Citi Favors Aluminum in Materials Sector; Recommends CHINAHONGQIAO and CHALCO as Top Choices
Aluminum Production Data: China's aluminum production from November 27 to December 3 was 856,000 metric tons, unchanged week-over-week but up 3% year-over-year, with aluminum billet production at 362,000 metric tons, also flat week-over-week but up 7% year-over-year.
Inventory Trends: As of December 4, total inventory of aluminum billet and ingot decreased by 1% week-over-week but increased by 3% year-over-year, reaching 878,000 metric tons.
Citi's Industry Preferences: Citi's research indicates a preference for aluminum over other materials, ranking them as aluminum > copper > batteries > gold > battery materials > coal > cement > steel.
Top Stock Picks: Citi's top stock recommendations include CHINAHONGQIAO, CHALCO, ZIJIN MINING, and CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX, with specified target prices for each.
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Market Performance: The HSI rose by 21 points (0.1%) to 25,981, with a total half-day turnover of $147.491 billion, while the HSCEI and HSTECH also saw slight increases.
Automaker Highlights: NIO-SW reported its first quarterly profit, leading to a 16.1% increase in its share price, while other automakers like LEAPMOTOR and XPENG-W also experienced notable gains.
Sector Movements: Intelligent driving and battery stocks saw significant increases, with WERIDE-W and CATL rising by 7.9% and 6.9%, respectively, reflecting strong investor interest in these sectors.
Economic Indicators: China's inflation rate for February was reported at 1.0%, up from 0.2%, while the PPI YoY was -0.9%, slightly better than the previous -1.4%.
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.








