Weak Aluminum Prices Weighed on the Market, and ADC12 Remained in the Doldrums [SMM Cast Aluminum Alloy Morning Comment]

Published: Apr 7, 2026 09:10
[SMM Cast Aluminum Alloy Morning Comment: Weaker Aluminum Prices Weigh on the Market, ADC12 Remains in the Doldrums] Spot side, the ADC12 market continued to fluctuate downward. Affected by the widening decline in aluminum prices, market sentiment turned cautious, and most enterprises lowered their quotations; a few enterprises temporarily held prices steady and stayed on the sidelines with support from costs. As the Qingming Festival holiday approaches, downstream stockpiling demand fell short of expectations, with procurement still mainly driven by rigid demand, and transaction performance showed no obvious improvement. Coupled with market expectations of weakening demand in April, ADC12 prices are still facing some downward pressure in the short term, and the market remains in the doldrums.

4.7 SMM Morning Comment on Cast Aluminum Alloy

Futures: Overnight, the most-traded cast aluminum alloy ad2606 contract closed at 23,585 yuan/mt, down 40 yuan from the previous trading day's close, or 0.17%. The night session formed a small bearish candlestick, with an extremely narrow body and short upper and lower shadows, a typical high-level sideways candlestick pattern with no clear directional guidance. The current VR value was 89.74, in the strong range of 80-150, indicating that overall market activity remained in place, but had pulled back sharply from the previous overbought zone above 200. Trading volume diverged from prices, and upward momentum was insufficient.

Spot-Futures Price Spread Daily: According to SMM data, on April 3, the theoretical premium of the SMM ADC12 spot price over the 10:15 closing price of the most-traded cast aluminum alloy contract (AD2606) was 950 yuan/mt.

Warrant Daily: SHFE data showed that on April 3, the total registered volume of cast aluminum alloy warrants was 31,636 mt, down 1,087 mt from the previous trading day. Of this, Shanghai totaled 1,942 mt, unchanged from the previous trading day; Guangdong totaled 12,479 mt, down 1,087 mt; Jiangsu totaled 3,632 mt, up 301 mt; Zhejiang totaled 8,743 mt, down 301 mt; Chongqing totaled 3,634 mt, unchanged; and Sichuan totaled 1,206 mt, unchanged.

Aluminum scrap: Last Friday, spot primary aluminum fell 120 yuan/mt from the previous trading day, and the aluminum scrap market generally followed lower and corrected. In terms of the price difference between A00 aluminum and aluminum scrap, on April 3, the price difference between A00 aluminum and mixed aluminum extrusion scrap free of paint in Foshan was 3,155 yuan/mt, and the price difference between A00 aluminum and shredded aluminum tense scrap was 1,865 yuan/mt. The aluminum scrap market is expected to maintain its pace of consolidation at highs this week, with the mainstream range for shredded aluminum tense scrap (priced based on aluminum content) hovering at 19,800-20,500 yuan/mt (ex-tax). In the short term, close attention still needs to be paid to the impact of geopolitical conflicts on primary aluminum price fluctuations, the actual recovery of end-user orders, and the actual implementation progress of supply-side policies, with vigilance against the risk of wild swings in prices.

Silicon metal: On April 3, SMM east China non-oxygen blown #553 was unchanged from the previous day; oxygen-blown #553 was unchanged; #521 was unchanged; #441 was unchanged; #421 was unchanged; #421 for silicone use was unchanged; and #3303 was unchanged. Silicon prices in Kunming, Tianjin, the northwest, Sichuan, Shanghai, Xinjiang, and Huangpu Port were stable.

Summary: Spot side, the ADC12 market continued to fluctuate downward. Affected by the widening decline in aluminum prices, market sentiment turned cautious, and most enterprises lowered their offers; a few held prices steady and stayed on the sidelines with support from costs. Ahead of the Qingming Festival, downstream stocking demand fell short of expectations, with procurement still mainly driven by rigid demand, and transaction performance showed no obvious improvement. Coupled with market expectations of weakening demand in April, ADC12 prices still faced some downward pressure in the short term, and the market remained in the doldrums.

[Data Source Statement: Except for public information, all other data is processed and derived by SMM based on public information, market communication, and SMM's internal database models, and is for reference only and does not constitute decision-making advice.]

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
【SMM Aluminum Flash News】Hydro Reports Q1 2026 EBITDA of NOK 8.668B, Down from Last Year but Profitability Strong
16 hours ago
【SMM Aluminum Flash News】Hydro Reports Q1 2026 EBITDA of NOK 8.668B, Down from Last Year but Profitability Strong
Read More
【SMM Aluminum Flash News】Hydro Reports Q1 2026 EBITDA of NOK 8.668B, Down from Last Year but Profitability Strong
【SMM Aluminum Flash News】Hydro Reports Q1 2026 EBITDA of NOK 8.668B, Down from Last Year but Profitability Strong
According to Hydro's official website, Hydro's adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2026 was NOK 8.668 billion, lower than NOK 9.516 billion in the same period last year. This was mainly due to lower raw material costs, higher metal prices, and increased sales of alumina and metals, but this was partially offset by lower alumina prices, a stronger NOK, and lower electricity generation. Hydro's profitability was strong this quarter, with adjusted earnings per share increasing to NOK 2.07 in the first quarter of 2026, compared to NOK 1.63 in the first quarter of 2025. The upstream business segment continued to operate strongly in the first quarter.
16 hours ago
【SMM Aluminum Flash News】Hesheng Co. Reports 20.34% Revenue Growth, 92.47% Net Profit Surge in 2025 Annual Report
16 hours ago
【SMM Aluminum Flash News】Hesheng Co. Reports 20.34% Revenue Growth, 92.47% Net Profit Surge in 2025 Annual Report
Read More
【SMM Aluminum Flash News】Hesheng Co. Reports 20.34% Revenue Growth, 92.47% Net Profit Surge in 2025 Annual Report
【SMM Aluminum Flash News】Hesheng Co. Reports 20.34% Revenue Growth, 92.47% Net Profit Surge in 2025 Annual Report
Hesheng Co., Ltd. disclosed its 2025 annual report on April 29. In 2025, the company achieved total operating revenue of 4.011 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.34%; net profit attributable to the parent company was 155 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 92.47%.
16 hours ago
【SMM Aluminum Flash News】Jiaozuo Wanfang Reports 18.49% Revenue Growth, Net Profit Surges 216.46% in Q1 2026
16 hours ago
【SMM Aluminum Flash News】Jiaozuo Wanfang Reports 18.49% Revenue Growth, Net Profit Surges 216.46% in Q1 2026
Read More
【SMM Aluminum Flash News】Jiaozuo Wanfang Reports 18.49% Revenue Growth, Net Profit Surges 216.46% in Q1 2026
【SMM Aluminum Flash News】Jiaozuo Wanfang Reports 18.49% Revenue Growth, Net Profit Surges 216.46% in Q1 2026
Jiaozuo Wanfang announced that its operating revenue for the first quarter of 2026 was 1.757 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 18.49%. Net profit was 511 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 216.46%.
16 hours ago
Register to Continue Reading
Gain access to the latest insights in metals and new energy
Already have an account?sign in here