On July 30, 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued Announcement No. 20 of 2026, officially repealing all provisions related to "echelon utilization" under the Industry Norm Conditions for Comprehensive Utilization of Spent Power Batteries from New Energy Vehicles (2024 Edition), and removing all 100 previously certified "echelon utilization" enterprises from the list of compliant entities.

Capacity side, according to incomplete statistics, China's alkaline electrolyzer market remained at 43.77 GW, and the PEM electrolyzer market at 2.7 GW. This week, there was no public offline delivery information. Project-related developments: Hebei Yonglu Technology Co., Ltd.: The Cangzhou Lingang Economic and Technological Development Zone announced the environmental impact assessment approval decision for the hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and liquid ammonia pipeline transportation project of Hebei Yonglu Technology Co., Ltd. The project is located in the East Zone of Cangzhou Lingang Economic and Technological Development Zone, relying on the park's public pipe gallery to build three pipelines for hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and liquid ammonia, starting from Zhengyuan Hydrogen and ending at Dahua Juhai Branch. The total investment of the project is 26.3938 million yuan, with environmental protection investment of 135,000 yuan, accounting for 0.5% of total investment. The route passes through protective greenbelts, park roads, and enterprises, and does not involve residential areas or ecologically sensitive areas. Once completed, the project will be able to deliver 144 million Nm³ of hydrogen, 96 million Nm³ of carbon monoxide, and 165,000 mt of liquid ammonia annually. Zhejiang Haizhuo New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: The Silicon Bipolar Plate, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Stack and System, PEM Electrolyzer and System R&D Project of Zhejiang Haizhuo New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. has completed filing in the Jiaxing Economic and Technological Development Zone. The project is an expansion, with a total investment of $2.2185 million, planned to start construction in September 2026 without phased construction arrangements. The project relies on the existing 2,306 m² plant, introduces multiple sets of advanced R&D equipment to build an R&D platform, and conducts R&D on silicon bipolar plates, fuel cell stacks, and PEM electrolyzer systems. This project only conducts laboratory R&D testing, does not produce hydrogen, does not involve the production of vehicle power batteries, and does not include water electrolysis hydrogen production or hydrogen purification facilities. Diaobingshan Huadian Clean Energy Co., Ltd.: The Liaoning Huadian Diaobingshan 450 MW Wind Power-to-Hydrogen Coupled Green Methanol Integrated Demonstration Project has issued an open tender announcement for hydrogen production make-up water pumps and caustic make-up pumps. The project is planned to construct 450 MW of wind power, 295 MW of hydrogen production equipment, and 80 MW/80 MWh energy storage, with a hydrogen storage capacity of 400,000 Nm³ (35.7 mt), an annual hydrogen production capacity of 19,000 mt, and supporting a green methanol production capacity of 100,000 mt/year. This project does not accept bids from consortiums or agents. Shaanxi Huaqin New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. : Shaanxi Huifeng Zhongrui Electric Power Engineering Co., Ltd. has won the electrical engineering procurement project for the No. 3 large-scale electrolyzer assembly workshop of the Phase I hydrogen equipment manufacturing center of Shaanxi Huaqin New Energy, from PowerChina Henan Engineering Company. Shaanxi Yushen Energy Thermal Power Co., Ltd.: The Yushen Qingshui Thermal Power 2×660 MW Unit Hydrogen System Equipment Procurement Project has issued an open tender announcement. The project is planned to construct 2×660 MW high-efficiency ultra-supercritical indirect air-cooled coal-fired units, equipped with full-capacity limestone-wet flue gas desulfurization, flue gas denitrification devices, and auxiliary facilities, with a total land area of approximately 44.2484 hectares and a total investment of approximately 5.3 billion yuan. This project does not accept consortium bids, but agents are allowed to bid. Shenzhen Energy Group: The last electrolyzer of Shenzhen