This week, the prices of 5-series consumer-grade and 8-series power-grade ternary cathode precursors both rose slightly, while the price of 6-series consumer-grade remained stable.
In terms of raw materials, the prices of nickel sulphate and manganese sulphate rose slightly, whereas the price of cobalt sulphate declined marginally. Demand side, the overall demand for ternary cathode materials this month was relatively strong, leading to an increase in production schedules at material manufacturers. Supply side, the December production of top-tier ternary cathode precursor enterprises saw slight increases to varying degrees. However, despite the usual year-end production surge in previous years, the increase this year was relatively limited due to factors such as inventory adjustments by some top-tier enterprises. Looking at January's production schedules, top-tier enterprises are expected to cut production to varying extents, mainly due to Chinese New Year shutdowns and logistics issues. Overall, January's total precursor production is expected to weaken slightly. In general, the nickel salt market remains in a weak supply and demand balance, and ternary cathode precursor prices are likely to remain stable.
