Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $93.67, demonstrating a +1.22% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.52%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 1.24%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.21%.
Prior to today's trading, shares of the specialty chemicals company had lost 14.51% lagged the Basic Materials sector's loss of 9.64% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.21%.
Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Albemarle in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to go public on November 4, 2026. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $2.39, reflecting a 1357.89% increase from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $1.49 billion, up 14.15% from the year-ago period.
Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $11.19 per share and revenue of $6.09 billion. These totals would mark changes of +1516.46% and +18.41%, respectively, from last year.
Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Albemarle. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.
Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-term stock moves. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 1.79% lower. As of now, Albemarle holds a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Investors should also note Albemarle's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 8.27. This signifies a discount in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 15.6 for its industry.
We can additionally observe that ALB currently boasts a PEG ratio of 0.55. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. Chemical - Diversified stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 1.2 based on yesterday's closing prices.
The Chemical - Diversified industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 200, which puts it in the bottom 19% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.
In the latest close session, Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) was down 2.84% at $95.39. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.09%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.34%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 2.15%.
Heading into today, shares of the specialty chemicals company had lost 14.66% over the past month, lagging the Basic Materials sector's loss of 4.63% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.44%.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Albemarle in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on November 4, 2026. The company is expected to report EPS of $2.44, up 1384.21% from the prior-year quarter. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $1.49 billion, up 14.15% from the year-ago period.
ALB's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $11.3 per share and revenue of $6.09 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +1530.38% and +18.41%, respectively.
Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Albemarle. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.
Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.83% lower. Albemarle presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Looking at valuation, Albemarle is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 8.69. This expresses a discount compared to the average Forward P/E of 15.28 of its industry.
Also, we should mention that ALB has a PEG ratio of 0.58. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. The Chemical - Diversified industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.2 as trading concluded yesterday.
The Chemical - Diversified industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 183, putting it in the bottom 26% of all 250+ industries.
The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.
Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades, downgrades and initiations, please see our analyst ratings page.
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Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term.
Over the past month, shares of this specialty chemicals company have returned -14.4%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.1% change. During this period, the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry, which Albemarle falls in, has lost 4.8%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?
Although media reports or rumors about a significant change in a company's business prospects usually cause its stock to trend and lead to an immediate price change, there are always certain fundamental factors that ultimately drive the buy-and-hold decision.
Earnings Estimate RevisionsRather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.
Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.
For the current quarter, Albemarle is expected to post earnings of $2.44 per share, indicating a change of +1384.2% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -24.9% over the last 30 days.
For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $11.25 points to a change of +1524.1% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has changed -1.3%.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $11.11 indicates a change of -1.2% from what Albemarle is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed +0.4%.
With an impressive externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is a more conclusive indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) for Albemarle.
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Projected Revenue GrowthWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
In the case of Albemarle, the consensus sales estimate of $1.49 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +14.2%. The $6.08 billion and $6.32 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +18.2% and +4%, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryAlbemarle reported revenues of $1.74 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +31.1%. EPS of $3.75 for the same period compares with $0.11 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.59 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +9.94%. The EPS surprise was +11.94%.
Over the last four quarters, Albemarle surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates each time over this period.
ValuationWithout considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.
Comparing the current value of a company's valuation multiples, such as its price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), to its own historical values helps ascertain whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, whereas comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of how reasonable its stock price is.
As part of the Zacks Style Scores system, the Zacks Value Style Score (which evaluates both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics) organizes stocks into five groups ranging from A to F (A is better than B; B is better than C; and so on), making it helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Albemarle is graded C on this front, indicating that it is trading at par with its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
Bottom LineThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Albemarle. However, its Zacks Rank #5 does suggest that it may underperform the broader market in the near term.
Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $98.51, demonstrating a -2.73% change from the preceding day's closing price. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.06%. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.38%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 0.44%.
The specialty chemicals company's stock has dropped by 13.83% in the past month, falling short of the Basic Materials sector's loss of 7.88% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.36%.
The upcoming earnings release of Albemarle will be of great interest to investors. The company's earnings report is expected on November 4, 2026. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $2.44, indicating a 1384.21% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $1.49 billion, up 14.15% from the prior-year quarter.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $11.25 per share and a revenue of $6.08 billion, demonstrating changes of +1524.05% and +18.18%, respectively, from the preceding year.
Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for Albemarle. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 1.27% downward. Albemarle currently has a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).
Investors should also note Albemarle's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 9.01. This signifies a discount in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 15.34 for its industry.
Investors should also note that ALB has a PEG ratio of 0.6 right now. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Chemical - Diversified industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.18.
The Chemical - Diversified industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 206, this industry ranks in the bottom 17% of all industries, numbering over 250.
The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions.
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB – Get Free Report)’s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Monday. The stock had previously closed at $101.27, but opened at $97.00. Albemarle shares last traded at $97.3470, with a volume of 470,037 shares.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
ALB has been the topic of several research reports. Zacks Research downgraded Albemarle from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Mizuho dropped their price target on Albemarle from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Albemarle from $225.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Rothschild & Co Redburn reduced their price objective on Albemarle from $188.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Albemarle from $166.00 to $157.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 10th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $185.27.
Read Our Latest Analysis on Albemarle
Albemarle Stock Performance
The company has a market cap of $11.60 billion, a PE ratio of 363.98, a PEG ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.09. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $121.89 and its 200-day moving average is $148.32.
Albemarle (NYSE:ALB – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $3.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.20 by $0.55. The business had revenue of $1.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.61 billion. Albemarle had a net margin of 3.09% and a return on equity of 10.96%. The business’s revenue was up 31.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.11 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Albemarle Corporation will post 11.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Albemarle Increases Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th were given a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 11th. This is a positive change from Albemarle’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.4050. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Albemarle’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 607.41%.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albemarle
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Addison Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Albemarle during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in Albemarle by 190.1% in the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 293 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA acquired a new stake in Albemarle in the first quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Fiduciary Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in Albemarle in the second quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp purchased a new position in Albemarle in the second quarter worth approximately $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.87% of the company’s stock.
About Albemarle
(Get Free Report)
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) is a global specialty chemicals company that develops, manufactures and markets materials used in energy storage, transportation, consumer products and industrial applications. The company is best known for its lithium business, which supplies lithium compounds used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, portable electronics and energy-storage systems.
Albemarle also produces bromine-based specialty chemicals used in areas such as fire safety, water treatment, pharmaceutical manufacturing and other industrial processes.
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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of ALB either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of ALB either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
The recommendations of Wall Street analysts are often relied on by investors when deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock. Media reports about these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts changing their ratings often affect a stock's price. Do they really matter, though?