Energy's Otog Banner 505 MW Wind and Solar Power-to-Hydrogen Integrated Green Ammonia Project has been commissioned, and the hydrogen production station has achieved comprehensive and stable hydrogen production, laying a solid foundation for the entire industry chain of green hydrogen to green ammonia. The project has a total of 48 electrolyzers, and all commissioning was completed over two months. The project team overcame multiple challenges including wind-solar power adaptation, system integration, and safety control, conducting round-the-clock troubleshooting and verification. After multiple rounds of testing, the facility achieved successful initial startup, with hydrogen purity consistently meeting standards. Longyuan (Huanxian) New Energy Xifeng Branch : The second public tender announcement for the EPC of Longyuan (Huanxian) New Energy Xifeng Branch's biomass gasification-coupled green hydrogen-to-green fuel project was released. The project received group approval in April 2024 and investment decision approval in September the same year. It will construct a 1,000 Nm³/h water electrolysis hydrogen production system, a 1 t/h biomass pure oxygen pressurized gasifier, alongside 2,000 mt/year green methanol and 60 mt/year green aviation fuel synthesis facilities. A 6 MW distributed off-grid PV system will be built to power the hydrogen production unit. The total construction period is 7 months after contract signing, with joint bids not accepted. Gansu Beifang Santai Chemical Co., Ltd.: China Chengda Engineering Co., Ltd. released the winning bidder shortlist for hydrogen compressors (liquid-ring type). For Section Package 01, the first-ranked bidder was Gardner Denver Nash LLC, with Tsurumi Vacuum Engineering (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. as the secondary candidate. This procurement serves the phosgene chemical recycling industry chain (Phase I) raw material security expansion project of Gansu Beifang Santai Chemical, involving 2 liquid-ring hydrogen compressors. Joint bids were not accepted. Inner Mongolia Huadian Huameng Pipeline Co., Ltd. : The main works of China's first high-pressure, long-distance green hydrogen pipeline (Damaoqi-Baotou Hydrogen Transmission Pipeline) were substantially completed. The 195-km pipeline connects the Bayan Obo wind-solar hydrogen production base with Baotou's industrial core zone. The project resolved high-pressure hydrogen embrittlement challenges through rare-earth-modified piping materials and established a quantitative safety evaluation system, overcoming technical bottlenecks in long-distance pure hydrogen transmission. Upon completion, it will ensure green hydrogen supply for Baotou's industries and enable regional distribution. Mountainous sections are now in final stages, while plain sections undergo pigging and pressure testing, with all parties accelerating construction for operational readiness. Sinochem Lantian Fluorine Materials Co., Ltd.: The shortlist for the Haitang 2003 project's alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen equipment procurement was announced, with Tianjin Continental Hydrogen Equipment Co., Ltd. as the primary candidate (bid price: 2.8628 million yuan). The tender covers one 200 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzer. Sinochem Lantian is a subsidiary of Sinochem Holdings. Inner Mongolia Junzheng Chemical Co., Ltd.: The 1,000 mt/year CO₂ hydrogenation-to-methanol project obtained filing approval. Located in Wuda Industrial Park, Wuhai, the project has total investment of 11 million yuan (self-funded) and will construct production facilities with supporting power distribution and control systems, scheduled for August 2026-August 2028. Shiyan Yuanzhi Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: The Zhangwan District PV+ESS+hydrogen integration project's tender plan was publicly announced. Invested by Shiyan's state-owned Yuanzhi Energy (established September 2023, registered capital: 50 million yuan), the 320 million yuan project completed filing in May 2024 and plans August 2026 tendering. It includes 37 MW PV, 50 MW/120 MWh ESS, 500 kg/day hydrogen production-refueling facilities, EV swapping stations, and smart energy management systems. Policy Review 1. NDRC and National Energy Administration issued the "15th Five-Year Plan for New-Type Power System Construction," promoting synergistic applications of battery-grade lithium hydroxide and thermal-electrolytic decoupling via molten salt/water heat storage. It pilots advanced heat pump technologies and explores phase-change/solid-state high-temperature storage, while expanding green hydrogen applications including hydrogen-ammonia-alcohol production, hydrogen storage/power generation, and hydrogen/ammonia co-firing. 