On August 17, the market price of electrolytic cobalt decreased Yuan 3,500/tonne to Yuan 316,864-320,136/tonne. Moreover, the market prices of cobalt chloride and cobalt sulfate remained stable at Yuan 87,000-89,000/tonne and 75,000/t-77,000/tonne respectively.Yesterday, the cobalt salt market as a whole exhibited a stable yet soft tone. The market remains in the traditional off-season for consumption, with downstream participants displaying weak purchasing appetite and generally adopting a wait-and-see stance. The price tug-of-war between upstream and downstream players continues, and the market lacks support from substantial trading volumes. In the near term, market direction will remain contingent on when downstream restocking demand materializes.For cobalt chloride, although quoted prices held steady, actual spot transactions were extremely thin and nearly at a standstill.