Before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage, let's see what these Wall Street heavyweights think about Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) .
Albemarle currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.87, on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), calculated based on the actual recommendations (Buy, Hold, Sell, etc.) made by 23 brokerage firms. An ABR of 1.87 approximates between Strong Buy and Buy.
Of the 23 recommendations that derive the current ABR, 12 are Strong Buy and two are Buy. Strong Buy and Buy respectively account for 52.2% and 8.7% of all recommendations.
Brokerage Recommendation Trends for ALB
Check price target & stock forecast for Albemarle here>>>
While the ABR calls for buying Albemarle, it may not be wise to make an investment decision solely based on this information. Several studies have shown limited to no success of brokerage recommendations in guiding investors to pick stocks with the best price increase potential.
Are you wondering why? The vested interest of brokerage firms in a stock they cover often results in a strong positive bias of their analysts in rating it. Our research shows that for every "Strong Sell" recommendation, brokerage firms assign five "Strong Buy" recommendations.
In other words, their interests aren't always aligned with retail investors, rarely indicating where the price of a stock could actually be heading. Therefore, the best use of this information could be validating your own research or an indicator that has proven to be highly successful in predicting a stock's price movement.
Zacks Rank, our proprietary stock rating tool with an impressive externally audited track record, categorizes stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), and is an effective indicator of a stock's price performance in the near future. Therefore, using the ABR to validate the Zacks Rank could be an efficient way of making a profitable investment decision.
Zacks Rank Should Not Be Confused With ABRAlthough both Zacks Rank and ABR are displayed in a range of 1--5, they are different measures altogether.
Broker recommendations are the sole basis for calculating the ABR, which is typically displayed in decimals (such as 1.28). The Zacks Rank, on the other hand, is a quantitative model designed to harness the power of earnings estimate revisions. It is displayed in whole numbers -- 1 to 5.
Analysts employed by brokerage firms have been and continue to be overly optimistic with their recommendations. Since the ratings issued by these analysts are more favorable than their research would support because of the vested interest of their employers, they mislead investors far more often than they guide.
In contrast, the Zacks Rank is driven by earnings estimate revisions. And near-term stock price movements are strongly correlated with trends in earnings estimate revisions, according to empirical research.
Furthermore, the different grades of the Zacks Rank are applied proportionately across all stocks for which brokerage analysts provide earnings estimates for the current year. In other words, at all times, this tool maintains a balance among the five ranks it assigns.
There is also a key difference between the ABR and Zacks Rank when it comes to freshness. When you look at the ABR, it may not be up-to-date. Nonetheless, since brokerage analysts constantly revise their earnings estimates to reflect changing business trends, and their actions get reflected in the Zacks Rank quickly enough, it is always timely in predicting future stock prices.
Should You Invest in ALB?Looking at the earnings estimate revisions for Albemarle, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has declined 0.1% over the past month to $11.37.
Analysts' growing pessimism over the company's earnings prospects, as indicated by strong agreement among them in revising EPS estimates lower, could be a legitimate reason for the stock to plunge in the near term.
The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for Albemarle. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>
Therefore, it could be wise to take the Buy-equivalent ABR for Albemarle with a grain of salt.
Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) closed at $106.35 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.9% move from the prior day. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 0.58% gain on the day. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 0.49%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw an increase of 0.45%.
Shares of the specialty chemicals company witnessed a loss of 17.35% over the previous month, trailing the performance of the Basic Materials sector with its loss of 7.2%, and the S&P 500's gain of 0.84%.
The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Albemarle in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is scheduled to release its earnings on November 4, 2026. In that report, analysts expect Albemarle to post earnings of $2.55 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 1442.11%. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $1.52 billion, indicating a 16.07% upward movement from the same quarter last year.
ALB's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $11.37 per share and revenue of $6.1 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +1539.24% and +18.69%, respectively.
It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Albemarle. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability.
Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.
The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.15% lower. At present, Albemarle boasts a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell).
Looking at its valuation, Albemarle is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 9.18. This represents a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 15.29.
We can also see that ALB currently has a PEG ratio of 0.61. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. The Chemical - Diversified industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 1.19 as of yesterday's close.
The Chemical - Diversified industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 193, putting it in the bottom 22% of all 250+ industries.
The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.
Key Takeaways Albemarle paid down $1.3 billion of debt in March 2026, reducing annual interest expense by $60 million.Albemarle ended the second quarter with $1.88 billion of long-term debt and 0.5x net debt-to-EBITDA.Albemarle had $3.2 billion of liquidity and no major debt maturities until late 2028. Albemarle Corporation (ALB - Free Report) remains committed to paying down debt and strengthening its balance sheet. The company paid down $1.3 billion of outstanding debt in March 2026, reducing annual interest expense by roughly $60 million. This followed the successful divestments of the controlling stake in Ketjen and its 50% interest in the Eurecat joint venture, which together generated $670 million in pre-tax proceeds.
ALB’s total long-term debt was roughly $1.88 billion at the end of the second quarter, down from $3.19 billion at the end of 2025. The company ended the quarter with a net debt-to-EBITDA leverage ratio of 0.5x compared with 1x at the end of the sequentially prior quarter. It has no major maturities due until late 2028.
At the end of the second quarter, ALB had liquidity of around $3.2 billion, including cash and cash equivalents of around $1.6 billion. Its deleveraging efforts are expected to continue to result in improved balance sheet and financial flexibility while reducing interest expenses. Factoring in the debt reduction actions completed in the first quarter of 2026, ALB sees interest and financing expense to be in the band of $120-$140 million for 2026.
Among its peers, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM - Free Report) exited the second quarter with long-term debt of around $4.79 billion. It had strong liquidity, with cash and cash equivalents of around $3.4 billion. Sociedad Quimica, in early December 2025, issued a hybrid bond for roughly $430 million to refinance debt and fund its investment plan.
ICL Group Ltd. (ICL - Free Report) ended the second quarter with outstanding net debt of roughly $2.64 billion, up $375 million from the end of 2025. Including unutilized revolving credit facility and securitization, ICL Group had cash resources of $2.2 billion at the end of the quarter. ICL completed a private offering of $800 million senior notes due 2036 and plans to use part of the net proceeds from the offering for the repayment, in part or in full, of outstanding borrowings under its revolving credit facility maturing in April 2030, and to repay other debt.
ALB’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesAlbemarle has gained 15.3% over a year compared with the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry’s decline of 3.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ALB is currently trading at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 1.96, above the industry. It carries a Value Score of B.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALB’s 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year rise of 1,541.8%. The EPS estimates for 2026 have been trending lower over the past 60 days.
Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of ALB either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a global leader in providing essential elements for mobility, energy, connectivity and health, announced today that it will release its third quarter 2026 earnings after the NYSE closes on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
The company will hold a conference call to discuss its third quarter 2026 results on Thursday, November 5, at 8 a.m. EST. Access to the call is available via webcast or direct dial. A link to the webcast can be found through Albemarle Corporation's website at http://investors.albemarle.com. Direct dial numbers are provided below:
Replay Information:
A webcast replay will be available following the conclusion of the event through the News and Events page on Albemarle's website, http://investors.albemarle.com.
About Albemarle
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) is a world leader in transforming essential resources into critical ingredients for mobility, energy, connectivity and health. We partner to pioneer new ways to move, power, connect and protect with people and planet in mind. A reliable and high-quality global supply of lithium and bromine allows us to deliver advanced solutions for our customers. Learn more about how the people of Albemarle are enabling a more resilient world at Albemarle.com.
Albemarle regularly posts information to Albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings and other information regarding the company, its businesses and the markets it serves.
Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $105.78, demonstrating a -1.71% change from the preceding day's closing price. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.25%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.86%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.24%.
The specialty chemicals company's shares have seen a decrease of 20.6% over the last month, not keeping up with the Basic Materials sector's loss of 8.47% and the S&P 500's loss of 0.42%.
Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Albemarle in its upcoming release. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $2.55, showcasing a 1442.11% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $1.52 billion, up 16.07% from the year-ago period.
Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $11.39 per share and revenue of $6.1 billion, indicating changes of +1541.77% and +18.69%, respectively, compared to the previous year.
Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Albemarle. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.
Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-term stock moves. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.
The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has remained steady. At present, Albemarle boasts a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell).
Digging into valuation, Albemarle currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 9.45. This signifies a discount in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 15.9 for its industry.
It is also worth noting that ALB currently has a PEG ratio of 0.63. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. As the market closed yesterday, the Chemical - Diversified industry was having an average PEG ratio of 1.18.
The Chemical - Diversified industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 107, putting it in the top 44% of all 250+ industries.
The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Don't forget to use Zacks.com to keep track of all these stock-moving metrics, and others, in the upcoming trading sessions.
Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.
Shares of this specialty chemicals company have returned -20.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.4% change. The Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry, to which Albemarle belongs, has lost 9.5% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term?
While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.
Revisions to Earnings EstimatesHere at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.
We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
For the current quarter, Albemarle is expected to post earnings of $2.55 per share, indicating a change of +1442.1% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
The consensus earnings estimate of $11.39 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +1541.8%. This estimate has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $11.07 indicates a change of -2.8% from what Albemarle is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has remained unchanged.
With an impressive externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is a more conclusive indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for Albemarle.
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Projected Revenue GrowthWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
In the case of Albemarle, the consensus sales estimate of $1.52 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +16.1%. The $6.1 billion and $6.35 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +18.7% and +4.1%, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryAlbemarle reported revenues of $1.74 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +31.1%. EPS of $3.75 for the same period compares with $0.11 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.59 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +9.94%. The EPS surprise was +11.94%.
Over the last four quarters, Albemarle surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates each time over this period.
ValuationWithout considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.
Comparing the current value of a company's valuation multiples, such as its price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), to its own historical values helps ascertain whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, whereas comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of how reasonable its stock price is.
As part of the Zacks Style Scores system, the Zacks Value Style Score (which evaluates both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics) organizes stocks into five groups ranging from A to F (A is better than B; B is better than C; and so on), making it helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Albemarle is graded B on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
Bottom LineThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Albemarle. However, its Zacks Rank #4 does suggest that it may underperform the broader market in the near term.
Key Takeaways Albemarle and Rio Tinto are well-positioned to benefit from rising lithium demand.ALB focuses on capacity expansion, cost cuts and strong cash flow to support growth.RIO advances major lithium projects, boosts output and leverages a strong balance sheet. Albemarle Corporation (ALB - Free Report) and Rio Tinto Group (RIO - Free Report) are prominent players in the lithium space. Both companies are well-positioned to gain from robust long-term growth in lithium demand from electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems.
A pullback in lithium market prices has been weighing on lithium stocks lately. Prices have declined amid slowing Chinese EV demand, elevated inventories and expectations for additional supply from mine restarts and capacity expansions. EV orders have softened in China, the world’s largest lithium consumer, although demand for energy storage systems remains resilient.
Let’s dive deep and closely compare the fundamentals of these two lithium producers to determine which one is a better investment option now in the prevailing lithium market environment.
The Case for ALBALB is poised to benefit from long-term growth in the battery-grade lithium market. The market for lithium batteries and energy storage remains strong, offering significant opportunities for the company to develop innovative products and expand capacity. Lithium demand is expected to grow on the back of significant global EV penetration.
Albemarle projects lithium demand to witness a CAGR of 10-20% from 2025 to 2030. Stationary storage is expected to be a significant driver for lithium demand along with EVs. Albemarle expects demand to grow roughly 15-40% this year, with growth already trending near the higher end of the range.
ALB is strategically executing its projects to boost its global lithium conversion capacity. It remains focused on investing in high-return projects to drive productivity. Healthy customer demand, capacity expansion and plant productivity improvements are supporting its volumes.
The Salar yield improvement project in Chile has achieved a 50-60% operating rate, and the ramp-up continues to deliver encouraging outcomes. Albemarle, in March 2026, submitted the environmental assessment permit for a commercial direct lithium extraction (DLE) project at Salar de Atacama. The DLE pilot plant supports future growth at Salar de Atacama and has demonstrated lithium recoveries of more than 90%. The CGP3 expansion at the Greenbushes spodumene mine in Australia is underway and is expected to reach full production in first-quarter 2027.
Albemarle is taking aggressive cost-saving and productivity actions. The company delivered roughly $450 million in cost and productivity improvements for full-year 2025, having surpassed its initial target of $300-$400 million. It expects additional cost and productivity improvements of $100-$150 million in 2026, with $100 million already delivered.
Albemarle remains committed to driving shareholder value by leveraging healthy cash flows and strong liquidity. Its operating cash flow was around $1.3 billion in 2025, up roughly 86% from the prior year. At the end of the second quarter of 2026, it had liquidity of around $3.2 billion, including cash and cash equivalents of around $1.6 billion. The company generated an operating cash flow of $710 million and free cash flow of $638 million. Operating cash flow for the first half nearly doubled year over year to roughly $1.1 billion.
