Lithium prices are at multiyear lows due to oversupply. The issue is driven by supply growth. Demand is growing at a mid-teens percentage, due to higher global electric vehicle sales and the buildout of energy storage systems. However, a wave of new supply exceeded demand growth driving prices down.
Lithium demand would remain resilient, driven by vehicle electrification and the lag in new supply to meet demand growth. The lithium price is expected to recover from the current low level in the next few years.
Bears
Decrease in the price of lithium products or changes in the current and expected supply/demand dynamics of lithium would significantly affect Tianqi’s profitability, resulting in volatility and uncertainty in earnings forecast.
Tianqi Lithium is a leading new energy materials company headquartered in China. The company is the largest producer of mined lithium globally in terms of output and is ranked third in terms of revenue generated from lithium, according to Wood Mackenzie. It is also the world’s fourth largest and Asia’s second largest lithium compound producer, as measured by production output, according to the same source. Tianqi is the only lithium producer in China that has achieved 100% self-sufficiency and has fully vertically integrated lithium mines. It operates in critical stages of the lithium value chain, including: 1) mining of lithium ore and manufacturing of lithium concentrate; and 2) manufacturing of lithium compounds and derivatives.