中国材料行业 ——2025 年第四季度展望：传统材料股票影响-China Materials-4Q25 Outlook – Equity Implications Traditional Materials

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - Industry Focus: Traditional Materials in the Asia Pacific region, specifically gold, copper, aluminum, steel, and coal [1][7]. Core Insights and Arguments Gold - Price and Volume Growth: Strong prices and above-peer volume growth are expected for Chinese gold miners, with projected double-digit volume growth from 2024 to 2027, while global production is anticipated to be flat or declining. This is expected to lead to strong earnings growth for Chinese gold miners [2]. Copper - Super Cycle Factors: A combination of supply disruptions, loose liquidity, and a weak dollar is expected to widen the global copper supply deficit in 2026. The macroeconomic environment is supportive, with abundant liquidity in the US and China, US rate cuts, and a weakening dollar, leading to a bullish outlook for copper equities [3]. Aluminum - Sustainable Margin Expansion: The expansion of bauxite supply from Guinea and other countries is leading to an oversupply of alumina globally. China's aluminum capacity is capped at 45 million tons, resulting in higher margins for aluminum smelters, estimated at around Rmb4,000 per ton year-to-date, which is expected to be sustainable. New supply additions for 2025-26 are estimated at 1.6 million tons and 1.0 million tons, respectively, which is less than the demand growth [4]. Steel - Production Cuts and Export Strength: Current steel margins are in the Rmb150-200 per ton range. There is resistance from steel mills and local governments regarding production cuts, which are part of anti-involution measures. Actual cuts are expected to be lower than the previously anticipated 30 million tons, primarily occurring during the winter slow season. Steel exports remain strong as mills adapt to new markets and product types [5]. Coal - Support for Thermal Coal Prices: The National Energy Administration's overproduction inspections are expected to reduce coal production in the second half of 2025 to approximately 2.25 billion tons, down 7% quarter-on-quarter and 9% year-on-year. This reduction, combined with the traditional peak consumption season in winter, is expected to support high thermal coal prices [6]. Additional Important Insights - Price Target Adjustments: Various companies within the materials sector have had their price targets adjusted based on updated commodity price forecasts. For example, CMOC's price target has been raised to Rmb18.60 from Rmb12.1, reflecting a 6% increase in EPS forecasts for 2025-27 [20]. - Market Capitalization and Liquidity: The report includes detailed market capitalization and liquidity data for various companies, indicating a healthy trading environment for the sector [12][14]. - Long-term Commodity Price Forecasts: The report provides updated long-term forecasts for commodity prices, indicating expected increases in prices for gold, copper, and aluminum, among others [17][18]. Conclusion - The overall outlook for the traditional materials sector in Asia Pacific is positive, with specific bullish sentiments for gold, copper, and aluminum driven by macroeconomic factors and supply-demand dynamics. The steel and coal sectors face challenges but also show resilience through export strength and seasonal demand.