Free cash flow in 2026 is expected to be supported by strong cash conversion and productivity measures. ALB achieved an operating cash flow conversion of 83% in the second quarter. First-half 2026 conversion was at the high end of its long-term target range of 60-70%.
The company remains focused on maintaining its dividend payout. It has raised its quarterly dividend for the 30th straight year. ALB offers a dividend yield of 1.5% at the current stock price.
ALB’s Energy Storage unit, however, faces volume pressure in 2026, which may affect the segment’s sales. The company’s guidance reflects flat to 4% lower year-over-year Energy Storage sales volumes in 2026.
Albemarle expects Energy Storage sales volumes of 225-235 kilotons (kt) compared with 235kt in 2025, as higher Wodgina output partly offsets a delay in the CGP3 ramp-up following the June 9, 2026 fire. Lower sales volumes are expected to result in a decline in Energy Storage sales in the third quarter.
Some impacts of the lithium price retreat are also expected to be reflected in the company’s performance in the third quarter. ALB expects sequentially lower prices and volumes to result in a decline in Energy Storage sales and margins compared with the second quarter.
The Case for RIORio Tinto holds one of the world’s largest lithium portfolios and a robust pipeline of development projects, positioning it well to benefit from the growing demand for lithium. RIO produces lithium using several established methods, including direct lithium extraction (“DLE”) from brines, traditional pond-based brine extraction and hard-rock mining. The company also manufactures a broad suite of lithium products, including lithium chloride, lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, and spodumene concentrate.
RIO is expanding its lithium extraction capabilities through a new partnership with ILiAD Technologies, a leader in DLE technology. The collaboration supports the company’s efforts to enhance operational efficiency while improving sustainability and cost-effectiveness. ILiAD’s technology allows the extraction of high-purity lithium chloride from a wide range of lithium-rich brine resources and complements RIO’s existing DLE operations at Fénix and Rincon.
RIO is making progress with its high-value lithium projects. The fully owned Rincon Lithium Project in Argentina remains on track, with commissioning of the starter plant already completed and ramp-up currently in progress, with planned first production in 2028. RIO is investing $2.5 billion to expand Rincon, which has a capacity of 60,000 tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually with a 40-year mine life. Rio Tinto has secured a $1.175 billion financing package from international lenders to support the development of the Rincon project.
The Fénix expansion project and Sal de Vida in Argentina, with a capital cost of $0.7 billion each, have achieved first production ahead of schedule. The Nemaska Lithium project, in which Rio Tinto now holds a 53.9% stake with the Government of Québec retaining the balance, is a fully integrated spodumene-to-lithium hydroxide development project comprising the lithium hydroxide plant in Bécancour and the Whabouchi spodumene mine. First production is planned in 2028.
RIO has a robust balance sheet and generates strong cash flows, which allow it to make investments in projects while driving shareholder returns. RIO generated a strong operating cash flow of $9.2 billion in the six months ended June 30, 2026, up 32% year over year. Free cash flow surged 75% year over year to roughly $3.8 billion. The company ended the period with cash and cash equivalents, and other short-term, highly liquid investments, totaling $9.1 billion.
Rio Tinto has a policy of returning 40-60% of its underlying earnings, with a 10-year track record of dividend payout at the top end of the range. It has declared an interim ordinary dividend of $3.4 billion, up 43% year over year, with a payout ratio of 50%. It offers a dividend yield of 4.4% at the current stock price.
ALB & RIO: Price Performance, Valuation & Other ComparisonsThe ALB stock is down 24.1% year to date, while RIO has gained 17.9%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ALB is currently trading at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 2.02. RIO is currently trading at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 1.88, below ALB.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
RIO’s return on equity of 16.2% is higher than ALB’s 11%. This reflects RIO’s efficient use of shareholder funds in generating profits.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
How the Zacks Consensus Estimate Compares for ALB & RIOThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALB’s 2026 sales implies year-over-year growth of 18.7%. The same for EPS suggests a 1,541.8% year-over-year rise. The EPS estimates for 2026 have been trending lower over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The consensus estimate for RIO’s 2026 sales and EPS implies a year-over-year rise of 14.7% and 27%, respectively. The EPS estimates for 2026 have been trending upward over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ALB or RIO: Which Stock Holds the Edge?ALB and RIO stand to benefit from higher lithium demand, driven by EVs and energy storage. Albemarle is benefiting from project ramp-ups and actions to boost global lithium conversion capacity and productivity. RIO is advancing major lithium projects to boost output and leveraging a strong balance sheet. Rio Tinto appears to have an edge over Albemarle due to its more attractive valuation and rising earnings estimates. RIO’s higher ROE also indicates that it is more effectively utilizing shareholder funds. Investors seeking exposure to the lithium space might consider Rio Tinto as the more favorable option at this time.
Albemarle (NYSE:ALB – Get Free Report) and FUCHS (OTCMKTS:FUPBY – Get Free Report) are both materials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, risk, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations and dividends.
Insider and Institutional Ownership 92.9% of Albemarle shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.4% of Albemarle shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Risk & Volatility Albemarle has a beta of 1.33, indicating that its stock price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, FUCHS has a beta of 0.92, indicating that its stock price is 8% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability This table compares Albemarle and FUCHS’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Albemarle 3.09% 10.96% 5.39% FUCHS 9.04% 17.40% 12.30% Dividends Albemarle pays an annual dividend of $1.64 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.5%. FUCHS pays an annual dividend of $0.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.7%. Albemarle pays out 607.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. FUCHS pays out 26.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Albemarle has raised its dividend for 30 consecutive years. FUCHS is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.
Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Albemarle and FUCHS, as provided by MarketBeat.
Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Albemarle 2 9 15 0 2.50 FUCHS 0 2 2 1 2.80 Albemarle currently has a consensus price target of $188.09, indicating a potential upside of 73.73%. Given Albemarle’s higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Albemarle is more favorable than FUCHS.
