Summary of Conference Call Notes Industry Overview - **Industry**: Building Materials, specifically focusing on cement and related materials in China - **Key Theme**: The anti-involution theme may lead to consolidation and capacity closures in the cement industry due to weak property sales impacting demand for building materials [1][2] Company-Specific Insights Zhuzhou Kibing Group Co Ltd (601636.SS) - **Price Target Change**: Increased from Rmb4.90 to Rmb5.20 - **Rating**: Downgraded to Underweight [1][6] Anhui Honglu Steel Construction (002541.SZ) - **Price Target Change**: Decreased from Rmb20.00 to Rmb19.00 - **Rating**: Downgraded from Overweight to Equal-weight [1][6] Weixing New Building Materials (002372.SZ) - **Price Target Change**: Decreased from Rmb14.40 to Rmb8.60 - **Rating**: Downgraded from Overweight to Underweight [1][6] China Lesso Group Holdings Ltd (2128.HK) - **Price Target Change**: Decreased from HK$4.20 to HK$3.80 - **Rating**: Downgraded from Equal-weight to Underweight [1][6] Market Dynamics - **Cement Supply Controls**: Policies introduced to control overproduction, targeting a reduction of 20-30% of excess capacity. Expected that ~20% of capacity will exit the industry during 2025-26, benefiting industry leaders through consolidation [2] - **Late-Cycle Building Materials**: Anticipated slow recovery due to declining property starts and completions. Some demand support may arise from secondary home sales and government programs [3] - **Float Glass Market**: Prices have slightly rebounded due to joint price increases, but overall demand remains muted, leading to continued downward pressure on prices [4] Financial Estimates and Changes - **Weixing New Building Materials**: - EPS estimates lowered by 24%/20%/25% for 2025-27 due to slow recovery in demand [11] - Revenue growth forecasts for PPR and PE pipes are negative for 2025, with expected declines of 5% and 7% respectively [18][26] - **China Lesso**: EPS estimates lowered by 10% for 2025-27 due to falling raw material prices [11] - **Honglu Steel**: EPS estimates lowered by 39%/28%/29% for 2025-27 due to reduced government subsidies and slowed capacity expansion [11] Risk Factors - **Weixing New Building Materials**: Continuous demand drag from property and infrastructure remains a significant risk. The company has maintained a high payout ratio but faces challenges in revenue growth [20][27] Conclusion - The building materials industry in China is facing significant challenges due to weak property sales and overcapacity. Companies are adjusting their price targets and ratings in response to these market conditions. The outlook for major players like Weixing and Honglu Steel indicates a cautious approach moving forward, with potential consolidation in the cement sector as a response to supply controls.

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview Basic Materials - China - **Copper and Gold Prices**: LME copper price increased by 1.1% WoW to US$9,822/t, while the China price rose by 0.6% WoW to RMB79,450/t, driven by expectations of a rate cut [1][33]. - **Aluminum Prices**: LME aluminum price decreased by 0.3% WoW to US$2,618/t, with the China price slightly increasing by 0.1% WoW to RMB20,730/t [1][44]. - **Gold Prices**: COMEX gold spot price rose by 1% WoW to US$3,407/oz [1][52]. - **Lithium Prices**: Average price of domestic battery-grade lithium carbonate fell by 5.1% WoW to RMB79.7k/t, while lithium hydroxide decreased by 0.8% WoW to RMB76.9k/t [1][56]. Steel Industry - **Steel Prices and Margins**: Rebar price decreased by 0.1% WoW to RMB3,266/t, while HRC price increased by 0.3% WoW to RMB3,466/t. Iron ore price rose by 3% WoW due to expectations of a lower Fed rate [2][64]. - **Cash Margins**: Spot rebar cash margin shrank by RMB55/t WoW to -RMB34/t, and HRC cash margin decreased by RMB28/t WoW to -RMB125/t [2][75]. - **Inventory and Consumption**: Finished steel products inventory increased by 1.9% WoW to 14.7 million tons, and apparent consumption rose by 0.6% WoW to 8.6 million tons [2][85]. Cement Industry - **Cement Prices**: Average national cement price increased by 0.35% WoW to RMB327/t, with a notable increase in Ningxia by RMB30/t [3][88]. - **Demand and Inventory**: Nationwide shipment ratio decreased by 0.6ppt WoW to 41.6%, while inventory ratio was at 60.5%, down 1.1ppt WoW [3][21]. Glass and Paper Industries - **Glass Prices**: National average float glass price decreased by 1.34% WoW to RMB1,189/t due to weak demand [3][99]. - **Paper Prices**: Paper price increased by 0.7% WoW to RMB3,481/t, supported by price hikes from paper mills [3][100]. Solar Materials - **Polysilicon Prices**: N-type polysilicon and granular silicon prices increased by RMB1/kg WoW to RMB51/kg and RMB47/kg, respectively [3][110]. - **Solar Glass Prices**: Prices for coated solar glass remained stable at RMB18.8/sqm and RMB11.0/sqm [3][122]. Additional Insights - **Inventory Trends**: Lithium carbonate inventory at smelters decreased by 11% to 52kt, while downstream inventory increased by 13% to 46kt, leading to a total sample lithium carbonate inventory increase of 3.6% MoM to 142kt [1][60]. - **Market Dynamics**: The steel industry is facing pressure from rising iron ore prices, while the cement market shows signs of recovery despite regional demand declines due to environmental inspections [2][88]. This summary encapsulates the key points from the conference call, highlighting the performance and trends across various sectors within the basic materials industry in China.

