Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for several steel companies, including Hualing Steel, Nanjing Steel, Baosteel, and New Steel [8][9][10]. Core Viewpoints - The steel sector has shown a strong performance this year, with a year-to-date increase of over 30%, ranking 7th among Shenwan's primary industries [2]. - The report highlights that the average daily pig iron production has increased to 236.9 thousand tons, while steel production has decreased [11]. - The total inventory of steel has decreased, with a week-on-week decline of 1.7%, indicating a tightening supply [23]. - Apparent steel consumption has shown a slight decline, with a week-on-week decrease of 0.7% [52]. - The report notes that iron ore prices have strengthened, influenced by reduced shipments from Australia and Brazil [49]. Summary by Sections Market Review - The CITIC Steel Index closed at 1,999.70 points, up 0.83%, outperforming the CSI 300 Index by 1.91 percentage points [1][94]. Supply Analysis - Daily pig iron production increased by 2.8 thousand tons, while steel production has decreased, particularly in rebar [11][17]. - The capacity utilization rate for 247 steel mills is reported at 88.8%, reflecting a slight increase [17]. Inventory Analysis - The total inventory of five major steel products decreased to 1,061.4 million tons, down 1.3% week-on-week [25]. - Steel mill inventories also saw a decline, with a 2.9% reduction [25]. Demand Analysis - Apparent consumption of five major steel products decreased by 0.7% week-on-week, with rebar demand dropping more significantly [40][52]. - The average weekly transaction volume for construction steel was 100 thousand tons, reflecting a 3.9% increase [41]. Price and Profitability - The report indicates a slight increase in steel prices, with the Myspic comprehensive steel price index rising to 121.2, up 0.1% week-on-week [75]. - Current costs for long-process rebar and hot-rolled coils are reported at 3,518 yuan/ton and 3,744 yuan/ton, respectively, with negative margins [75][76].