Earnings & Valuation This table compares Albemarle and FUCHS”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Albemarle $5.14 billion 2.48 -$510.63 million $0.27 400.97 FUCHS $4.03 billion 1.56 $346.21 million $0.75 16.04 FUCHS has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Albemarle. FUCHS is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Albemarle, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
About Albemarle (Get Free Report)
Albemarle Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets engineered specialty chemicals worldwide. It operates through three segments: Energy Storage, Specialties and Ketjen. The Energy Storage segment offers lithium compounds, including lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, and lithium chloride; technical services for the handling and use of reactive lithium products; and lithium-containing by-products recycling services. The Specialties segment provides bromine-based specialty chemicals, including elemental bromine, alkyl and inorganic bromides, brominated powdered activated carbon, and other bromine fine chemicals; lithium specialties, such as butyllithium and lithium aluminum hydride; develops and manufactures cesium products for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries; and zirconium, barium, and titanium products for pyrotechnical applications that include airbag initiators. The Ketjen segment offers clean fuels technologies (CFT), which is composed of hydroprocessing catalysts (HPC) together with isomerization and akylation catalysts; fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts and additives; and performance catalyst solutions (PCS), which is composed of organometallics and curatives. The company serves the energy storage, petroleum refining, consumer electronics, construction, automotive, lubricants, pharmaceuticals, and crop protection markets. Albemarle Corporation was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
About FUCHS (Get Free Report)
Fuchs SE develops, produces, and sells lubricants and related specialties in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and North and South America. The company offers automotive lubricants, such as biodegradable lubricants, central and mobile hydraulic oils, dry coatings, engine and gear oils, motorcycle/two wheelers, and service fluids, as well as various oils for agriculture sector. It also provides industrial lubricants, including chain lubricants, dry coatings, gear and hydraulic oils, machine oils, open gear lubricants, rapidly biodegradable lubricants, compressor and refrigeration oils, release agents, slideways oils, fluids and industrial oils, textile machine oils, and turbine oils. In addition, the company offers lubricating greases comprising assembly pastes, biodegradable greases, food grade greases, multi-purpose/long-life greases, pastes for extreme temperatures, perfluorinated pastes, and wheel bearing greases, as well as gear boxes, and greases for central lubricating system, extreme temperature, machine tools, plain and roller bearings, rail vehicles, spray cans or rattle cans, and solid lubricants. Further, it provides metal processing lubricants consisting of cleaners, corrosion preventives, cutting and grinding, forming lubricants, and quenching oils; and special application lubricants for application equipment, chain lubrication, dry coatings, food and beverage, gears, sugar processing, railway traffic, plain and roller bearings, glass manufacturing process, hot forming, maintenance, open gears, pastes, release agents, other specialties, special greases, and wind power plants. Additionally, the company offers open gear and surface coating services. The company was formerly known as Fuchs Petrolub SE and changed its name to Fuchs SE in July 2023. Fuchs SE was founded in 1931 and is headquartered in Mannheim, Germany.
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In the latest trading session, Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) closed at $108.25, marking a -4.6% move from the previous day. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily loss of 0.03%. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.31%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.01%.
Coming into today, shares of the specialty chemicals company had lost 15.64% in the past month. In that same time, the Basic Materials sector lost 7.25%, while the S&P 500 gained 0.53%.
Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Albemarle in its upcoming earnings disclosure. On that day, Albemarle is projected to report earnings of $2.55 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 1442.11%. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $1.52 billion, indicating a 16.07% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $11.39 per share and a revenue of $6.1 billion, demonstrating changes of +1541.77% and +18.69%, respectively, from the preceding year.
Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Albemarle. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the business outlook.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 2.05% downward. Albemarle is currently a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
In the context of valuation, Albemarle is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 9.96. This denotes a discount relative to the industry average Forward P/E of 16.4.
It is also worth noting that ALB currently has a PEG ratio of 0.66. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. Chemical - Diversified stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 1.2 based on yesterday's closing prices.
The Chemical - Diversified industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 161, finds itself in the bottom 35% echelons of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.
When deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock, investors often rely on analyst recommendations. Media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts often influence a stock's price, but are they really important?
Before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage, let's see what these Wall Street heavyweights think about Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) .
Albemarle currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.87, on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), calculated based on the actual recommendations (Buy, Hold, Sell, etc.) made by 23 brokerage firms. An ABR of 1.87 approximates between Strong Buy and Buy.
Of the 23 recommendations that derive the current ABR, 12 are Strong Buy and two are Buy. Strong Buy and Buy respectively account for 52.2% and 8.7% of all recommendations.
Brokerage Recommendation Trends for ALB
Check price target & stock forecast for Albemarle here>>>
The ABR suggests buying Albemarle, but making an investment decision solely on the basis of this information might not be a good idea. According to several studies, brokerage recommendations have little to no success guiding investors to choose stocks with the most potential for price appreciation.
Are you wondering why? The vested interest of brokerage firms in a stock they cover often results in a strong positive bias of their analysts in rating it. Our research shows that for every "Strong Sell" recommendation, brokerage firms assign five "Strong Buy" recommendations.
This means that the interests of these institutions are not always aligned with those of retail investors, giving little insight into the direction of a stock's future price movement. It would therefore be best to use this information to validate your own analysis or a tool that has proven to be highly effective at predicting stock price movements.
With an impressive externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, which classifies stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), is a reliable indicator of a stock's near-term price performance. So, validating the Zacks Rank with ABR could go a long way in making a profitable investment decision.
Zacks Rank Should Not Be Confused With ABRIn spite of the fact that Zacks Rank and ABR both appear on a scale from 1 to 5, they are two completely different measures.
The ABR is calculated solely based on brokerage recommendations and is typically displayed with decimals (example: 1.28). In contrast, the Zacks Rank is a quantitative model allowing investors to harness the power of earnings estimate revisions. It is displayed in whole numbers -- 1 to 5.
It has been and continues to be the case that analysts employed by brokerage firms are overly optimistic with their recommendations. Because of their employers' vested interests, these analysts issue more favorable ratings than their research would support, misguiding investors far more often than helping them.
In contrast, the Zacks Rank is driven by earnings estimate revisions. And near-term stock price movements are strongly correlated with trends in earnings estimate revisions, according to empirical research.
In addition, the different Zacks Rank grades are applied proportionately to all stocks for which brokerage analysts provide current-year earnings estimates. In other words, this tool always maintains a balance among its five ranks.
There is also a key difference between the ABR and Zacks Rank when it comes to freshness. When you look at the ABR, it may not be up-to-date. Nonetheless, since brokerage analysts constantly revise their earnings estimates to reflect changing business trends, and their actions get reflected in the Zacks Rank quickly enough, it is always timely in predicting future stock prices.
Should You Invest in ALB?In terms of earnings estimate revisions for Albemarle, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has declined 2.1% over the past month to $11.39.
Analysts' growing pessimism over the company's earnings prospects, as indicated by strong agreement among them in revising EPS estimates lower, could be a legitimate reason for the stock to plunge in the near term.
The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for Albemarle. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>
Therefore, it could be wise to take the Buy-equivalent ABR for Albemarle with a grain of salt.
