Not only do market leaders have the most involvement in the industry, but they also reinvest a portion of their profits into innovation. So when you invest in a big and successful company, you can expect it to be on the cutting edge of advancing technology in its market. Not only will you likely see the value of your investment move up and down, but you also risk losing most of your money if you get unlucky. But despite the ramp-up in usage and value, lithium remains a volatile and controversial mineral for investments. Lithium mining is a dirty and expensive process, outstripping the environmental hazards of fracking. If you want complete control over which companies you’re investing in, individual stocks, while riskier, may be more attractive to you.
The company is currently highly reliant on Chilean resources, and it remains to be seen how state control of lithium (if implemented at all) would affect SQM’s ability to generate a profit. It’s an excellent place to start if you are looking to expose yourself to the upside potential of the price of lithium carbonate. It is universally true that dynamic industries tied to emerging technologies start with a larger number of players before consolidating into a small group of leaders who can operate at scale. So while Sigma may be comparatively smaller at present, the ability to execute on megadeals with preeminent partners like Glencore prove this is not an also-ran lithium stock that is falling behind.
- “The newcomers want one lithium price, but the existing market has a wide range of lithium chemicals and then grades within a specification.”
- Lithium prices are notoriously fickle since a global spot price is difficult to agree on.
- For investors looking for exposure to the price of lithium, Albemarle looks like the safest bet, with Lithium Americas an option for risk-seeking speculative investors.
- Investors can also trade lithium futures contracts on exchanges like CME Group or the London Metals Exchange.
- Lithium is one of the world’s most coveted metals thanks to its versatility in rechargeable batteries, industrial processes and pharmaceutical development.
What are lithium stocks?
All options have a strike price (i.e., the price at which the contract gains intrinsic value) and an expiration date. LIT is the largest and most liquid lithium ETF but carries the highest expense rate. ETFs are an ideal investment choice for those seeking lithium industry exposure but don’t have the time to research different stocks and monitor them closely. Below are the five best-performing lithium stocks that are members of the Solactive Global Lithium Index and trade on major U.S. exchanges, ordered by one-year performance. The German government has pledged nearly a billion euros to support Swedish battery maker NorthVolt in constructing an EV battery plant in the country which is expected to begin production in 2026.
In the UK, the government is investing 500 million pounds in subsidies for Tata Motors and Jaguar Land Rover to build a gigafactory in Southwest England. Set to be one of the largest in Europe, by the early 2030s, the gigafactory “will contribute almost half of the projected battery manufacturing capacity required for the UK automotive sector,” coinstar adds naacp donation option on kiosks nationwide reported the BBC. Legacy automakers have big plans to electrify their vehicle lineups in the coming years, which means millions of new EVs could be sold. The potential trend has led to a big jump in smaller, more speculative lithium stocks such as Canada-based Lithium Americas. Although lithium prices can be volatile and will ultimately guide the direction of Albemarle’s sales, the company has proven itself over the years to be a durable mining operation that can bring lithium to market. Founded in 1993, The Motley Fool is a financial services company dedicated to making the world smarter, happier, and richer.
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Although it was only founded in the year how and where to buy bitcoin in the uk 2000, the company has rapidly grown to become a leader in lithium production worldwide. In the United States, Mineral Resources is another stock that is thinly traded via an over-the-counter, or OTC, listing. That means liquidity is much lower for this stock, with an average volume of only about 2,000 shares traded each day, so investors should place their orders with care. The company has recently been a government target because of its scale, with officials posturing last year and saying they would nationalize the lithium industry in Chile.
Uranium Stocks: 5 Biggest Companies in 2024
Our estimates are based on past market performance, and past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. The sector is only worth looking at if you believe in future demand coming from the EV industry and ongoing supply restraints on lithium — both are likely to send the price of lithium higher. It’s important to note that new lithium mines are not immune to political uncertainty.
Jeff Reeves writes about investments, the stock market, exchange-traded funds and retirement topics. A veteran journalist with extensive capital markets experience, Jeff has covered Wall Street and investing since 2008. Beyond Forbes Advisor, his work has appeared in numerous respected finance outlets including CNBC, Fox Business, The Wall Street Journal digital network, Kiplinger, USA Today and CNN Money. Lithium stocks are commodity stocks that have principal interests in the mining, refining and distribution of lithium. The companies included under the umbrella of lithium stocks may be involved in the production of other metals and minerals, but lithium will be included in their portfolio.
NerdWallet, Inc. is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. Its articles, interactive tools and other content are provided to you for free, as self-help tools and for informational purposes only. NerdWallet does not and cannot guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any information in regard to your individual circumstances. Examples are hypothetical, and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific investment issues.
As you might assume, this process taxes the environment, so ESG funds exclude many lithium mining company stocks. Additionally, critics of lithium mining cite authorise an additional user to your ios developer account water and land contamination as threats to local ecologies. There are also concerns about recycling dead batteries and the intense consumption of resources required in the mining process. Negative changes in commodity markets could have an adverse impact on companies the Fund invests in. The price of the equity securities of companies engaged in mining and the price of the mined metals may not always be closely linked.
Marko has been working on the road for over 5 years, and is currently based in Europe. Alongside writing and editing, Marko works on projects related to online technology and digital marketing. An environment-friendly approach isn’t necessarily an indicator that lithium rises are bearish, but alternative technologies like batteries fuelled by zinc and hydrogen are closer friends with mother earth.