Group 1 - In March 2024, strong expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in June and favorable domestic policy expectations led to a rise in zinc prices, with the main contract reaching a two-year high of 25,365 yuan/ton [1] - By the second quarter of 2024, the trading logic shifted from interest rate cuts to concerns about secondary inflation in Europe and the U.S., causing further increases in zinc prices [1] - The volatility in zinc prices significantly increased operational risks for companies, making futures hedging essential [1] Group 2 - As of the end of March 2024, despite a rapid increase in zinc prices, downstream demand did not improve significantly, leading to a continuous accumulation of social inventory [2] - From July 2024, the spot premium in South China began to rise, peaking at 240 yuan/ton in mid-September before falling back to 15 yuan/ton [2] - The fluctuation of basis affects the effectiveness of futures hedging, making it crucial for companies to determine the basis accurately [2] Group 3 - In 2023, several overseas mines faced production halts, exacerbating the tight supply of zinc concentrate and leading to a decline in processing fees [3] - The supply issues for zinc concentrate worsened in 2024, resulting in a significant reduction in smelting profits and subsequent production cuts by smelters [3] Group 4 - A supply chain management company established in April 2023 focuses on zinc concentrate and zinc ingot procurement and sales, facing challenges due to price volatility [6] - The company engages in high-frequency trading to improve capital turnover and mitigate risks associated with price fluctuations [6] Group 5 - A futures company developed a hedging strategy for the supply chain company, prioritizing spot purchases and short futures when the basis is negative, and pre-selling spot and long futures when the basis is positive [7] - This strategy effectively hedges against single-sided risks in spot trading while capturing basis profits [7] Group 6 - On October 14, 2024, the supply chain company purchased 30 tons of spot zinc at an average price of 24,953 yuan/ton and sold futures at an average price of 25,250 yuan/ton, resulting in a total profit of 4,560 yuan [8] - On October 28, 2024, the company pre-sold 30 tons of zinc ingots at an average price of 24,860 yuan/ton and established long futures, achieving a total profit of 11,010 yuan [8] Group 7 - The case study illustrates that companies should not mechanically follow procurement and sales plans but should anticipate spot premiums or basis changes to enhance hedging effectiveness and increase trade profits [9]

1. Report Industry Investment Rating - Unilateral: Cautiously bearish [4] - Arbitrage: Neutral [4] 2. Core View of the Report - Downstream buyers are reluctant to buy at high prices, mainly consuming inventory, leading to poor spot market transactions and a further decline in spot premiums [3] - The TC of domestic zinc ore remains stable, the import window for zinc ore is closed, domestic ore has an advantage over imported ore, and the TC of imported ore in the third - quarter overseas continues to rise [3] - Smelters' raw material inventory is still sufficient, and the upward trend of the ore end remains unchanged [3] - Smelting profits remain stable, and the long - term high - growth supply expectation remains unchanged [3] - Consumption performance is unexpectedly strong, the zinc alloy operating rate is still increasing, and the social inventory of zinc ingots has not shown a trend of accumulation, possibly due to the zinc alloy reservoir effect [3] - In the short term, be vigilant about energy disturbances caused by the Middle East crisis [3] 3. Summary According to Related Catalogs Important Data - **Spot**: The LME zinc spot premium is -$30.04/ton. SMM Shanghai zinc spot price rose by 190 yuan/ton to 22,200 yuan/ton, and the spot premium fell by 25 yuan/ton to 155 yuan/ton. SMM Guangdong zinc spot price rose by 170 yuan/ton to 22,190 yuan/ton, and the spot premium fell by 45 yuan/ton to 145 yuan/ton. SMM Tianjin zinc spot price rose by 180 yuan/ton to 22,210 yuan/ton, and the spot premium fell by 35 yuan/ton to 165 yuan/ton [1] - **Futures**: On June 18, 2025, the main SHFE zinc contract opened at 21,885 yuan/ton and closed at 22,060 yuan/ton, up 185 yuan/ton from the previous trading day. The trading volume was 123,695 lots, a decrease of 694 lots from the previous trading day, and the position was 97,228 lots, a decrease of 8,440 lots from the previous trading day. The highest price was 22,130 yuan/ton, and the lowest was 21,825 yuan/ton [1] - **Inventory**: As of June 16, 2025, the total inventory of zinc ingots in seven regions monitored by SMM was 78,100 tons, a decrease of 3,600 tons compared with the same period last week. As of June 18, 2025, the LME zinc inventory was 128,250 tons, a decrease of 625 tons from the previous trading day [2] Market Analysis - **Spot Market**: Downstream buyers are reluctant to buy at high prices, mainly consuming inventory, resulting in poor spot market transactions and a further decline in spot premiums [3] - **Cost**: The TC of domestic zinc ore remains stable, the import window for zinc ore is closed, domestic ore has an advantage over imported ore, and the TC of imported ore in the third - quarter overseas continues to rise [3] - **Supply**: Smelting profits remain stable, and the long - term high - growth supply expectation remains unchanged [3] - **Consumption**: Consumption performance is unexpectedly strong, the zinc alloy operating rate is still increasing, and the social inventory of zinc ingots has not shown a trend of accumulation, possibly due to the zinc alloy reservoir effect [3] - **Risk**: In the short term, be vigilant about energy disturbances caused by the Middle East crisis [3]