Investment Rating - The report maintains a positive investment sentiment for the automotive sector, with an optimistic outlook for annual sales growth, projecting a retail growth rate of 5.2% and a wholesale growth rate of 8.4% for the year [2][3]. Core Insights - The automotive industry is experiencing a recovery in sales, particularly in April, with a year-on-year increase in wholesale sales of 11.0% and a month-on-month decrease of 10.0%. The report anticipates that sales levels will remain strong, especially for high-end brands priced above 200,000 yuan, with a forecasted wholesale growth rate of 31% for new energy passenger vehicles [2][4]. - The report highlights the strong performance of new energy vehicle manufacturers, with BYD delivering 380,089 units in April, a year-on-year increase of 21%, and other new players like Leap Motor and Xpeng showing significant growth [4][20]. - Traditional automakers like Geely and SAIC also showed notable sales increases, with Geely's sales up by 53% year-on-year in April [4][24]. Data Tracking - In April, the wholesale sales of passenger vehicles reached 2.22 million units, with a year-on-year growth of 11.0% and a month-on-month decline of 10.0%. The export sales for the same month were 430,000 units, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 0.4% and a month-on-month increase of 5.0% [4][24]. - The average discount rate in early May was 7.2%, slightly down from the previous month, with an average discount amount of 10,613 yuan [4][25]. - The report recommends key companies in the automotive sector, including JAC Motors, Li Auto, Geely, and BYD, highlighting their competitive advantages and potential for upward price elasticity [5][6]. Industry News - The report notes that as of late April, the national inventory of passenger vehicles reached 3.5 million units, indicating a slight increase in inventory pressure compared to previous years [31]. - Recent collaborations, such as the strategic partnership between Dongfeng Motor Group and Huawei, aim to enhance smart vehicle technologies and digital transformation within the automotive sector [31][32]. - The report also mentions the overall market performance, with the automotive sector index rising by 1.80% in the latest week, ranking third among 29 sectors [8][33].