composite Index by 14.17 percentage points [2] - The report notes a decrease in the inventory warning index for automotive dealers, indicating improved market conditions [2] Investment Recommendations - The report suggests focusing on domestic brands and the opportunities in incremental components, particularly in the context of the electric and intelligent vehicle trends [22][23] - Recommended companies include Leap Motor, JAC Motors, and Geely for vehicle manufacturing, and companies like Kobot, Huayang Group, and Junsheng Electronics for intelligent components [3][22] - The report highlights the potential of new entrants like Huawei and Xiaomi in the automotive sector, emphasizing their strong channel and software ecosystem capabilities [22][23] Company Earnings Forecasts - Leap Motor is projected to have an EPS of -0.05 in 2025, with a PE ratio of -1200, while Geely is expected to achieve an EPS of 1.36 with a PE of 12 [4] - JAC Motors is forecasted to have an EPS of 0.11 in 2025, with a PE of 380, indicating significant growth potential [4] - The report provides a detailed earnings forecast for several key companies, reflecting their expected performance in the evolving automotive landscape [4][30]

Core Viewpoint - The domestic passenger car market in May continued its recovery trend, with retail sales increasing by 13% year-on-year to 1.93 million units, and the penetration rate of new energy vehicles rising to 47.3% [1] Sales Tracking - In May, the retail sales of passenger cars reached 1.93 million units, a 13% increase compared to May last year, and a 10% increase from the previous month. Cumulatively, retail sales for the year reached 8.802 million units, up 9% year-on-year [1] - Wholesale figures for May showed 2.329 million units, a 14% year-on-year increase and a 6% month-on-month increase, with cumulative wholesale sales for the year at 10.797 million units, up 12% year-on-year [1] - Insurance data indicated that 1.7086 million new passenger cars were registered in May, a 12.5% increase year-on-year, with new energy vehicles accounting for 911,700 units, up 23.9% year-on-year [1] Market Performance - In May, the CS automotive sector rose by 1.88%, with the CS passenger car index increasing by 1.12%. The CS automotive parts index rose by 2.52%, and the CS automotive sales and service index increased by 3.26% [2] - From the beginning of 2025 to date, the automotive sector has increased by 29.05%, outperforming the CSI 300 index, which rose by 11.92% [2] Cost Tracking - As of the end of May 2025, prices for float glass, aluminum ingots, and zinc ingots decreased by 24%, 3.2%, and 7.6% year-on-year, respectively [3] Inventory - The inventory warning index for Chinese automotive dealers in May was 52.7%, a decrease of 5.5 percentage points year-on-year and 7.1 percentage points month-on-month, indicating an improvement in the automotive circulation industry's prosperity [4] Market Focus - Developments in autonomous driving include companies like WeRide and Baidu expanding their robotaxi plans, with Tesla set to launch its robotaxi in June. Additionally, companies are accelerating the deployment of unmanned logistics vehicles [5] - A new 7 billion yuan industrial fund has been established in Shenzhen focusing on AI and embodied robotics [5] - New vehicle models include the Sea Lion 06EV, the Star Era ET facelift, and the Hongqi H6 facelift [5]