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☆ Chile’s plan for state control in lithium dismays business
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A lithium mining machine moves a salt by-product at the mine in the Atacama Desert in Salar de Atacama, Chile on October 25, 2022. Under the plan, all companies wanting to work in Chile's lithium sector will have to take on the yet-to-be created National Lithium Company as a partner and the "state will have control," Boric said Thursday. But Chile's business sector expressed concern. Mewes said business leaders had expected there would be a "great private sector participation" in the lithium sector and now the "state will be the one that will control" the industry. She worries about what message this sends to others in the region that are trying to build up nascent industries, considering Mexico already nationalized its lithium sector.

The benchmark S&P 500 has been generally stable over early stages of a first-quarter earnings season that investors expect to show tepid results. For the week, the S&P 500 slipped 0.1%, the Dow dipped 0.2% and the Nasdaq lost 0.4%. Amazon shares rose 3% on Friday after a research firm predicted the online retailer's business in North America would beat Wall Street's estimates. The materials group (.SPLRCM) fell 0.9%, most among S&P 500 sectors, weighed down by declines in Freeport-McMoRan Inc (FCX.N) and Albemarle Corp (ALB.N). So far, analysts have largely retained last week's expectations of a near-5% year-on-year fall in quarterly profits at S&P 500 companies, according to Refinitiv data.

SQM's lithium contract in Chile is set to expire in 2030 and Albemarle's in 2043, giving it more insulation from the potential move. Mexico nationalized its lithium deposits last year, and Indonesia banned exports of nickel ore, a key battery material, in 2020. SQM has a larger footprint in Chile, with 81,000 hectares (about 200,000 acres) for lithium extraction compared with Albemarle's 16,000 hectares. Argentine state energy firm YPF last year began exploring lithium, while Bolivia has long maintained strict control over its huge though largely untapped resources. Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Bolivia's Luis Arce have touted the idea of a regional lithium "OPEC" to coordinate on lithium policy and benefit local economies.

The move would see Chile, the world's second largest lithium producer, shift to a model with the state holding a controlling interest in all new lithium projects through a public company that would partner with private mining firms. Mexico nationalized its lithium deposits last year, and Indonesia banned exports of nickel ore, a key battery material, in 2020. In early trading on Friday, Chilean firm SQM's U.S.-listed shares slid 6.2%, while Albemarle was down 2.5%. SQM's lithium contract in Chile is set to expire in 2030 and Albemarle's in 2043, giving it more insulation from the potential move. Mining shares in London fell sharply too.

"Investors are okay with earnings so far because the lack of bad news is good news," said Adam Sarhan, chief executive of 50 Park Investments. "The market is waiting to see if we can get some bullish earnings over the next few weeks from some of the big cap tech stocks." A slate of Fed speakers this week voiced support for another 25-basis-point rate hike by the U.S. central bank when it meets next week. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.42-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 1.30-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded 18 new 52-week highs and three new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 27 new highs and 78 new lows.

☆ Factbox: World's biggest lithium producers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Carman Chew | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Chile holds the world's largest lithium reserves and is the world's second-largest producer. Australia is the world's biggest supplier, with production from hard rock mines. Rapid growth is forecast to be met by output gains in Australia, Chile and Argentina. WORLD'S BIGGEST MINESGreenbushes, Western Australia, by Talison Lithium (a joint venture of Tianqi Lithium (002466.SZ), IGO (IGO.AX) and Albemarle Corp (ALB.N)). Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes lithium salt lake, Argentina, bought by Ganfeng Lithium (002460.SZ), will produce 30,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate starting 2024, and can potentially be expanded to 50,000 tonnes.

☆ Futures flat on mixed earnings, Fed policy uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures off: Dow 0.02%, S&P 0.02%, Nasdaq 0.01%April 21 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Friday as investors digested a mixed bag of earnings reports, while awaiting more data for clues on the outlook for interest rates and the economy. Investors will focus on S&P Global's flash purchasing managers' indexes (PMI) at 9:45 a.m. Meanwhile, a slate of Fed speakers this week supported the view of another 25 basis point rate hike by the U.S. central bank when it meets next week. ET, Dow e-minis were down 8 points, or 0.02%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 0.75 points, or 0.02%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 1.5 points, or 0.01%. Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The ADP National Employment report showed U.S. private employment rose by 145,000 jobs last month, compared with economists' projections of an increase of 200,000 jobs, adding to recent signs of a cooling labor market. With growing concerns about a worsening economic outlook following the recent turmoil in the banking sector, market expectations have shifted in favor of the U.S. central bank hitting the brakes on its interest rate hikes. "But at the same time, I think investors are closely watching to make sure that we don't fall into a deep recession." Traders' bets of a pause by the Fed in May shot up to 62.2%, while odds of a 25-basis point interest rate hike fell to 37.8%, according to CME Group's Fedwatch tool. All eyes are now on the non-farm payrolls data for March, a more comprehensive employment report, that is due on Friday for more conclusive clues on the state of the labor market.

