Recent observations indicate price increases for electronic glass fabric in July, with the 1080 and 2116 models rising by RMB 1.5 per meter and the 7628 model increasing by RMB 1.2 per meter.

The magnitude of these price hikes exceeded expectations, averaging over RMB 0.5 per month in the latter half of 2026.

Despite China Jushi's launch of new electronic glass fabric capacity in May, adding 390 million meters annually, which represents approximately 7-9% of the industry's total new capacity, price strength has persisted robustly through June and July without signs of a pullback.

This situation reflects a tighter-than-anticipated supply environment for electronic glass fabric, attributed to major producers like Taiwan PCB shifting capacity away from this segment towards AI fabric, coupled with stronger-than-expected demand for AI-related materials.

The firm expresses a preference for KB LAMINATES (01888) over its parent, KINGBOARD HLDG (00148), as it believes the former stands to benefit more significantly from potential earnings upgrades, with its laminate business remaining the top-performing segment within the group.

Citigroup posits that market apprehension regarding an overbuild of AI infrastructure could create attractive entry points for investors.

Reports suggest that Meta is considering selling its surplus computing capacity to external clients, a move that may fuel concerns about AI infrastructure overcapacity and could negatively impact the share prices of both KINGBOARD HLDG and KB LAMINATES in the near term due to market sentiment.

However, the analysis maintains that both companies possess substantial room for earnings upgrades through 2026 and 2027.

This upside potential is expected to be driven by the further expansion of AI fabric capacity before the end of 2026 and the anticipated certification of their copper-clad laminate products by NVIDIA around mid-2027.