Macro Tailwinds Support Aluminum Price Floor, Inventory Inflection Point Yet to Arrive Constrains Upside Room [SMM Aluminum Morning Brief]

Published: Sep 5, 2025 09:17

SMM September 5:

Futures side, the most-traded SHFE aluminum 2510 contract opened at 20,620 yuan/mt in the previous trading day's night session, with the highest price at 20,715 yuan/mt, the lowest at 20,605 yuan/mt, and closed at 20,625 yuan/mt, up 20 yuan/mt or 0.10% from the previous close. Trading volume was 46,000 lots, and open interest was 202,000 lots. In the previous trading day, LME opened at $2,612.5/mt, with the highest price at $2,614/mt, the lowest at $2,588/mt, and closed at $2,590/mt.

Currently, the aluminum market's macro front shows a multi-dimensional bullish resonance pattern, providing strong support for aluminum prices. From overseas policies and economic data, the US ADP employment data for August released on Thursday fell short of expectations, reflecting growth resistance in the US labour market and directly strengthening market expectations for subsequent US Fed interest rate cuts. Additionally, Trump signed an executive order to implement the US-Japan trade agreement, clarifying tariff adjustments to avoid double taxation and continuing the stability of aluminum-related trade policies, supporting the competitive advantage of US domestic aluminum enterprises. From the domestic policy perspective, the National Standardization Administration will formulate and revise over 4,000 national standards in areas such as AI and the Internet of Things, accelerating the development of emerging industries and driving aluminum demand growth. Fundamentally, supply-side replacement capacity continues to increase, with weekly production rising slightly to 847,300 mt. Cost side, the domestic aluminum full cost was 16,618 yuan/mt, down 36 yuan/mt WoW, with the industry average profit narrowing to around 3,991 yuan/mt, a decrease of 84 yuan/mt WoW. This week, the operating rate of leading aluminum extrusion enterprises recorded 53%, up 1 percentage point MoM. Downstream demand marginally improved, with the proportion of liquid aluminum increasing and casting ingot volume decreasing. However, the aluminum ingot inventory turning point has not yet arrived, and actual demand has not significantly improved. Downstream enterprises have limited upward cost space. Aluminum prices are expected to remain under pressure at 20,900-21,000 yuan/mt, but interest rate cut expectations coupled with peak season expectations still exist, providing some support below. In the short term, prices are expected to move sideways.

[The information provided is for reference only. This article does not constitute direct investment research advice. Clients should make decisions cautiously and not use this to replace independent judgment. Any decisions made by clients are unrelated to SMM.]

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn
For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn
Related News
Fed Governor Milan Pushes for Over 100 Basis Points Cut, Contradicts Barkin on Caution
9 hours ago
Fed Governor Milan Pushes for Over 100 Basis Points Cut, Contradicts Barkin on Caution
Read More
Fed Governor Milan Pushes for Over 100 Basis Points Cut, Contradicts Barkin on Caution
Fed Governor Milan Pushes for Over 100 Basis Points Cut, Contradicts Barkin on Caution
Federal Reserve Governor Milan pointed out that it is necessary for the US Fed to cut interest rates by more than 100 basis points this year. At the same time, he is very much looking forward to the performance of Kevin Warsh as Fed Chairman. However, Richmond Fed President Barkin emphasized that monetary policy must remain cautious until inflation fully pulls back to the target level, thereby ensuring the stability of the labour market.
9 hours ago
Democratic Senators Demand Delay in Fed Nomination Amid Criminal Investigation
9 hours ago
Democratic Senators Demand Delay in Fed Nomination Amid Criminal Investigation
Read More
Democratic Senators Demand Delay in Fed Nomination Amid Criminal Investigation
Democratic Senators Demand Delay in Fed Nomination Amid Criminal Investigation
All 11 Democratic members of the US Senate Banking Committee jointly sent a letter to the committee's chairman, Tim Scott, requesting that all nomination processes for the prospective Fed Chairman, Kevin Warsh, be postponed until the criminal investigation into current Fed Chairman Powell and other board members is concluded. However, Scott stated that Warsh's confirmation was a done deal.
9 hours ago
Fed to Keep Large Banks' Capital Levels Unchanged, Postpones Stress Test Reforms Until 2027
9 hours ago
Fed to Keep Large Banks' Capital Levels Unchanged, Postpones Stress Test Reforms Until 2027
Read More
Fed to Keep Large Banks' Capital Levels Unchanged, Postpones Stress Test Reforms Until 2027
Fed to Keep Large Banks' Capital Levels Unchanged, Postpones Stress Test Reforms Until 2027
The US Fed has announced that it will maintain the capital levels of large banks unchanged during the upcoming stress test cycle (corresponding to the 2026 cycle). At the same time, the US Fed is planning multidimensional reforms to this annual test, aiming to enhance its transparency. The US Fed's Vice Chair for Supervision, Bowman, revealed that adjustments to the stress capital buffer requirements for large banks will be postponed until 2027. This move is intended to provide the US Fed with sufficient time to evaluate potential flaws that may be exposed in its testing models when assessing banks' financial conditions under simulated economic downturn scenarios.
9 hours ago