Albemarle soars as Chinese mining giant Zangge orders surprise halt on lithium production
Albemarle Corp. shares surged nearly 8% Thursday, leading the S&P 500, after lithium prices jumped on news that China’s Zangge Mining was forced to halt production.
The Charlotte-based chemical manufacturing company is the world’s most valuable publicly traded lithium producer with mines across North America, Chile, and Australia. On Thursday, local officials in Qinghai province ordered the suspension over unspecified compliance issues, putting a stop to operations expected to pump out 11,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate this year.
The news sparked a rally across the sector, with lithium futures hitting a three-month high and stocks like Sigma Lithium and Sociedad Quimica y Minera also rallying. Zangge, which is majority owned by Zijin Mining, said there’s no timeline yet for restarting production, adding uncertainty to a market that’s already dealing with supply pressures.