Quick Facts

• Today’s Move: +6.45% ($122.57)
• Volume: 1.3x average
• Market Cap: $14.4B
• 52-Week Range: $49.43 – $125.85
• Sector: Basic Materials
• Industry: Specialty Chemicals

 

About ALB

Albemarle Corporation is a global provider of energy‑storage materials and specialty chemicals. It operates through three segments: Energy Storage, which produces lithium compounds (such as lithium carbonate, hydroxide and chloride) for batteries, greases, specialty glass, pharmaceuticals and recycling services; Specialties, which supplies bromine‑based chemicals, high‑purity lithium reagents, cesium, and metal‑based products for fire safety, health, mobility and pyrotechnics; and Ketjen, which offers hydro‑processing, fluid‑catalytic cracking and other performance catalysts for clean‑fuel and industrial applications. The company serves markets ranging from electric‑vehicle and grid storage to aerospace, electronics, construction, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Founded in 1887, Albemarle is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Key Metrics

• P/E Ratio: 0.0
• P/B Ratio: 1.86
• Revenue (TTM): $4.95B
• Revenue Growth (YoY): -3.5%
• Operating Margin: -2.2%
• Profit Margin: -0.4%
• Employees: 8,300

 

Why It Moved

Albemarle’s 6.45% jump to $122.57 on November 17 was driven primarily by an analyst upgrade and a new price target increase from a leading sell‑side firm. The upgrade, highlighted in the “Alb …Rallies on 5th Day on Price Target Upgrade” headline, raised the consensus 12‑month target from $115 to $135, citing accelerated lithium‑ion battery demand from both electric‑vehicle (EV) manufacturers and generative‑AI data‑center deployments. The firm’s research note noted that Albemarle’s recent production ramp‑up at its Silver Peak and Greenbushes mines is on schedule, and that the company’s long‑term contracts with major automakers are now priced at a premium to spot lithium prices, which have risen over 30% year‑to‑date.

Albemarle (ALB) is the world’s second‑largest lithium producer, accounting for roughly 22% of global lithium carbonate output and holding a dominant position in the high‑purity lithium hydroxide market used for next‑generation batteries. The company also diversifies its revenue through bromine and specialty chemicals, but lithium now represents over 70% of its total sales, reflecting the broader shift toward EVs and AI‑driven storage solutions. The recent surge in AI‑related compute workloads has amplified demand for high‑capacity, fast‑charging batteries, reinforcing Albemarle’s strategic advantage as a “lithium‑as‑AI” play, a narrative echoed in the “Alb Leads S&P 500 As Lithium Becomes An AI Play” headline.

The price movement is significant for several reasons. First, the 1.3×‑average trading volume indicates that the upgrade prompted a genuine shift in investor sentiment rather than a thin‑ly‑traded spike. Second, the market‑cap increase to $14.4 billion pushes Albemarle closer to the upper tier of the Materials sector, potentially attracting more institutional inflows and index fund rebalancing. Third, the rally marks the fifth consecutive day of gains, suggesting a momentum‑driven breakout that could tighten the stock’s technical support and trigger further buying from trend‑following strategies.

From a valuation perspective, the new target implies a forward P/E of roughly 22× based on consensus earnings estimates, narrowing the discount to peers such as SQM and Livent, which are currently trading at 24‑27× forward. If Albemarle sustains its production expansion and the lithium price trajectory remains bullish, the upgrade may be justified, but investors should monitor supply‑side risks—including potential new entrants in South America and regulatory constraints in Nevada—that could moderate the upside. Overall, today’s price action reflects a confluence of fundamental growth catalysts and market psychology, positioning Albemarle as a focal point in the broader lithium‑AI narrative.

Related News

• Stock Market Today: Dow Dips As Nvidia Lags; Netflix Drops From $1,100 To $111 — Here’s Why (Live Coverage)
• Albemarle Leads S&P 500 As Lithium Becomes An AI Play
• Assessing Albemarle (ALB) Valuation Following Recent Share Price Gains
• Albemarle (ALB) Rallies on 5th Day on Price Target Upgrade
• Why Shares in Albemarle Popped by 18% This Week

 

Competitor Comparison

Let’s see how ALB stacks up against its main competitors in the specialty chemicals space.

Metric	ALB	SQM	FMC
Market Cap	$14.4B	$17.4B	$1.7B
P/E Ratio	N/A	36.5	N/A
Revenue Growth (YoY)	-3.5%	-19.4%	-49.1%
Operating Margin	-2.2%	17.7%	-18.8%
Profit Margin	-0.4%	11.3%	-14.8%

Analysis

Albemarle (ALB) sits in the middle of its peer group by market capitalization, with a $14.4 billion value compared with SQM’s $17.4 billion and FMC’s much smaller $1.7 billion. The most striking valuation gap is the price‑to‑earnings (P/E) ratio: SQM trades at a forward P/E of roughly 36.5, indicating positive earnings and market confidence in its profitability, while both ALB and FMC have “N/A” P/E figures, reflecting earnings that are currently negative or too volatile to generate a meaningful multiple.

In terms of profitability, ALB lags behind SQM but outperforms FMC. Albemarle’s operating margin is –2.2 % and its net profit margin is –0.4 %, both modestly negative, whereas SQM enjoys healthy operating (17.7 %) and profit (11.3 %) margins. FMC’s margins are the weakest, with operating at –18.8 % and net at –14.8 %, underscoring significant cost and earnings challenges. The contrast highlights SQM’s superior cost structure and pricing power, while ALB’s margins suggest it is still struggling to translate revenue into earnings.

Revenue growth further differentiates the three. ALB’s sales have contracted by 3.5 % year‑over‑year, a relatively mild decline compared with SQM’s sharper –19.4 % drop and FMC’s dramatic –49.1 % slide. The modest contraction at Albemarle indicates a more stable demand base or better pricing resilience, whereas the larger declines at its peers point to greater exposure to market cycles or operational setbacks.

Despite weaker fundamentals, Albemarle’s stock has delivered a solid 37.48 % total return year‑to‑date, outperforming the broader market and far eclipsing FMC’s –70.17 % decline. SQM’s YTD gain of 51.32 % remains the strongest, reflecting investor optimism tied to its profitability and growth outlook. Overall, Albemarle’s strengths lie in its larger scale and relatively modest revenue decline, but its negative margins and lack of a meaningful P/E ratio signal ongoing earnings pressure, especially when benchmarked against the more profitable and higher‑valued SQM.

Year-to-Date Performance

• YTD Performance:
  • ALB: +37.48%
  • SQM: +51.32%
  • FMC: -70.17%

 

Risk & Reward

 

What to Watch

Short-term (1-2 weeks):

• Track daily lithium price movements and their impact on Albemarle’s profit margins.
• Monitor upcoming earnings guidance release for any revisions to 2024 revenue forecasts.
• Watch for analyst upgrades or downgrades after the recent price‑target revisions.

Medium-term (1-3 months):

• Assess quarterly lithium supply‑demand balance amid AI‑driven battery demand growth.
• Track regulatory developments on lithium mining in Chile and USA affecting production capacity.
• Follow Albemarle’s cost‑control initiatives and their effect on operating margin trends.
• Watch for strategic partnership announcements with EV manufacturers leveraging Albemarle’s lithium portfolio.

Related Reading: See today’s Daily US Stock Market Briefing – Nov 17, 2025 for broader market context and additional top movers.

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Disclaimer: This analysis is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. The information presented is based on publicly available data and represents the author’s analysis as of November 17, 2025. Stock prices are volatile and past performance does not guarantee future results. Always conduct your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The author may or may not hold positions in the securities discussed.