2. MIIT, NDRC, and SAMR jointly issued the 2026 Key Industry Energy/Carbon Efficiency Leader Enterprise Recommendation Notice, covering 43 sectors including crude oil processing, coke, olefins, ethylene, PX, PTA, methanol, EG, caustic soda, PVC, soda ash, calcium carbide, yellow phosphorus, synthetic ammonia, urea, MAP, DAP, titanium dioxide, tires, sulphuric acid, and polyester. 3. Inner Mongolia Energy Bureau proposed measures for incremental power grid development, encouraging hydrogen integration. Projects under incremental grids may develop hydrogen-based green fuels with on-site green electricity consumption, and support self-use generators powered by green hydrogen/ammonia/methanol. Corporate Updates Sichuan Huachuang Yongqing New Energy Co., Ltd. : Shengshilanhai (Jiangyou) Cross-border E-commerce Industrial Park Chairman Li Qiao visited for discussions on global expansion of low-pressure solid-state hydrogen equipment, covering overseas market strategy, certifications, channels, and IP protection. Both parties recognized significant collaboration potential in hydrogen equipment globalization and agreed to explore diversified partnerships. Faku Qingtai Electric Power New Energy Co., Ltd. : Established with legal representative Chen Huanchi (registered capital: 2 million yuan), its business scope includes hydrogen refueling/storage equipment sales and power generation/transmission/distribution operations. Guangdong Jiayi Huahydrogen Technology Co., Ltd.: Launched solid-state hydrogen storage power modules addressing lithium charging/fuel refilling pain points. The 1.6 kg standardized module enables manual hydrogen cartridge replacement within seconds. Henan Dahe Siji Cold Chain Logistics Co., Ltd. : Signed a strategic agreement with Shanghai Carrier Transicold to deploy ≥3,000 hydrogen cold chain vehicles by 2029-end, with ≥1,000 units in Phase I (August 2026-July 2027). Zhongtian Huahydrogen Co., Ltd. : Commenced Phase II manufacturing center, adding two alkaline electrolyzer production lines to reach 1 GW annual capacity. Zhejiang Yangguang Green Hydrogen Technology Co., Ltd. : Completed 10,000-hour durability tests for A11/B11-series AEM electrolyzers under 1.6 MPa high pressure and 1.5 A/cm² current density. TrinaSolar Co., Ltd. : Established a Digital Energy Joint Lab with Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Trina Home, focusing on R&D and industrialization of digital energy technologies for PV+ESS+hydrogen applications. Xi'an 1908 New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: Began construction of its solid-state hydrogen equipment R&D base (2,000 m²) in Shaanxi Hydrogen Innovation Park, targeting operational readiness by month-end August. Patent Applications 1. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, CAS (China) disclosed patent CN2025110028 for ceramic-based anion exchange membranes with 80,000-hour lab-tested lifespan. 2. Johnson Matthey (UK) filed WO2025109876 for Fe-Ni-Mo ternary non-precious metal catalysts with platinum-like activity. Technical Milestones/Specifications 1. Prof. Hu Wenbin's team at Tianjin University published in Science a breakthrough in atomic-scale platinum-group catalyst synthesis. 2. Teams from USTC (Tong Lei/Liang Haiwei) and Tsinghua (Zhang Liang) proposed Carbon Mesopore Depth Engineering (CMDE) using hollow mesoporous carbon spheres to resolve PtCo catalyst trade-offs between oxygen transport and kinetics, achieving DOE targets at 0.1 mgPt/cm² loading. 3. NWPU Prof. Li Zhipeng's team developed a 3D multiphysics model for tubular SOFCs, quantifying impacts of temperature, electrode thickness, porosity, and oxygen domain geometry. 4. China Automotive Research's National Hydrogen Energy Quality Center opened a 0-400 kW hydrogen-compatible vibration test platform, filling domestic gaps in high-power multiphysics testing. 5. DICP's Academician Chen Zhongwei and Associate Researcher Zhang Meng developed a high-specific-power cathode-sealed air-cooled stack technology, resolving industry conflicts between water retention and oxygen transport in fuel cells.

