CICC Suggests CHINAHONGQIAO and CHALCO as Aluminum Prices Could Rise More Rapidly
Force Majeure Declaration: Qatalum and Alba, two major Middle Eastern aluminum companies, declared force majeure on March 3-4, impacting their annual production capacities of 636,000 and 1.62 million tons, which represent 0.8% and 2.0% of the global aluminum market, respectively.
Price Surge: Following the force majeure announcement, LME aluminum prices increased by 2.5% on March 3 and 5% on March 4, reaching USD3,418 per ton, the highest level since 2022.
Market Outlook: CICC predicts that aluminum prices may continue to rise due to a growing supply-demand gap, geopolitical tensions from the US-Iran conflict, and the effects of global fiscal and monetary policies.
Investment Recommendations: CICC advises investors to focus on companies like NANSHAN AL INTL, CHINAHONGQIAO, CHALCO, TIANSHAN ALUMINUM, and HUATONG WIRES AND CABLES, highlighting their potential in the current market environment.
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Force Majeure Declaration: Qatalum and Alba, two major Middle Eastern aluminum companies, declared force majeure on March 3-4, impacting their annual production capacities of 636,000 and 1.62 million tons, which represent 0.8% and 2.0% of the global aluminum market, respectively.
Price Surge: Following the force majeure announcement, LME aluminum prices increased by 2.5% on March 3 and 5% on March 4, reaching USD3,418 per ton, the highest level since 2022.
Market Outlook: CICC predicts that aluminum prices may continue to rise due to a growing supply-demand gap, geopolitical tensions from the US-Iran conflict, and the effects of global fiscal and monetary policies.
Investment Recommendations: CICC advises investors to focus on companies like NANSHAN AL INTL, CHINAHONGQIAO, CHALCO, TIANSHAN ALUMINUM, and HUATONG WIRES AND CABLES, highlighting their potential in the current market environment.

Market Performance: The Hang Seng Index (HSI) rose by 435 points (1.7%) to close at 25,757, with significant gains also seen in the HSTI and HSCEI, which increased by 151 points (3.2%) and 176 points (2.1%) respectively, and market turnover reached $292.77 billion.
Top Gainers: Notable heavyweights like Xiaomi, Alibaba, and Tencent saw increases of 3.8%, 3.5%, and 3.4% respectively, while JD Logistics surged by 22.98%, and JD gained 9.95%.
Short Selling Activity: High short selling ratios were observed in several stocks, with JD having a ratio of 43.477% and Meituan at 26.184%, indicating significant market speculation.
Other Notable Stocks: Companies like Geely Auto, Trip.com, and Mengniu Dairy also experienced substantial gains, with increases of 7.9%, 7.2%, and 6.9% respectively, reflecting a positive trend in various sectors.

Market Performance: The Hang Seng Index (HSI) rose by 468 points (1.9%) to 25,789, while the Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTI) increased by 177 points (3.7%) to 4,973, and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) gained 187 points (2.2%) to 8,638.
Top Gainers: Notable stock performances included JD Logistics, which surged 21.3%, JD up 8.5%, and Trip.com rising 7.0%. Major companies like Xiaomi, Alibaba, and Tencent also saw significant increases in their stock prices.
Short Selling Activity: High short selling volumes were reported for several stocks, with Alibaba and JD having short selling ratios of 16.072% and 50.972%, respectively, indicating investor caution despite their price increases.
Other Notable Movements: Stocks like TransThera and Bayzed Health experienced substantial gains of 34.9% and 21.5%, respectively, while Chinahongqiao saw a decline of 3.3%, reflecting varied performance across different sectors.
Market Opening Performance: The HSI opened 334 points higher at 25,583, with the HSCEI and HSTECH also showing gains of 1.1% and 1.6%, respectively.
Commodity Stocks Movement: Commodity stocks like SD GOLD and ZHAOJIN MINING saw slight declines, while ZIJIN MINING and CHINAHONGQIAO experienced notable increases of 2.4% and 4.1%.
Tech Sector Trends: Major tech stocks such as TENCENT and KUAISHOU-W showed modest gains, while BABA-W and NTES-S experienced slight declines.
Carmakers' Performance: Carmakers like NIO-SW and GEELY AUTO opened significantly higher, with NIO-SW rising by 5.8%, while BYD COMPANY and XIAOMI-W also saw positive movement.
Market Performance: The HSI closed down 518 points (2%) at 25,249, with the HSCEI and HSTECH also experiencing declines, totaling a market turnover of $364.304 billion.
Financial Sector Decline: Major financial stocks like HSBC and AIA saw significant losses, with HSBC down 3.7% and AIA down 4.7%, amidst high short selling activity.
Commodities Stocks Drop: Commodities stocks generally fell, with companies like SD GOLD and ZHAOJIN MINING losing between 2.8% and 3.3%, while MMG reported strong profits but still saw a 4.3% drop in share price.
Gainers Amidst Losses: Despite the overall market downturn, CHINAHONGQIAO and CHALCO gained 6% and 5.4% respectively, attributed to tightened aluminum supply following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Market Reaction to Geopolitical Tensions: Chinese metal stocks experienced a sell-off due to risk-aversion stemming from the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran, while coal stocks performed well due to rising price expectations and low investor positions.
JPMorgan's Insights on Metal Stocks: JPMorgan remains optimistic about gold and copper stocks, recommending quality mining shares during market dips, with ZIJIN MINING identified as a top pick.
Coal Price Projections: The firm anticipates that geopolitical tensions will elevate coal prices in the short term, driven by increased demand as crude oil and natural gas prices rise, although sustainability depends on potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Aluminum Price Forecast: JPMorgan's global commodities team predicts that aluminum prices could surge towards USD4,000 per ton if significant supply disruptions occur, influenced by higher energy and freight costs.








