Core Viewpoint - The recent price recovery in the lithium battery separator market is seen as a direct signal of demand recovery, with minimal impact from raw material price fluctuations [3][4]. Group 1: Market Trends - After a prolonged price decline, the Chinese lithium battery separator market has reached a turning point, with noticeable price increases starting in August driven by market demand [4]. - Dry separators experienced a price increase of approximately 10% in early August, with a cumulative increase of over 30% for the year [4]. - Wet separator prices also rose, with increases reported between 5% and 10%, bringing the price of wet base film to 0.5 to 0.55 RMB per square meter and coated separator prices to 0.7 to 0.8 RMB [5]. Group 2: Demand Drivers - Demand growth is primarily driven by the automotive and energy storage sectors, with the domestic automotive market entering a traditional sales peak, and new energy vehicle penetration exceeding 60% [5]. - In the energy storage market, a structural shortage is forming due to a shift in battery production capacity towards next-generation technologies, leading to supply gaps for mainstream 314Ah cells and increasing prices for certain energy storage cells [6]. Group 3: Supply Dynamics - The separator industry's capacity utilization is rapidly increasing, with leading wet separator companies nearing full capacity, indicating a tight supply-demand balance [6]. - The capacity utilization rate for the wet separator industry exceeded 70% in the first half of the year, while many smaller companies are unable to release new supply due to ongoing losses in the separator business [6]. Group 4: Industry Cooperation - In response to intense price competition, the separator industry held a meeting in August to reach a consensus on self-discipline, agreeing to stabilize prices above cost lines and to release capacity based on a reasonable supply-demand ratio of 60% [7]. Group 5: Future Outlook - Leading separator companies are also exploring advanced technologies such as solid-state batteries, with companies like Enjie and Xingyuan Material making progress in this area [8]. - The recent stock price increases indicate that the value of new business ventures needs to resonate with the healthy operation of core businesses to translate into actual market benefits [8].