New York, Feb 24, 2026, 13:42 (EST) — Regular session
- Albemarle jumped roughly 6% around midday in U.S. trading, pushing up a group of lithium-related stocks.
- China lithium carbonate was quoted at $19,479 per tonne on Feb. 23, according to a broker note, with traders zeroed in on post-holiday demand shifts and supply coming back online.
- SunSirs puts China’s planned lithium carbonate output for February at 88,300 tonnes, an 8.2% dip from January.
Albemarle led U.S.-listed lithium names higher Tuesday, with traders betting on post-holiday restocking in China and scanning for evidence that the recent gains in battery materials might hold. 1
This shift is significant—lithium stocks continue to move in lockstep with the underlying metal. Earnings forecasts can jump or tumble on the slightest hint of tightening supply or a pickup in Chinese demand. Now, with oversupply chatter finally fading, the market’s watching inventory data and mine restarts more closely.
Broker SP Angel, in its daily market note, put Chinese lithium carbonate 99% at $19,479 per tonne on Monday. The chemical is essential for making cathode materials used in both electric-vehicle and energy-storage batteries. 2
Albemarle climbed 6.2% to $188.58. The Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF, closely tracked by sector watchers, advanced 2.6%, landing at $75.73. 3
SQM shares traded in the U.S. jumped 3.8% to $75.82, moving higher along with other battery-material stocks. 4
Shares of Sigma Lithium climbed 1.7% to $12.66, Yahoo Finance data showed. 5
According to SunSirs, lithium carbonate inventories slipped heading into the last week before China’s Spring Festival, referencing figures from Shanghai Metals Market (SMM). Inventories totaled roughly 102,900 metric tons—down 2.4% from the previous month. Production plans for February came in at 88,300 tons, an 8.2% decline compared to January. 6
China’s battery-grade lithium carbonate prices are still holding up, according to Mysteel, with tight inventories and firmer energy-storage demand offsetting the earlier plunge this month. The consultancy noted that February’s production plans were scaled back, while regulatory inspections in Jiangxi — a crucial lepidolite mining center — have squeezed supply from higher-cost producers. 7
Sigma Lithium on Monday revised its production outlook and highlighted ongoing Phase 2 planning. The company, which exports lithium oxide concentrate (spodumene) out of Brazil, is now aiming for 240,000 tonnes in 12-month annualised forward output, jumping to 520,000 tonnes on a 24-month basis. 8
The supply dynamic isn’t a one-way street. SunSirs flagged that if domestic and overseas plants come back online ahead of demand, futures could see a jolt of bearish sentiment, at least in the near term. Price volatility is also likely to pick up as traders adjust to post-holiday demand patterns, the firm said.
Investors are looking ahead to earnings guidance and pricing updates from major producers. SQM is set to report its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Feb. 27, with a conference call slated for March 2, according to the company’s investor relations page. 9
