Albemarle Stock Jumps as Lithium Outlook Heats Up

Albemarle ( (ALB) ) has risen by 10.33%. Read on to learn why.

Albemarle shares climbed 10.33% over the past week as a wave of analyst activity and a sharp improvement in sentiment around lithium prices drew investors back into the stock. The lithium producer, which recently reported quarterly revenue of $1.31 billion alongside a GAAP net loss of $160.69 million, has been under pressure from volatile demand in electric vehicles (EVs) and heavy investment needs. Despite those headwinds and only modest year‑on‑year revenue slippage, the stock rallied as markets focused more on Albemarle’s future pricing power than on its backward-looking loss.

A key driver of the move was a dramatic reset in analyst expectations, led by Morgan Stanley’s upgrade of Albemarle from Underweight to Equal Weight and a huge lift in its price target from $58 to $147. The bank highlighted a recent rally in lithium prices driven by stronger energy storage system (ESS) shipments, which it expects will more than offset softer EV demand and the return of idled capacity, as well as new projects coming online from 2026. RBC Capital, Mizuho, UBS and Jefferies also raised targets or maintained Buy ratings in recent days, reinforcing the view that Albemarle could be entering a more favorable pricing environment despite cyclical bumps.

Even so, the analyst community remains split, helping explain why Albemarle is seeing sharp price swings rather than a smooth uptrend. Wells Fargo, Truist, Deutsche Bank, Citi and Morgan Stanley all sit at Hold or Equal Weight, pointing to medium‑term risks such as potential lithium destocking, flat cash flow due to working capital needs, and reliance on ESS demand to carry the story. For investors, the 10.33% weekly jump reflects rising optimism that the worst of the lithium downturn may be behind Albemarle, but the mixed ratings underscore that this remains a higher‑risk bet on a recovery in battery-related demand rather than a fully de‑risked growth story.