☆ Australia risks losing pole position in critical minerals race
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Melanie Burton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Grattan Institute, a think tank, estimates the critical minerals industry could add more than $400 billion to the economy by 2050, a bigger contribution than the coal industry, Australia's no.2 export, today. They want rapid action in light of new competition from the U.S., Canada and the European Union, which have laid out critical minerals strategies including billions of dollars in incentives. King said on Wednesday a critical minerals strategy would be released "soon". However the government has not said when it would deliver its national battery strategy. "The elements for an effective critical minerals strategy are in place.

Liontown controls two major lithium deposits in Western Australia, including its flagship Kathleen Valley project slated for first production in mid-2024, which is among the world's largest and highest-grade hard rock lithium deposits. North Carolina-based Albemarle is the world's biggest lithium producer with major facilities in Chile, China and Western Australia where it holds stakes in two mines and is building a lithium hydroxide processing plant near Perth. Albemarle had offered A$2.50 per share after two previous offers, Liontown said in an exchange filing. Albemarle said its "compelling" bid offered a material premium to Liontown shareholders who would benefit from its chemical conversion abilities and existing links with Liontown's customers. Liontown also said RT Lithium Ltd, a subsidiary of Albemarle, had built a near 2.2% stake through on-market purchases.

☆ Stocks gain, US treasury yields rise as banking fear eases
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Xie Yu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) edged up 0.3% by early morning Hong Kong time. U.S. Treasury yields rose on optimism that stress in the banking sector could be contained and as the Treasury Department saw soft demand for a sale of two-year notes. Benchmark 10-year yields rose to 3.5317%, up from its U.S. close of 3.528% on Monday. Two-year yields rose to 3.957%, up from a six-month low of 3.555% on Friday but below the almost 16-year high of 5.084% hit on March 8. By Tuesday morning Hong Kong time, Brent crude futures and West Texas Intermediate U.S. crude were both hovering around Monday’s closing levels.

☆ Analysis: CATL's 'price war' shows its power, and China's EV edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"It's very much a market share game," said Caspar Rawles, chief data officer at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd - more widely known by its initials - is the dominant global supplier with a 37% share of the EV market. For CATL, the discount is a way to head off a bid by Chinese EV makers to seek alternatives. CATL batteries power Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) I.D. "The reductions that CATL is offering would help the Chinese EV industry," said James Frith, a principal at battery-tech focused venture capital group Volta Energy Technologies.

☆ S&P 500 ends down as investors fret about interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Noel Randewich | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

S&P 500 tradingMicrosoft Corp <MFST.O> fell 1.6% and Nvidia (NVDA.O) dipped 2.8%, both weighing on the S&P 500 as the yield on 10-year Treasury notes hit a three-month high. Of the 11 S&P 500 sector indexes, six rose, led by consumer staples (.SPLRCS), up 1.29%, followed by a 1% gain in Utilities (.SPLRCU). For the week, the S&P 500 fell 0.3%, the Dow lost 0.1% and the Nasdaq climbed 0.6%. Advancing issues outnumbered falling ones within the S&P 500 (.AD.SPX) by a 1.1-to-one ratio. The S&P 500 posted eight new highs and one new low; the Nasdaq recorded 75 new highs and 68 new lows.

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Lithium giant Albemarle Corp (ALB.N) expects China's electric vehicle (EV) market to grow 40% this year, or at least by 3 million vehicles, boosting demand for the battery metal in the world's largest auto market. China's government has been phasing out subsidies for EVs, but Albemarle said so far those steps have had only a "limited impact" on EV demand. Executives attributed weak Chinese auto sales data in January to the Lunar New Year holiday. Chinese lithium customers are not slowing orders and the country's stockpiles of cathodes and battery parts are decreasing, a harbinger of demand for the battery metal, executives said. The company is also in "active discussions" about restructuring its MRBL joint venture in Australia with Mineral Resources Ltd (MIN.AX).

Jan 24 (Reuters) - Albemarle Corp (ALB.N) on Tuesday called for lithium prices to remain high indefinitely in order to help the mining industry develop new sources of the electric vehicle (EV) battery metal and fuel the green energy transition. Lithium prices have more than doubled in the past year and are up nearly ninefold in the past three years, according to an index tracked by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. For 2023, Albemarle expects the price it receives for its lithium to jump 40% over 2022 levels. That should dip this year, due to rising costs for lithium chloride and spodumene ore - both key feedstocks - though the company expects lithium margins to eventually stabilize around 45%. Norris, a longtime lithium industry executive, repeatedly stressed during a nearly two-hour presentation that Albemarle will produce lithium when its customers need the metal.