Nykredit A S purchased a new position in shares of Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 430,222 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock, valued at approximately $58,093,000. Nykredit A S owned about 0.36% of Albemarle as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of ALB. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in shares of Albemarle by 7.0% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,584 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $214,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the period. Amundi raised its stake in shares of Albemarle by 40.5% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 827,874 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $111,784,000 after purchasing an additional 238,774 shares in the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new position in shares of Albemarle in the second quarter valued at $4,821,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC lifted its position in Albemarle by 6,118.2% in the second quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 20,209 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $2,729,000 after purchasing an additional 19,884 shares during the period. Finally, Wedmont Private Capital boosted its stake in Albemarle by 17.1% during the second quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 2,154 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $272,000 after buying an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. 92.87% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Vertical Research raised shares of Albemarle from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $224.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Berenberg Bank raised their price target on shares of Albemarle from $153.00 to $192.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Albemarle from $205.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 7th. Morgan Stanley reissued a “reduce” rating and issued a $161.00 target price on shares of Albemarle in a report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Albemarle from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $190.04.
Get Our Latest Report on ALB Albemarle Stock Down 3.5% Shares of ALB opened at $111.03 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $13.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 411.22, a PEG ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.09 and a quick ratio of 1.35. Albemarle Corporation has a one year low of $79.30 and a one year high of $221.00. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $125.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $154.52.
Albemarle (NYSE:ALB – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $3.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.20 by $0.55. The firm had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.61 billion. Albemarle had a return on equity of 10.96% and a net margin of 3.09%.The business’s revenue was up 31.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.11 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Albemarle Corporation will post 11.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Albemarle Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 11th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. This is an increase from Albemarle’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. Albemarle’s payout ratio is currently 607.41%.
About Albemarle (Free Report)
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) is a global specialty chemicals company that develops, manufactures and markets products used in energy storage, transportation, electronics, construction, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and other industrial applications. The company operates through three principal businesses: Energy Storage, Specialties and Ketjen.
Albemarle is one of the major producers of lithium and lithium compounds, including lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, which are used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, portable electronics and stationary energy storage systems.
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Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $110.91, demonstrating a -3.6% change from the preceding day's closing price. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.17%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.18%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw an increase of 0.4%.
Heading into today, shares of the specialty chemicals company had lost 14.26% over the past month, lagging the Basic Materials sector's loss of 0.24% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.29%.
Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Albemarle in its upcoming release. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $2.55, reflecting a 1442.11% increase from the same quarter last year. Simultaneously, our latest consensus estimate expects the revenue to be $1.52 billion, showing a 16.07% escalation compared to the year-ago quarter.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $11.39 per share and a revenue of $6.1 billion, representing changes of +1541.77% and +18.69%, respectively, from the prior year.
Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Albemarle should also be noted by investors. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.
Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been a 4.37% fall in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Currently, Albemarle is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
With respect to valuation, Albemarle is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 10.1. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 16.69.
We can additionally observe that ALB currently boasts a PEG ratio of 0.67. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. The Chemical - Diversified was holding an average PEG ratio of 1.17 at yesterday's closing price.
The Chemical - Diversified industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 101, placing it within the top 42% of over 250 industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.
Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) has recently been on Zacks.com's list of the most searched stocks. Therefore, you might want to consider some of the key factors that could influence the stock's performance in the near future.
Over the past month, shares of this specialty chemicals company have returned -14.3%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -1.3% change. During this period, the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry, which Albemarle falls in, has lost 6.3%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?
While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.
Earnings Estimate RevisionsRather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.
Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.
For the current quarter, Albemarle is expected to post earnings of $2.55 per share, indicating a change of +1442.1% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -15.9% over the last 30 days.
For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $11.39 points to a change of +1541.8% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has changed -4.4%.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $11.07 indicates a change of -2.8% from what Albemarle is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed -3.9%.
With an impressive externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is a more conclusive indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for Albemarle.
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Revenue Growth ForecastWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
In the case of Albemarle, the consensus sales estimate of $1.52 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +16.1%. The $6.1 billion and $6.35 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +18.7% and +4.1%, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryAlbemarle reported revenues of $1.74 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +31.1%. EPS of $3.75 for the same period compares with $0.11 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.59 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +9.94%. The EPS surprise was +11.94%.
Over the last four quarters, Albemarle surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates each time over this period.
ValuationNo investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock's valuation. Whether a stock's current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.
While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.
The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Albemarle is graded B on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
ConclusionThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Albemarle. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
The global automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation as electrification and autonomous driving reshape how vehicles are developed and used. These trends are creating new growth opportunities across the broader mobility ecosystem, from automakers and semiconductor companies to lidar and autonomous-driving technology providers.
EVs Move Further Into the MainstreamElectric vehicles (EVs) are gaining traction globally as improving battery technology delivers longer driving ranges, charging networks continue to expand and ownership economics become competitive with traditional internal-combustion vehicles. Higher fuel prices, partly influenced by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, are also improving the relative appeal of EVs.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global EV sales rose 20% year over year to more than 20 million units in 2025, accounting for roughly one in four new vehicles sold worldwide. The IEA expects sales to reach 23 million units in 2026, bringing EVs close to 28% of global new-vehicle sales.
Growth is expected to remain particularly strong in China and Europe. EVs could account for nearly 60% of vehicle sales in China and approach one-third of new-car sales in Europe in 2026.
At the same time, the competitive landscape is changing. Tesla (TSLA - Free Report) , which once dominated the global EV market, is facing intensifying competition as Chinese automakers expand their presence with broader product portfolios and increasingly competitive pricing.
Autonomous Driving Opens a New Growth AvenueAutonomous vehicles (AVs) are becoming another major growth opportunity as advances in artificial intelligence, sensors, cameras, computing power and connected-vehicle technologies make self-driving systems sophisticated.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global autonomous vehicle market is projected to grow from $3.36 trillion in 2025 to $4.44 trillion in 2026 and reach $41.75 trillion by 2034, representing a 32.3% CAGR from 2026 to 2034.
Companies across the technology and automotive ecosystems are investing heavily to capture this opportunity. Alphabet's (GOOGL - Free Report) Waymo and Baidu are among the companies at the forefront of autonomous-driving development, while suppliers such as Mobileye, Hesai Group and Ouster are developing technologies that could support the industry's transition toward automated vehicles.
What This Means for InvestorsFor investors, EVs and AVs represent a strong long-term opportunity. They combine growth, innovation and rising demand. Our Electric Vehicles & Autonomous Driving Screen highlights companies positioned to benefit from these trends, including BYD Co Ltd. (BYDDY - Free Report) , Albemarle Corporation (ALB - Free Report) and Aeva Technologies, Inc. (AEVA - Free Report) .
