Sydney, Feb 24, 2026, 17:33 AEDT — Market closed.
- PLS Group jumped 8% to A$4.72, topping a late surge among ASX-listed lithium stocks.
- China’s lithium carbonate futures surged after the Lunar New Year break, boosting sentiment.
- Morgan Stanley has dropped under the 5% “substantial holder” mark in PLS, according to a recent filing.
PLS Group Ltd (ASX:PLS) closed out Tuesday with an 8.0% jump to A$4.72, having touched lows of A$4.41 and highs of A$4.73 during the session. The company’s market cap hovered at roughly A$15.2 billion. Investors now look ahead to the next quarterly report slated for April 16.
Fresh momentum came out of China, where lithium carbonate futures surged 7.2% to 159,300 yuan a tonne following the Lunar New Year holiday, according to Market Index. Traders tend to keep an eye on that contract since it has a knack for jolting sentiment across battery-metal names.
The S&P/ASX 200 barely budged, slipping just 0.04%. Energy names outperformed, lifted by strong moves in lithium shares, according to ABC. PLS Group featured prominently among top gainers.
IG market analyst Tony Sycamore pointed to a jump in lithium miners, crediting “renewed optimism” about a rebound in prices. That optimism, he said, stems from tighter supply and steady demand in the electric vehicle and battery storage sectors. Sycamore also highlighted Australia’s monthly CPI print, set for release Wednesday, calling it the next test for risk appetite. IG
PLS flagged a few notable moves during a BMO conference presentation that dropped late Monday. The company said it’s received approval to restart the Ngungaju processing plant and wants to bring extra capacity online starting July 2026. Management also highlighted a fresh offtake agreement, locking in a price floor and pre-payment terms. A feasibility study for the Pilgangoora brownfields expansion is expected by the December quarter of 2026.
Morgan Stanley and its subsidiaries slipped under Australia’s 5% disclosure line in PLS as of Feb. 18, according to a separate filing. The form, marking the firm’s exit as a “substantial holder,” was signed Feb. 23. company-announcements.afr.com
There’s a hitch to this bounce. Lithium prices are notoriously quick to reverse, and unless those China futures gains hold up, they may vanish in a blink. Should oversupply chatter return, miners—many of which have surged—could just as rapidly lose ground.
Next session, what’s on the radar: China futures action and any signs spot prices are catching a bid. Australia’s CPI is due, plus a packed slate of earnings that could shake things up. For PLS, the spotlight shifts to whether they’ll hit July’s restart target—eyes also on the April 16 quarterly, with production, sales, and realised pricing numbers in focus.
