Summary of Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co Ltd Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co Ltd - **Industry**: Materials, specifically focusing on cobalt and lithium production - **Market Cap**: Rmb115,068 million - **Stock Rating**: Overweight - **Price Target**: Rmb76.00 - **Current Share Price**: Rmb68.00 as of January 5, 2026 Key Financial Results - **FY25 Preliminary Profit**: Rmb5.85-6.45 billion, representing a YoY increase of 41-55% [1] - **4Q25 Net Profit**: Implied at Rmb1.6-2.2 billion, up 44-97% YoY and 9-48% QoQ [1] - **Recurring Preliminary Net Profit for FY25**: Rmb5.6-6.3 billion, up 48-66% YoY [1] Core Growth Drivers - **Production Capacity**: Growth attributed to the Huafei project exceeding production capacity and sustainable high production from the Huayue project [2] - **Raw Material Self-Sufficiency**: Increased self-sufficiency in raw materials for MHP [2] - **Metal Prices**: Rise in cobalt and lithium prices contributing to profit growth [2] - **Operational Efficiency**: Improvement in operating efficiency and effective expense control [2] Future Outlook - **Metal Price Trends**: Anticipated benefits from rising nickel, cobalt, and lithium prices in 2026, particularly due to potential mining quota cuts in Indonesia [3] - **Cost Considerations**: Nickel production costs may increase due to rising sulphur prices, with an estimated usage of 8-10 tons per nickel ton [3] Financial Projections - **EPS Estimates**: - FY25: Rmb3.50 - FY26: Rmb4.78 - FY27: Rmb5.46 [6] - **Revenue Projections**: - FY25: Rmb77,865 million - FY26: Rmb85,592 million - FY27: Rmb99,966 million [6] Valuation Methodology - **Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Model**: Price target derived from a DCF model assuming a WACC of 10.9% and a steady-state revenue growth rate of 2% [9] Risks - **Upside Risks**: Improvement in cobalt prices, copper price hikes, rising sales volume of NCM precursors, and cost declines on self-supply of nickel raw materials [11] - **Downside Risks**: Lower-than-expected cobalt and copper prices, weaker-than-expected demand affecting precursor sales volume, and slower ramp-up of Indonesia nickel projects [11] Additional Insights - **Analyst Ratings**: The stock is rated as Overweight, indicating expected performance to exceed the average total return of the industry [31] - **Market Sentiment**: The industry view is considered attractive, reflecting positive sentiment towards the materials sector, particularly in the context of battery production [6] This summary encapsulates the key points from the conference call regarding Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co Ltd, highlighting financial performance, growth drivers, future outlook, and associated risks.