☆ Goldman basket of U.S. stocks linked to China is starting to beat the market — Here's what's in it
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Recent easing of China's zero-Covid policy represents one upside risk to S & P 500 profits via stronger 2023 global growth," David Kostin, Goldman's head of U.S. equity strategy, said in a note to clients. Since the start of the fourth quarter, a basket of stocks with high China sales exposure has outperformed stocks with high domestic sales exposure by eight percentage points, Kostin said. Still, Goldman cautioned that a faster-than-expected exit from the zero-Covid policy nonetheless suggests weaker near-term growth as the infection rate dramatically increases. For investors wanting to capitalize on the rebound, here are the U.S. stocks with the highest percentage of revenue tied to China, according to Goldman. U.S. companies with a major China footprint include iPhone maker Apple , which has rallied more than 2% year to date.

☆ Albemarle's lithium sales surge amid rapid EV market growth
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The results and forecast reflected a bullish outlook for the electric vehicle industry despite recent macroeconomic concerns and warnings of market softness from some rivals. Lithium sales more than quadrupled to $1.5 billion on higher prices and the opening of new processing plants. The company trimmed its 2022 sales forecast at the high end to $7.4 billion from $7.5 billion due to the weak bromine sales. Albemarle received a $149.7 million grant from U.S. officials last month to build a lithium processing facility in North Carolina. Charlotte, North Carolina-based Albemarle plans to hold a Thursday conference call with investors to discuss the quarterly results.

☆ Forget Tesla? Citi and HSBC name 2 alternatives to play the EV boom
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Morgan Stanley cut its price target on Tesla from $350 a share to $330 last week following the earnings release, citing unexpected headwinds in the fourth quarter and beyond. A weakening demand outlook for EVs and concerns over the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act have also already been priced in to CATL's stock price, Citi added. Battery boom HSBC has forecast demand for EV lithium-ion batteries to grow at a compounded rate of 32% into 2030. Meanwhile, Citi estimates global EV penetration will reach 55% by 2030. The bank sees global battery demand for EVs and energy storage systems to grow 62% this year and a further 29% in 2023.

President Joe Biden last week doled out $2.8 billion to miners developing new U.S. sources of lithium, nickel, copper and other EV minerals, as well as battery parts manufacturers and recyclers. Those grants followed August's Inflation Reduction Act, which links EV tax credits to minerals extracted domestically or from 20 allies. "People have a misconception about how quickly we can get mines up and running given the U.S. permitting process," said Megan O'Connor, Nth Cycle's CEO. "Hopefully, they'll give us some help and fast track some of the permitting process," said Kent Masters, Albemarle's CEO. The yawning divide between America and China's approaches to funding the EV supply chain is now a top concern for many policymakers and their advisers in the nation's capital.

☆ Lithium supply-demand imbalance stays like it is for an extended period, says Albemarle CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailLithium supply-demand imbalance stays like it is for an extended period, says Albemarle CEOKent Masters, Albemarle Corporation CEO, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss lithium's ability to keep up with investments, how North American lithium investment compares to Australia and China, and more.

☆ U.S. awards $2.8 billion for EV battery, grid projects
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration will announce on Wednesday it is awarding $2.8 billion in grants for projects to boost U.S. manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries and domestic mineral production, a White House official told Reuters. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueThe White House is also launching an effort, dubbed the American Battery Material Initiative, to strengthen critical mineral supply chains as automakers race to expand U.S. electric vehicle and battery production. The projects include “retrofitted, and expanded commercial-scale domestic facilities to produce battery materials, processing, cell components, and battery recycling and demonstrations,” the White House official said. Legislation Biden signed in August sets new strict battery component and sourcing requirements for $7,500 consumer EV tax credits. The White House said in a fact sheet the United States and allies do not produce enough of the critical minerals and materials used in EV batteries.

A sacks of lithium carbonate is seen at Albemarle Lithium production facility in Silver Peak, Nevada, U.S. October 6, 2022. The European Commission is weighing a proposal by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) that would classify lithium carbonate, chloride and hydroxide as dangerous for human health. Albemarle has been lobbying against the proposed rules, but believes that they're likely to be approved, Kent Masters, Albemarle's CEO, said in an interview. Albemarle had warned earlier this year that the regulations might force it to close a processing plant in Germany. Europe produces very little lithium and must import the metal to processing facilities such as Albemarle's.

☆ Cramer's lightning round: I don't want to own Nikola
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Loading chart...Albemarle Corp: "I suggest that you wait for it to come down a little, but I do like the situation very much." Loading chart...Nikola Corp: "I think that stock is lethal, frankly. I don't want to own it." Loading chart...Cheniere Energy Inc: "I don't think it's too late. I think Cheniere can still go higher."

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