Albemarle (ALB) Soars as Lithium Prices Spike and Argus Lifts Target to $140 – What Investors Need to Know Today (17 November 2025)

Meta description: Albemarle stock (NYSE: ALB) jumped around 8–9% on November 17, 2025, as lithium prices hit a one‑year high and Argus raised its price target to $140. Here’s what’s driving the move, how Wall Street is reacting, and what it could mean for investors.

ALB shares jumped roughly 8–9% today, trading above $120 and touching a new 52‑week high in the mid‑$120s, making Albemarle one of the top performers in the S&P 500. ^[1]
The rally comes as lithium prices in China surge about 9% to their highest level since mid‑2024, after Ganfeng’s chairman forecast 30% demand growth by 2026, sparking a global lithium stock rebound. ^[2]
Argus Research raised its 12‑month price target on Albemarle to $140 (from $120) and reiterated a bullish view, citing an earnings recovery into 2026 and a strong balance sheet. ^[3]
Institutional interest is rising: Empower Advisory Group LLC lifted its Albemarle stake by 11.4% to about 0.74% of the company, worth roughly $54.3 million. ^[4]
Fundamentally, Albemarle’s Q3 2025 results beat expectations on both revenue and EPS, even though the company remains loss‑making amid still‑depressed lithium prices. ^[5]
The company is cutting capex by roughly 65% and selling non‑core assets (including a controlling stake in Ketjen and its Eurecat JV share) to free up about $660 million in cash, prioritizing financial flexibility and cash flow. ^[6]

Albemarle stock is on fire today

Albemarle stock has been in rally mode for days, but today’s move stands out even in a strong November run.

In pre‑market trading, ALB was already up about 4.4% to $120.25, according to ChartMill’s S&P 500 pre‑market movers report. ^[7]
As regular trading got underway, gains accelerated. GuruFocus reported that ALB was up around 8.6%, topping the entire S&P 500 as lithium prices climbed. ^[8]
AInvest notes that ALB’s intraday high around $125.85 matched its 52‑week peak, highlighting just how far the stock has bounced from this year’s lows. ^[9]

German market outlet wallstreet‑online describes today’s advance as a “kräftiger Gewinn” (strong gain), pointing out that: ^[10]

The stock is up about 4.7% so far today,
Roughly +30% over the past month,
About +21–22% in just the last week, and
Up over 21% year‑to‑date.

In other words, today is not a random pop – it’s part of a sharp multi‑week trend reversal in Albemarle and lithium names more broadly.

Lithium prices jump to a one‑year high – and take ALB with them

The immediate catalyst for today’s move is the sharp rebound in lithium prices, particularly in China.

GuruFocus reports that lithium carbonate futures on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange jumped about 9% to 95,200 yuan per metric ton, the highest level since June 2024. ^[11]
The move followed comments from Ganfeng Lithium’s chairman, who forecast around 30% growth in lithium demand by 2026, despite the industry currently working through oversupply. ^[12]
Investing.com notes that the outlook triggered a broad lithium rally, with Sigma Lithium jumping roughly 30%, Lithium Americas up about 9%, and Albemarle gaining around 8%. ^[13]

Another market recap points out that Albemarle, as the top U.S. lithium producer, was up about 4.6% in early trading, alongside double‑digit surges in other lithium names – reinforcing how tightly ALB trades with lithium price expectations. ^[14]

For context: lithium prices had been in a deep slump compared with 2022 highs. Today’s move doesn’t erase that decline, but it strengthens the case that the worst of the downturn might be behind the sector, at least in the eyes of traders.

Argus boosts Albemarle price target to $140 on earnings recovery hopes

On top of stronger commodity prices, Wall Street support is adding fuel to the rally.

A fresh note from Argus Research this morning raised Albemarle’s 12‑month price target to $140 from $120, implying roughly 17% upside versus the prior close, and maintained a Buy rating. ^[15]

According to the Reuters‑linked report:

Argus acknowledges that current lithium market trends have pushed Albemarle’s earnings into the red,
But highlights that the balance sheet remains solid,
And stresses that management is cutting costs and conserving cash with an eye toward earnings recovering into 2026. ^[16]

That call comes after a wave of recent target upgrades from other firms:

UBS raised its target to $107 and kept a neutral rating. ^[17]
RBC Capital nudged its target to $120 with an Outperform rating. ^[18]
Evercore ISI lifted its target to $100, rating the stock “in‑line”. ^[19]
A summary of analyst views from several platforms shows average 12‑month price targets clustered around $100–101, with the range stretching from the high‑$50s up to $140. ^[20]

So while today’s Argus note is the most optimistic on the Street, the broader pattern is that price targets have been drifting higher as Albemarle executes on its restructuring and as sentiment toward lithium slowly improves.

Big money is leaning back into ALB

Institutional investors are also playing a role in today’s narrative.

A new MarketBeat analysis shows that Empower Advisory Group LLC increased its Albemarle position by 11.4% in Q2, ending the period with: ^[21]

866,575 shares,
Representing about 0.74% of Albemarle’s outstanding shares,
Valued around $54.3 million at the time of the filing.

The same dataset notes that:

Institutional investors collectively own roughly 93% of Albemarle’s stock; and
The company’s consensus rating is “Hold” from 27 analysts (5 sell, 16 hold, 5 buy, 1 strong buy) with an average target around $99–100. ^[22]

For retail investors, this combination – rising institutional ownership, a still‑cautious consensus, but multiple upgrades at the margin – often signals that big money is quietly positioning for a multi‑year recovery rather than chasing a short‑term spike.

