CATL 1Q26 First Take: CATL again demonstrated strong earnings resilience in 1Q26. Despite raw-material inflation and elevated expectations, both revenue and net profit beat. Specifically:

① Revenue: Volume and price both rose, well ahead of estimates. 1Q26 revenue reached RMB 129.1bn (+52% YoY), beating the street at RMB 114.2bn. The upside was driven by sustained shipment growth and partial cost pass-through that lifted ASPs amid upstream price hikes.

② Profitability: resilient, GPM in line. 1Q26 GPM was 24.8%, down from the Q4 peak when capacity was fully utilized. Given the seasonal softness and lithium carbonate averaging near RMB 180k/t, this margin level was resilient and broadly in line with market expectations.

③ Bottom line: beat as well. 1Q26 net profit came in at RMB 20.7bn (~+49% YoY), above market expectations. Attributable NPM only edged down QoQ to 16.1%, while ex-non-recurring attributable net profit was RMB 16.4bn (+53% YoY).

The earnings beat was driven by volume and ASP uplift, tighter control of R&D and other opex, and lower impairment losses QoQ. This print eased prior concerns that rising lithium carbonate prices would erode margins.$CATL(300750.SZ) $CATL(03750.HK)