Second-life battery cell market remained steady overall this week. Upstream raw material cost support weakened. Lithium carbonate briefly rebounded during the week before its overall center shifted lower. Nickel sulphate futures ran steady, while cobalt sulphate continued its sustained downward trend. The raw material side failed to provide effective support for second-life battery cell prices. The supply side was notably impacted by the MIIT Announcement No. 20 on July 30. The document abolished the previous clauses related to power battery second-life applications, removed over a hundred listed second-life enterprises from the compliance catalog, and explicitly prohibited the use of retired power batteries in two-wheeler EV applications. Driven by the policy, dismantled second-life battery cells accelerated their flow into recycling and smelting channels. Quotations for dismantled supply fell under pressure, with some specifications' prices gradually converging toward scrap recycling prices, signifying a structural reshaping of the pricing logic for second-life battery cells. On the demand side, using second-life batteries in the small power sector was already a violation. The new policy means this gray market has been completely eliminated at the regulatory level. The energy storage scenario has become the core demand support for second-life battery cells. Energy storage demand remained stable, but downstream acceptance of high prices was limited, with procurement primarily driven by rigid demand and insufficient momentum for price increases. In the short term, the market is expected to maintain stable operation.

Futures: Overnight, LME lead opened at $1,893/mt, drifted higher in Asian trading to touch a high of $1,907.5/mt before weakening, and entering European trading, LME lead gave back most of its gains, dipping to a low of $1,883.5/mt, and finally closing at $1,890/mt, unchanged with a 0% change. Overnight, the most-traded SHFE lead 2609 contract opened at 15,735 yuan/mt, early in the session touched a session high of 15,745 yuan/mt before drifting lower, bulls reduced positions on SHFE lead, dipping to a low of 15,600 yuan/mt in late trading, and finally closing at 15,640 yuan/mt, down 0.73%. Macro Front: US July ADP employment came in at 44,000, below market expectations of a 70,000 increase and the downwardly revised 95,000 in June, marking the smallest gain since January this year. The US Treasury Department will maintain its buyback program at the same pace as the previous quarter and keep auction sizes unchanged at least for the coming few quarters. China's Ministry of Commerce: Countermeasures taken against US compliance testing companies. China's designated certification body for CCC certification suspended entrusting US certification organizations to conduct factory follow-up inspections. The "15th Five-Year Plan for Promoting the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises," jointly formulated by MIIT and multiple departments, is about to be released. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the US plan to ban Chinese optical modules: China firmly opposes the US generalization of the national security concept and will continue to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises. Spot Fundamentals: In Shanghai, Chihong lead was quoted at 15,730-15,830 yuan/mt, representing premiums of 50-100 yuan/mt against the most-traded SHFE lead 2609 contract. SHFE lead rose sharply, suppliers sold cargoes as the market moved, and premium quotes in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai remained unchanged. However, quotes for EXW cargoes from primary lead smelters diverged; smelters held prices firm while selling, while traders widened discounts on sales, with mainstream producing regions quoting premiums of 0-50 yuan/mt against SMM #1 lead average price. In secondary lead, as lead prices rebounded, secondary lead smelters showed slightly improved willingness to sell, secondary refined lead quotes were at discounts of 25-0 yuan/mt against SMM #1 lead average price, with a few at a premium of 75 yuan/mt. Downstream enterprises exhibited strong wait-and-see sentiment, inquiries significantly decreased from yesterday, some suppliers indicated almost no inquiries, and spot market trading volume plummeted. Inventory: On August 5, LME lead inventory decreased by 3,325 mt to 431,550 mt; as of August 3, SMM lead ingot social inventory across five locations totaled 72,100 mt, up 3,700 mt from July 27 and 3,600 mt from July 30. Lead Price Forecast Today: Supply side, primary lead saw additional maintenance in August, with production expected to decline; while secondary lead production also has expectations of decline, attention should be paid to the boost from the rebound in lead prices on smelter production enthusiasm, with some enterprises having the probability of early production resumptions. In addition, currently lead ingot social inventory stays high, be cautious of the pullback risk for lead prices due to suppliers' lead ingot warehouse transfers before delivery. Domestic consumption is neutral overall, with conservative demand in the e-bike sector and relatively stable demand in July-August; in the automobile sector, demand is experiencing a tug-of-war: enterprises handling export orders are doing well, while those serving the Chinese market are underperforming. Overall, the exit of bears has led to a short-term lead price rebound and catch-up rally, but the performance of the consumption side determines the room for the lead price rebound.