Q3 2025: Beat on expectations, but still in the red

Underneath the excitement, Albemarle’s latest numbers show a business in transition, not yet fully recovered from the lithium downturn.

In its Q3 2025 earnings release (5 November 2025), Albemarle reported: ^[23]

Revenue of $1.31 billion, down about 3.5% year‑over‑year,
EPS of –$0.19, versus –$1.55 a year earlier,
A solid beat vs consensus expectations of roughly –$0.92 EPS and $1.29B in revenue,
Improved performance across all key segments relative to Wall Street forecasts.

Zacks’ breakdown of segment metrics highlighted that: ^[24]

Energy Storage (lithium) net sales were about $709 million, down 7.6% YoY but ahead of analyst estimates;
Ketjen net sales rose about 3.7% YoY;
Specialties posted slight growth, with better‑than‑expected adjusted EBITDA.

At the full‑year level, Albemarle’s 2025 guidance under its “observed market price” scenario points to: ^[25]

Net sales of $4.9–$5.2 billion,
Adjusted EBITDA of $0.8–$1.0 billion,
And capital expenditures of roughly $600 million, down dramatically from $1.7 billion in 2024 (a ~65% reduction).

That capex cut is key to the “cash flow over growth at any price” story that analysts keep circling back to.

Strategic asset sales: recentering on core lithium & bromine

On 27 October 2025, Albemarle announced a pair of large portfolio moves designed to streamline the business and free up cash: ^[26]

Sale of a 51% controlling stake in its Ketjen refining catalyst solutions business to KPS Capital Partners.
Sale of its entire 50% stake in the Eurecat joint venture to Axens SA.

Combined, these deals are expected to:

Generate about $660 million in pre‑tax cash proceeds upon closing;
Leave Albemarle with a 49% retained interest in Ketjen (but no longer operational control); and
Allow management to apply proceeds toward debt reduction and general corporate purposes. ^[27]

CEO Kent Masters framed the moves as a way to focus more tightly on Albemarle’s core businesses – primarily lithium and bromine – while improving financial flexibility. ^[28]

This context is crucial for understanding today’s price action: when investors see lithium prices turning up at the same time as Albemarle is selling non‑core assets and slashing capex, it reinforces the idea that the company can generate healthy cash flow even at mid‑cycle lithium prices.

How the Street views Albemarle after today’s spike

Even after today’s surge, Wall Street remains split on Albemarle:

Multiple sources show a consensus “Hold” rating, reflecting a mix of bulls and bears. ^[29]
Average price targets cluster around the $100–101 level, implying modest downside from current trading levels above $120. ^[30]
The target range is wide, from roughly $58 at the low end to $140 at the high end, underscoring how uncertain the lithium demand and pricing outlook remains. ^[31]

At the same time, recent rating actions suggest sentiment is gradually improving:

Argus at $140 (Buy), RBC at $120 (Outperform), and multiple other firms nudging targets higher reflect a slow shift from “panic” to “cautious optimism.” ^[32]

Put simply: today’s rally is supported by real news and a changing narrative, but Albemarle is still far from a consensus “must‑own” in the analyst community.

Key risks: lithium volatility, EV demand and policy uncertainty

It’s also important to recognize the risks behind the excitement:

Barron’s notes that while Albemarle’s stock is “on fire,” EV sales growth in the U.S. has cooled, and government support for EVs and battery technology has become less generous, which could limit long‑term demand if not offset by other regions. ^[33]
Lithium remains notoriously cyclical: today’s 9% jump in futures comes on the heels of a prolonged slump, and any delay in demand growth or faster‑than‑expected supply ramp could reverse price gains quickly. ^[34]
Albemarle is still unprofitable on a GAAP basis, with negative net margin and negative return on equity, despite the recent earnings beat. ^[35]

For investors, that means today’s breakout is more about changing expectations than proven, durable profit growth – at least for now.

FAQs: Albemarle (ALB) after the 17 November 2025 rally

Why is Albemarle stock up so much today?
Because of a double boost from higher lithium prices and positive analyst action. Lithium futures in China jumped about 9% to a one‑year high after a bullish demand forecast, lifting lithium producers globally. At the same time, Argus Research raised its price target on Albemarle to $140 and reiterated a bullish stance, reinforcing a narrative of earnings recovery into 2026. ^[36]

Did Albemarle report earnings today?
No. Albemarle’s latest results came on 5 November 2025, when it reported Q3 2025 numbers that beat Wall Street expectations on both revenue and EPS. Today’s move is more about follow‑through from that report plus the lithium and analyst news, not a fresh earnings release. ^[37]

What is Albemarle’s new price target after Argus’s update?
Argus Research now targets $140 per share for ALB. Across Wall Street, the average price target is closer to $100–101, with a wide range from roughly $58 up to $140, and a consensus “Hold” rating. ^[38]

Is Albemarle a buy after this rally?
That depends on your risk tolerance and view on lithium:

Bulls argue that lithium demand growth, capex cuts, asset sales, and a strong balance sheet set Albemarle up for a multi‑year recovery if prices continue to normalize. ^[39]
Bears point to ongoing losses, volatile commodity pricing, and cooling EV growth in some key markets as reasons for caution. ^[40]

This article is for information and news purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Anyone considering Albemarle should do their own research or consult a qualified financial adviser.

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