How to Invest in Lithium Stocks and the Lithium Market
Despite the current low price environment, the long-term demand for battery metals is robust and offers opportunity for those interested in lithium stocks.
Seasoned metals investors who want to look beyond gold and silver are getting involved, while new investors are being drawn into the space by expanding battery market and lithium supply deals between auto makers and lithium producers.
Whatever the reason, it’s important to get familiar with the lithium market before investing in lithium stocks. Here’s a brief overview of some of the basics, including supply and demand, prices and companies.
Where is lithium mined?
Lithium is found globally in hard-rock deposits, evaporated brines and clay deposits. There’s some contention as to which type of deposit is superior, but generally there are challenges and upsides for both.
The world’s largest hard-rock mine is the Greenbushes mine in Australia, and the bulk of the world’s lithium brine production comes from salars in Chile and Argentina. Most large lithium reserves are in Chile, and the prolific “Lithium Triangle” spans Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. Australia was once again the world’s largest lithium producer in 2024, followed by Chile and China.
Canada and the United States, ranked as the seventh and ninth largest lithium producing countries, are increasingly becoming hotspots for lithium development and production as North American auto makers seek to secure domestic supply sources.
What’s the difference between battery-grade and technical-grade lithium?
Technical-grade lithium is used in ceramics, glass and other industrial applications, while battery-grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide are used to make lithium-ion batteries. These lithium products can also be used for technical applications in a pinch, although battery-grade lithium fetches premium market prices over technical-grade. Those aren’t the only classifications, though. Pharmaceutical grade lithium carbonate is used in medicine.
How is lithium priced?
Getting a look at lithium prices isn’t easy, and that can make it difficult for investors who are looking to assess the viability of a given project. Pricing in the lithium industry has always been opaque due to the dominance of a few major producers, with investors having very little pricing information they can trust.
Simon Moores of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence has emphasized that pricing can be a difficult concept for investors to grasp.
“The biggest myth surrounding pricing is, ‘What is the price of lithium?’ Because there is no one price,” he said. “The newcomers want one lithium price, but the existing market has a wide range of lithium chemicals and then grades within a specification.”
There are also distinct prices for lithium on markets in different…
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