In the same computing power leasing market, a clear dividing line in contract duration is emerging: the Huawei Ascend 910B/910C series is generally leased starting from one year in mainland China. NVIDIA H100/H200 leasing resources typically requires a minimum three-year lock-in contract, with concessions for a five-year contract still limited. Under export controls, computing power has shifted from a "commodity" to a "scarce resource“, contract duration is precisely the price of that scarcity.

SMM August 5: Metals market: Overnight, base metals on the domestic market broadly rose. SHFE copper rose 0.68%. SHFE aluminum rose 0.08%. SHFE lead rose 1.79%, SHFE zinc rose 0.84%, and SHFE tin rose 0.63%. SHFE nickel fell 0.75%. Additionally, the most-traded alumina futures contract rose 0.19%, and the most-traded cast aluminum contract rose 0.09%. Overnight, ferrous metals showed mixed performance. Stainless steel fell 1.25%, iron ore was flat at 699.5 yuan/mt, rebar fell 0.07%, and hot-rolled coil edged up. Coking coal and coke: the most-traded coking coal contract rose 1.01%, and the most-traded coke contract rose 0.63%. Overnight, on the overseas market, LME base metals broadly rose. LME copper rose 1.41%. LME aluminum fell 0.29%. LME lead rose 1.23%. LME zinc rose 0.74%. LME tin rose 0.84%. LME nickel fell 0.35%. Overnight, precious metals : COMEX gold rose 1.07%, and COMEX silver rose 3.27%. Overnight, the most-traded SHFE gold contract rose 0.87%, and the most-traded SHFE silver contract rose 3.45%. CITIC Securities said in a research note that gold prices shot up and then fell rapidly this year, but they believe gold is still in a major bull market, citing accelerating expansion of the US fiscal deficit, difficult-to-heal geopolitical rifts under deglobalization, and continued support from global central bank gold purchases. They therefore view the current pullback as only a temporary correction within the bull market. The current drawdown has approached historical extremes, and the $4,000/oz area is likely the bottom zone of this round. Looking ahead, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is expected to shift from a drag to a boost for gold prices, the Fed’s monetary policy may be more optimistic than market expectations, and the surge in US military spending is pushing up the deficit; gold prices are expected to return to an upward trajectory within the year. (Jin10 Data App) As of 7:11 on August 5, closing prices for overnight trading were: Macro front China: [MIIT: Strengthen the screening and testing/verification of risks and hidden dangers in "aggressive" innovative designs of road motor vehicle products, and strengthen the safety evaluation of combined driver assistance and autonomous driving functions] On August 4, the Equipment Industry Department I of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) organized a discussion with road motor vehicle inspection and testing institutions to analyze the current product safety and inspection work situation and to arrange efforts to regulate the competitive order and improve the quality of inspection and testing in the road motor vehicle sector. The meeting called for inspection and testing institutions to thoroughly implement the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, firmly resist irrational competition, and strictly control product testing. First, conduct in-depth self-checks to systematically identify problems in the inspection and testing of road motor vehicle products and earnestly carry out rectifications. Second, strengthen industry self-discipline, focus on main responsibilities, reinforce responsibility, enhance integrity and self-discipline, and jointly safeguard the credibility of the entire industry. Third, hold the bottom line of product safety by implementing quality control measures for sample vehicle management, personnel management, and process management, strengthen the screening and testing/verification of risks and hidden dangers in "aggressive" innovative designs, and enhance the safety evaluation of combined driver assistance and autonomous driving functions. Fourth, improve capabilities by actively participating in the formulation and revision of standards and regulations, accelerate the establishment of a testing and evaluation system for intelligent connected vehicles, strengthen the capacity for road motor vehicle inspection and testing, and provide objective, fair information and professional opinions to the industry. Going forward, the MIIT will work with relevant departments to in-depth carry out actions on production consistency and quality improvement for road motor vehicle products, intensify work inspections, urge and guide inspection and testing institutions to fulfill their role as "gatekeepers" of product safety, improve the quality of inspection and testing work, impose joint penalties on institutions with problems, and resolutely hold the bottom line of product safety. (From the Wallstreetcn App) [PBOC: Net injection of 50 billion yuan via open market government bond transactions