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3 Stocks Worth WatchingBYD remains one of the strongest long-term growth stories in the global EV market, backed by technology leadership, cost advantages and an expanding international footprint.
At the core of its edge is a vertically integrated business model. BYD manufactures nearly 80% of key components, including batteries and semiconductors, in-house. That control over the supply chain gives it superior cost management and pricing flexibility, a meaningful advantage during industry price wars in China's crowded EV market. Layered on top of this is continued investment in next-generation technology — blade batteries, autonomous driving chips, LiDAR-equipped affordable EVs and ultra-fast charging.
BYD recently put that charging technology through a real-world stress test, running a Denza Z9GT through freezing conditions and still getting it up to 97% charge—an encouraging sign that its engineering claims can hold up outside lab conditions.
Overseas expansion is becoming an increasingly important growth lever. Having surpassed one million vehicle exports in 2025, BYD is targeting 1.6 million exports by 2026. Its push into Europe's premium segment through the Denza brand diversifies growth away from an increasingly saturated domestic market. BYD is also entering Japan's tightly held "kei" mini-car segment with Racco, the first purpose-built electric kei car from a non-Japanese automaker, targeting 10,000 orders by the end of 2026.
With scale, tech and global reach on its side, BYD looks set to keep outpacing rivals in the EV market. The company carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Albemarle appears well-positioned to benefit as EV demand grows globally, thanks to a lithium resource base built to serve that demand and a pipeline of projects aimed at expanding it. Lithium demand is expected to grow on the back of significant global EV penetration, with Albemarle projecting 10-20% CAGR for lithium demand from 2025 to 2030.
ALB is strategically executing its projects to boost its global lithium conversion capacity, remaining focused on investing in high-return projects to drive productivity. Healthy customer demand, capacity expansion and plant productivity improvements are supporting its volumes.
The Salar yield improvement project in Chile has achieved a 50-60% operating rate, with the ramp-up continuing to deliver encouraging outcomes. In March 2026, Albemarle submitted the environmental assessment permit for a commercial direct lithium extraction (DLE) project at Salar de Atacama. The DLE pilot plant supports future growth at the site and has demonstrated lithium recoveries of more than 90%.
Meanwhile, the CGP3 expansion at the Greenbushes spodumene mine in Australia is underway and is expected to reach full production in the first quarter of 2027. Albemarle is also taking aggressive cost-saving and productivity actions across its operations.
Taken together, this combination of expanding low-cost capacity and improving resource efficiency leaves Albemarle well-placed to capture a growing share of long-term lithium demand as global EV adoption accelerates. ALB stock carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Aeva is positioned to benefit as autonomous driving and advanced driver-assistance systems demand more capable sensing technology, with LiDAR expanding beyond passenger cars into higher-level ADAS and commercial-vehicle autonomy.
A key proof point is Aeva's expanding footprint across both passenger and commercial platforms. In the second quarter of 2026, the company continued Atlas Ultra deliveries and integration work for a top-10 European passenger OEM, while also advancing engagements with additional automakers. On the commercial side, Bendix selected Aeva's 4D LiDAR and perception software for its next-generation Level 2+ ADAS system—a platform already available across most North American Class 8 trucks, representing a roughly 300,000-unit annual market and extending Aeva's reach into high-volume commercial applications.
Aeva is also embedding itself into the broader autonomous-driving ecosystem. Continued Atlas Ultra integration with NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion could open repeatable design-in opportunities as more OEMs standardize around common autonomous vehicle architectures, potentially lowering the incremental effort needed to win future programs.
On the manufacturing side, Aeva began producing production-intent Atlas sensors on a fully automated assembly line in North America during the quarter, while scaling shipments to Daimler Truck for AV-stack validation. This shift from development to production readiness strengthens the company's ability to support series production.
With design wins spanning passenger, commercial and autonomy platforms now moving into production, Aeva is building the scale needed to become a core sensing supplier for the AV era. The company carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Key Takeaways Albemarle is expanding lithium conversion capacity to capture rising demand.ALB is seeing higher Energy Storage volumes, supported by integrated conversion facilities.The DLE pilot plant in Chile achieved lithium recoveries above 90%, while CGP3 is underway. Albemarle Corporation (ALB - Free Report) is strategically executing its projects aimed at boosting its global lithium conversion capacity. The market for lithium batteries and energy storage remains strong, offering significant opportunities for the company to develop innovative products and expand capacity.
ALB remains focused on investing in high-return projects to drive productivity. Healthy customer demand, capacity expansion and plant productivity improvements are supporting its volumes. ALB saw higher sales volumes (up 11% year over year) in its Energy Storage unit in the second quarter on the strength of its integrated conversion facilities.
The Salar yield improvement project in Chile has achieved a 50-60% operating rate, and the ramp-up continues to deliver encouraging outcomes. Albemarle, in March 2026, submitted the environmental assessment permit for a commercial direct lithium extraction (DLE) project at Salar de Atacama. The DLE pilot plant supports future growth at Salar de Atacama and has demonstrated lithium recoveries of more than 90%. The CGP3 expansion at the Greenbushes spodumene mine in Australia is underway and is expected to reach full production in first-quarter 2027.
Among its peers, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM - Free Report) has a robust balance sheet and generates strong cash flows, which allow it to make investments in driving production capacity. Sociedad Quimica logged record lithium sales volumes of more than 84,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent in the second quarter on strong market demand. The Nova Andino Litio business recorded roughly 47% higher volumes in the second quarter compared to the prior-year quarter, driven by demand strength in battery energy storage systems and capacity expansion actions. Nova Andino achieved a key milestone with the submission of the environmental and technical documentation for the Salar Futuro project. The project represents a major part of SQM’s long-term growth strategy in the Salar de Atacama.
Rio Tinto Group (RIO - Free Report) is making progress with its high-value lithium projects. The fully owned Rincon Lithium Project in Argentina remains on track, with commissioning of the starter plant already completed and ramp-up currently in progress, with planned first production in 2028. RIO has achieved first production at the Fénix expansion and Sal de Vida projects in Argentina ahead of plan in the second quarter.
The Nemaska Lithium project, in which Rio Tinto now holds a 53.9% stake with the Government of Québec retaining the balance, is a fully integrated spodumene-to-lithium hydroxide development project comprising the lithium hydroxide plant in Bécancour and the Whabouchi spodumene mine. First production is planned in 2028.
ALB’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesAlbemarle has gained 41.5% in the past year compared with the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry’s decline of 4.2%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ALB is currently trading at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 2.13, above the industry. It carries a Value Score of B.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALB’s 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year rise of 1,541.8%. The EPS estimates for 2026 have been trending lower over the past 60 days.
