有色钢铁行业周观点（2025年第17周）：铁矿价格出现明显松动，积极关注钢铁板块的投资机会-20250427

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Positive" investment rating for the non-ferrous and steel industry [5]. Core Viewpoints - Iron ore prices have shown significant loosening, suggesting a positive outlook for investment opportunities in the steel sector. The market anticipates that after the May Day holiday, iron water production will peak, potentially squeezing iron ore profits, leading to downward price feedback [8][13]. - The steel sector has experienced three years of adjustment, positioning it as a high-value investment opportunity. The profitability and stability of leading enterprises have significantly improved, and the supply structure of iron ore may undergo substantial changes, allowing profits to flow back to the domestic steel industry [8][13]. Summary by Sections Steel Industry - The consumption of rebar has decreased, with a reported national consumption of 2.6 million tons, reflecting a week-on-week decline of 5.07%. The average price of rebar has slightly increased to 3,323 CNY/ton, while cold-rolled prices have decreased to 3,812 CNY/ton, down 1.54% week-on-week [14][37]. - The total steel inventory has decreased significantly, with a total inventory of 1,083 million tons, down 3.68% week-on-week and 24.11% year-on-year [23]. - The profitability of long and short process rebar has increased, with long process rebar profit rising by 25 CNY/ton and short process rebar profit increasing by 350 CNY/ton [34]. Industrial Metals - The copper treatment charge (TC) and refining charge (RC) have deepened into negative territory, indicating challenges in the copper market. The LME aluminum price has risen to 2,412 USD/ton, a week-on-week increase of 3.63% [16]. - The production costs for electrolytic aluminum have decreased significantly, with costs in Xinjiang dropping by 16.22% and profits increasing by 3,455 CNY/ton [16]. Precious Metals - Tariffs may drive up demand for safe-haven assets and inflation expectations, with gold prices expected to continue rising. The COMEX gold price is reported at 3,330.2 USD/ounce, with a slight week-on-week decline of 0.33% [16][49]. New Energy Metals - Lithium carbonate production in China has significantly increased, with a reported production of 56,110 tons in February 2025, a year-on-year increase of 57.44% [15][40]. - The price of battery-grade lithium carbonate is currently 69,600 CNY/ton, reflecting a slight week-on-week decrease of 1.21% [49].