<Research>CMSI Advocates for Early Investment in China's Automotive Industry Despite Pessimism; GEELY AUTO Selected as Top Pick with Target Price of $32
Market Performance: Chinese carmakers experienced a month-over-month decline in wholesale volume for November, with retail sales expected to be flat month-over-month but down 8.7% year-over-year due to reduced subsidies impacting the industry.
Investment Recommendations: CMSI recommends GEELY AUTO as a top pick for its high result certainty and undervaluation, followed by BYD COMPANY and GDS-SW, with specific target prices set for each.
Auto Parts Stocks: The broker also suggests MINTH GROUP and FUYAO GLASS as favorable investments in the auto parts sector, with target prices of $42 and $86 respectively.
Robotics Sector: CMSI favors UBTECH ROBOTICS, HORIZONROBOT-W, and Hesai Group in the robotics field, all rated at Overweight, with target prices of $172, $13.8, and $28 respectively.
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JPMorgan's Predictions: JPMorgan's research report forecasts that GEELY AUTO and SINOTRUK will exceed market expectations this year, despite challenges from rising demand and input costs.
Potential Upside for NIO and XPENG: NIO and XPENG are expected to show significant growth potential in the second half of 2026, driven by specific factors unique to each company.
Market Rebound for BYD and Leapmotor: BYD and Leapmotor are anticipated to recover gradually after their March earnings announcements, as the market has adjusted to more realistic earnings forecasts.
Overall Industry Outlook: The Chinese auto industry is projected to rebound in the second quarter of 2026, with a 30% increase in passenger vehicle demand, aided by improved customer traffic ahead of the Beijing Auto Show.
Zeekr 8X Launch: GEELY AUTO announced the launch of its luxury electric vehicle brand Zeekr's second flagship SUV, the Zeekr 8X, along with a technology release conference and pre-sales starting next Monday.
Market Reaction: Following the announcement, GEELY AUTO's stock price increased significantly, rising by 8.21% to HKD17.39, and continued to rise to HKD17.76, reflecting strong market interest and trading activity.
Market Performance: The HSI closed down 61 points (0.2%) at 25,898, with total market turnover dropping 23% to $254.481 billion.
Automaker Gains: NIO-SW surged 14.1% after reporting its first quarterly profit, while other automakers like GEELY AUTO and XPENG-W also saw significant increases.
Sector Highlights: Intelligent driving and battery stocks experienced notable gains, with CATL rising 9% and WERIDE-W increasing by 7.1%.
Energy and Coal Stocks: Power utilities and coal stocks performed well, with companies like HUANENG POWER and CHINA SHENHUA seeing increases of 3.5% and 4.6%, respectively.

Market Performance: The Hang Seng Index (HSI) fell by 61 points (0.2%) to close at 25,898, with a total market turnover of $254.48 billion.
Active Heavyweights: Major stocks like Meituan, CCB, and Xiaomi experienced declines, with Meituan down 2.1% and CCB down 1.6%, while Tencent and Alibaba also saw minor drops.
Top Gainers: CATL and Geely Auto were notable gainers, rising by 9% and 8.2% respectively, while other stocks like China Shenhua and XPeng also posted significant increases.
Notable Movements: 160 Health and 51World saw substantial gains of 28.5% and 28.2%, respectively, while Breton experienced a significant drop of 16.6%.
BYD Company Performance: BYD Company (01211.HK) saw a stock increase of 1.392% with a short selling ratio of 27.320%, and analysts maintain an "Overweight" rating with a target price of HK$126, highlighting advancements in their 2nd-Gen Blade Battery technology.
Geely Auto Update: Geely Auto (00175.HK) experienced a significant rise of 8.525% in stock price, with a short selling ratio of 17.295%, and is also rated "Overweight" with a target price of HK$25.
Other Automotive Stocks: GAC Group (02238.HK) and Dongfeng Group (00489.HK) are rated "Overweight" with minor stock increases, while BAIC Motor (01958.HK) faced a slight decline and is rated "Equalweight."
Analyst Ratings on BYD: Multiple analysts, including CICC and M Stanley, have reiterated their "Overweight" ratings on BYD, emphasizing its technological breakthroughs and the launch of the 2nd-Gen Blade Battery, which enables fast charging capabilities.

Chinese Automotive Stocks Rally: Geely Auto and CATL saw significant stock price increases, with Geely rising 8.5% and CATL up 7.5%, amidst high short selling activity.
Impact of Oil Prices on EV Viability: UBS reports that rising oil prices, similar to the 2022 Ukraine crisis, are increasing the costs of fuel and electric vehicles, making EVs more economically attractive despite upcoming tax changes.
Cost Projections for EV Production: By autumn 2025, the production costs for various vehicle types are expected to rise significantly, with battery EVs seeing an increase of around RMB7,000.
Investment Recommendations: UBS suggests that companies like BYD, CATL, and LI Auto present good investment opportunities due to their favorable risk-reward profiles amidst changing market conditions.