Core Viewpoint - Xinyi Glass reported a decline in revenue and net profit for 1H25, primarily due to weak demand in the float glass and architectural glass sectors, although automotive glass earnings showed resilience [1][2]. Financial Performance - Revenue for 1H25 decreased by 9.7% YoY to Rmb9.8 billion, with net profit attributable to shareholders falling 59.6% YoY to Rmb1 billion [1]. - Automotive glass revenue increased by 10.6% YoY to Rmb3.3 billion, with gross margin rising by 5.0 percentage points YoY to 54.5% [2]. - Float glass revenue dropped by 16.4% YoY to Rmb5.4 billion, with the industry average selling price (ASP) declining by 28% YoY to Rmb1,329 per ton [3]. Cost and Expenses - The firm's expense ratio increased by 2.4 percentage points YoY to 18.6%, with selling expenses rising by 1.6 percentage points YoY to 6.7%, attributed to higher US import tariffs [4]. - The effective tax rate rose by 5-6 percentage points YoY, linked to a decrease in earnings from associates [4]. Capital Expenditure and Dividends - Capital expenditure fell by 81% YoY to Rmb1 billion, primarily for investments in new industrial parks in China and Indonesia [5]. - An interim dividend of HK$0.125 per share was proposed, with a payout ratio of approximately 49% and a dividend yield of 3.3% [5]. Industry Outlook - The float glass industry is expected to adjust supply through cold repairs, with potential cost increases for highly polluting fuels possibly improving earnings [5]. - The company's focus on deep engagement in the automotive glass aftermarket and expansion into the OEM segment may provide stability to overall earnings [5]. Financial Forecasts - The 2025 EPS forecast was cut by 21% to Rmb0.52, while the 2026 EPS forecast remains at Rmb0.68, reflecting pressures on the float glass business [5]. - The target price is maintained at HK$8.5, implying a 15x 2025e and 11x 2026e P/E ratio, with a 5% upside potential [5].

Summary of Conference Call on Float Glass Industry Industry Overview - **Industry**: Float Glass - **Region**: Greater China Materials, Asia Pacific Key Takeaways 1. **Price Movement**: Float glass prices have increased due to improved market sentiment, with future prices rising from Rmb980/ton in early July to Rmb1307/ton as of July 24, 2025, driven by expectations of anti-involution actions [11][1][2] 2. **Inventory Changes**: Total inventory at future-spot traders rose from 0.7 million weight cases in late May to 2.16 million weight cases currently, while traditional float glass inventory decreased from 60.6 million weight cases in mid-June to 53 million weight cases [11][1][2] 3. **Market Dynamics**: Despite the price increase, demand remains muted, with order days from processing plants at a multi-year low of 9.3 days, indicating a mismatch between supply and demand [2][3][1] 4. **Profit Margins**: The slight recovery in spot glass prices has led to a marginal improvement in margins for glass producers, although fundamental pressures persist due to high supply levels [1][2][3] Company-Specific Insights 1. **Major Players**: Companies such as Xinyi Glass and Zhuzhou Kibing Group are expected to face earnings pressure due to the ongoing supply-demand mismatch and potential downside in float glass prices [2][1] 2. **Maintenance Impact**: Improved profits have led to the postponement of maintenance plans for some production lines, which could further exacerbate supply issues [2][1] Risks and Considerations 1. **Downside Risks**: The industry faces risks from weaker-than-expected demand in the property segment, potential sharp decreases in float glass prices, and margin squeezes from rising costs of natural gas and soda [19][1] 2. **Upside Risks**: Potential improvements in downstream demand, particularly from the property and automotive markets, could positively impact the industry [16][1] Conclusion - The float glass industry is currently experiencing a complex interplay of rising prices driven by sentiment and inventory dynamics, against a backdrop of muted demand and fundamental pressures. Major producers are likely to face challenges in maintaining profitability amidst these conditions.

Investment Rating - The industry view for China Materials is rated as Attractive [6] Core Insights - Cement is preferred due to supply discipline, price coordination, lower costs, and no impact from trade wars. The building materials sector is recovering from improved secondary property sales [1][2] - The cement industry is experiencing margin expansion and has formed new alliances to focus on profit rather than volume. A 5-10% year-over-year decline in demand is expected, but margin recovery is anticipated due to lower coal prices and effective supply control measures [2][3] - Late-cycle building materials are recovering, supported by better secondary home sales and government initiatives. However, demand remains soft due to declining property starts and completions [3] - The float glass segment is facing weak fundamentals, with low demand from property developers and high supply levels continuing to pressure earnings [4] Summary by Sections Cement - Major cement players have agreed to prioritize profit over market share, leading to a healthier price recovery despite weak property demand. The industry is expected to see a margin recovery due to lower coal prices and effective supply control policies [2] - Top producers like Conch, CNBM, and CR Cement are likely to benefit from new supply control measures aimed at reducing overproduction [2] Building Materials - The late-cycle building materials sector is expected to see mild growth in new infrastructure and industrial investments, with demand improving from better secondary home sales and government programs [3] - Companies such as Yuhong, Weixing, and Lesso are identified as potential beneficiaries of this recovery [3] Float Glass - The float glass market is currently weak, with low order days at processing plants and high supply levels continuing to exert pressure on earnings [4] Price Targets and Ratings - Price targets for key companies include Anhui Conch (A) at RMB 37.40 with a 47% upside, Anhui Conch (H) at HKD 29.80 with a 35% upside, and China Resources Building Materials at HKD 2.30 with a 39% upside [7][11] - Ratings for companies in the cement sector are predominantly Overweight (OW), while Xinyi Glass and Zhuzhou Kibing Glass are rated Underweight (UW) due to weak fundamentals [11][12]