Group 1 - The domestic futures market for black metals showed significant gains, with rebar futures trading at 3471.00 yuan, up 0.26% [1] - As of late January 2026, social inventory of five major steel products in 21 cities reached 7.17 million tons, an increase of 80,000 tons or 1.1% month-on-month, but a decrease of 40,000 tons or 0.6% year-to-date, and down 170,000 tons or 2.3% year-on-year [2] - The Central Document No. 1 emphasizes expanding rural consumption through various measures, including support for new energy vehicles, smart home appliances, and green building materials [2] Group 2 - Economic growth targets for local governments are set around 5%, with the steel market absorbing external market fluctuations and showing a slowdown in trading activity due to the upcoming Spring Festival [3] - Inventory levels for major steel products have increased, but there is a divergence among product types, with hot-rolled coils continuing a trend of inventory reduction [3] - Iron ore and coking coal prices remain relatively strong, and future market conditions will depend on macroeconomic sentiment [3]

Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "Positive" [1] Core Viewpoints - The report indicates that the steel industry is currently in a deep off-season, which may affect demand and pricing dynamics [1] - The overall performance of the steel sector is expected to outperform the broader market, as indicated by the positive investment rating [1] Price Performance - The SW Steel Index is at 2,541, with a weekly change of -2.9% and a year-to-date change of 20.9% [3] - The price of rebar (HRB400 20mm) is at 3,250 CNY/ton, showing a weekly decrease of 0.6% and a year-to-date decrease of 4.7% [3] - The iron ore price index is at 105 USD/ton, with no change from the previous week and a year-to-date increase of 5.0% [3] Inventory Levels - Total social inventory of the five major steel products is 9.41 million tons, with a weekly increase of 3.7% and a year-to-date increase of 24.1% [5] - Steel mill inventory stands at 4.05 million tons, reflecting a weekly increase of 4.5% and a year-to-date increase of 15.5% [5] - Port inventory of iron ore is at 15.428 million tons, with a weekly increase of 0.9% and a year-to-date increase of 3.8% [5] Supply and Demand - The weekly output of the five major steel products is projected to be 1.1 million tons [9] - The average daily molten iron production is estimated at 240,000 tons [9] - The report highlights the importance of monitoring supply and demand dynamics as the industry navigates through the off-season [11]