in July] The PBOC released its liquidity injection data for various tools in July 2026. In terms of central bank lending, the standing lending facility (SLF) recorded a net withdrawal of 1 billion yuan; the medium-term lending facility (MLF) recorded a net injection of 100 billion yuan; and the pledged supplementary lending (PSL) recorded a net withdrawal of 116.1 billion yuan. In terms of open market operations, 7-day reverse repos recorded a net injection of 249.5 billion yuan, open market government bond transactions recorded a net injection of 50 billion yuan, and central treasury cash management recorded a net injection of 30 billion yuan. Dollar front: Overnight, the US dollar index fell 0.11% to 99.86. According to CME "Fed Watch," the probability that the Fed keeps interest rates unchanged in September was 41.6%, while the probability of a cumulative 25-basis-point rate hike was 58.4%. The probability that the Fed leaves rates unchanged through October was 30.5%, the probability of a cumulative 25-bp hike was 53.9%, and the probability of a cumulative 50-bp hike was 15.5%. US Treasury Secretary Bessent, in an interview with CNBC, said Fed Chairman Warsh wants to preserve flexibility to achieve the best outcome. When discussing the strategy of the Fed and Warsh, he called it a "detox" for the Fed. He said every meeting should be live (full of possibilities) and participants should exercise their own judgment. He believed the Fed will balance its growth and inflation objectives, and he trusted that Warsh will help the Fed strike a balance between the two. On the economy and inflation, he noted that after stripping out sectors affected by energy prices, core inflation performance has been very steady, and underlying inflation data has been very mild, a trend he expects to continue. He also noted that core inflation is slowing. "Fed whisperer" Nick Timiraos wrote that US Treasury Secretary Bessent's policy reaction function has shifted to become less dovish. His comments this year suggested that the Fed should continue to hold rates steady. Earlier this year, Bessent cited models indicating the Fed's policy rate could be as little as more than 25 bp or as much as more than 100 bp above the neutral rate. Today (August 4), he made two points. First, he defended Warsh's decision last week not to articulate any policy reaction function: "I think every meeting should be open, and market participants should make their own judgments... I think Warsh wants to keep his options open to achieve the best results." Second, he did lay out what could be seen as a dovish reaction function, advocating that near-term shocks should be ignored: "What exactly will the rise in short-term interest rates bring? We will wait and see." He raised that question but then responded by pointing out that underlying inflation is "very mild... very steady." "Within core inflation, after stripping out the volatile components significantly influenced by energy, the rest has been very steady. I think that will continue." (Jin10 Data App) Macro front: Data to be released today include China's July RatingDog Services PMI, France's June industrial output m/m, the final France July Services PMI, the final Germany July Services PMI, the final Eurozone July Services PMI, the final UK July Services PMI, the Eurozone June PPI m/m, the US July ADP employment change, the final US July S&P Global Services PMI, and the US July ISM non-manufacturing PMI. Also on the radar: a speech by Kansas City Fed President Schmid, a 2028 FOMC voter, on the Fed, monetary policy, and the agricultural economic outlook. Crude oil front: Overnight, both crude oil futures extended their declines from the previous trading day, with WTI falling 6.47% and Brent dropping 6.08%. Wallstreetcn noted that on Tuesday, August 4 (US Eastern Time), Reuters, citing informed sources, reported that Iran has abandoned its earlier demand for full control over two-way shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and instead proposed that Iran manage all vessel navigation entering the Strait while retaining supervisory rights and the right to intervene when necessary over vessels departing the Strait. Xinhua News Agency, citing US media, reported that US Treasury Secretary Bessent said on Tuesday that an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz could be reached on August 4 or 5. Also according to Xinhua, US Secretary of State Rubio said on the same day that negotiations with Iran on reopening the Strait had "made progress" but a deal had not yet been finalized. The sharp drop in oil prices meant cooling inflation expectations for the market. Tony Miano of Wells Fargo Investment Institute noted: "The market is reacting to the prospect that a reopening of Hormuz could help normalize global oil supplies and ease recent energy price pressures, and lower oil prices could ease inflation concerns." However, he cautioned that inflation is unlikely to normalize overnight, and even after energy pressures ease, overall prices could remain sticky in the near term. (Wallstreetcn)