In the latest trading session, Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) closed at $117.52, marking a -3.76% move from the previous day. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.86%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.98%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 0.96%.
The stock of specialty chemicals company has fallen by 6.41% in the past month, lagging the Basic Materials sector's loss of 0.74% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.96%.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Albemarle in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is expected to report EPS of $2.55, up 1442.11% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $1.52 billion, up 16.07% from the year-ago period.
ALB's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $11.39 per share and revenue of $6.1 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +1541.77% and +18.69%, respectively.
Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for Albemarle. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.
Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 4.37% lower. Albemarle is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Investors should also note Albemarle's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 10.72. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 17, which means Albemarle is trading at a discount to the group.
We can also see that ALB currently has a PEG ratio of 0.71. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. The Chemical - Diversified was holding an average PEG ratio of 1.19 at yesterday's closing price.
The Chemical - Diversified industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 95, placing it within the top 39% of over 250 industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.
Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $122.11, demonstrating a -3.02% change from the preceding day's closing price. This change lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.59%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.6%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.65%.
Coming into today, shares of the specialty chemicals company had lost 1.89% in the past month. In that same time, the Basic Materials sector gained 2.83%, while the S&P 500 lost 1.37%.
The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Albemarle in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is expected to report EPS of $2.55, up 1442.11% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $1.52 billion, up 16.07% from the prior-year quarter.
For the annual period, the Zacks Consensus Estimates anticipate earnings of $11.39 per share and a revenue of $6.1 billion, signifying shifts of +1541.77% and +18.57%, respectively, from the last year.
Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for Albemarle. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability.
Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the past month, there's been a 4.37% fall in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Currently, Albemarle is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In terms of valuation, Albemarle is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 11.05. This expresses a discount compared to the average Forward P/E of 16.99 of its industry.
One should further note that ALB currently holds a PEG ratio of 0.74. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The Chemical - Diversified industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.19 as trading concluded yesterday.
The Chemical - Diversified industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 99, placing it within the top 41% of over 250 industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
To follow ALB in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.
Amundi grew its holdings in Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB – Free Report) by 40.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 827,874 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after purchasing an additional 238,774 shares during the period. Amundi owned about 0.70% of Albemarle worth $111,784,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in Albemarle by 13,478.5% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 18,483,447 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $2,495,820,000 after buying an additional 18,347,324 shares in the last quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA purchased a new stake in shares of Albemarle during the second quarter worth $358,101,000. Earnest Partners LLC boosted its position in Albemarle by 14.6% during the fourth quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 1,630,394 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $230,603,000 after purchasing an additional 207,770 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in Albemarle by 1.8% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,263,734 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $102,464,000 after purchasing an additional 22,856 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in Albemarle by 57.7% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,241,106 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $175,542,000 after purchasing an additional 453,881 shares in the last quarter. 92.87% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades ALB has been the topic of several research reports. Vertical Research raised Albemarle from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $224.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Weiss Ratings lowered Albemarle from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Citigroup lowered their price target on Albemarle from $225.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on Albemarle from $236.00 to $224.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Albemarle from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Albemarle presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $190.04.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on ALB Albemarle Trading Down 2.6% NYSE:ALB opened at $126.22 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $127.67 and its 200-day moving average is $157.63. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 2.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Albemarle Corporation has a 12 month low of $71.25 and a 12 month high of $221.00. The firm has a market cap of $14.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 467.49, a P/E/G ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.33.
Albemarle (NYSE:ALB – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $3.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.20 by $0.55. The business had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.61 billion. Albemarle had a net margin of 3.09% and a return on equity of 10.96%. Albemarle’s quarterly revenue was up 31.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.11 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Albemarle Corporation will post 11.39 EPS for the current year.
Albemarle Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be given a $0.41 dividend. This is an increase from Albemarle’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 11th. Albemarle’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 600.00%.
Albemarle Company Profile (Free Report)
Albemarle Corporation is a leading global specialty chemicals company primarily engaged in the production and distribution of lithium, bromine, and catalysts. Its lithium segment supplies key components used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and grid storage systems. The company’s bromine specialty products serve a wide range of industries, including oil and gas drilling fluids, fire safety solutions, and water treatment. In its catalysts division, Albemarle provides products for petroleum refining, chemical processing and emissions control.
Founded in 1994 as a spin-off from Ethyl Corporation, Albemarle has grown through strategic acquisitions and capacity expansions to become one of the world’s foremost chemical producers.
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Washington just handed half a billion dollars to US battery companies, but industry insiders say the window to break China's grip on the supply chain is far shorter than the money implies, and Albemarle shareholders are caught in the middle.
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A CNBC segment put a hard number on Washington’s latest attempt to loosen China’s grip on the battery supply chain. The Department of Energy is spreading $500 million across seven US battery companies, and the industry experts interviewed for the piece were candid about the math.
One expert told CNBC that catching up will take “decades and tens, if not hundreds of billions of dollars”, and that the US has closer to five, six or seven years to become competitive. That framing matters for every US-listed name tied to lithium and battery materials, and it matters most for Albemarle (NYSE:ALB | ALB Price Prediction), the largest domestic lithium producer.
Albemarle trades at $129.57 as of the September 8 close, up 60.13% over the past year but down 7.94% year to date. The stock sits in the middle of a policy story it cannot control, so the honest question is whether $500 million in federal money moves the needle for shareholders.
Where China’s Advantage Actually Sits China’s dominance is stacked at every layer. CNBC reported that China produced 85% of the world’s cathode active material and over 90% of anode active material in 2025.
Downstream, China is at 80% of global battery cells and 70% of the world’s electric vehicles in 2025. That is scale that funds the next round of capacity at prices Western producers cannot match today.
The cost gap shows up in packs. CNBC reported that Chinese battery pack prices were already lower than North American and European packs, and the gap widened between 2022 and 2025.
Albemarle sits upstream of all of this. Its Q2 realized lithium price of $19.53/kg LCE is market-set, and its buyers ultimately compete with Chinese converters.
Midstream Gap the Federal Money Is Chasing The DOE dollars target midstream processing, the step that turns rock and brine into battery-grade material. Raef Sully, whose unnamed company received a $100 million federal grant for a Great Salt Lake lithium project, told CNBC that the award covers about a third of phase one capital.
Sully said his process produces battery-grade lithium carbonate or hydroxide at the point of extraction, “bypassing that important step, that processing step that China has a chokehold on today.” That is the exact bottleneck Albemarle is also attacking with its direct lithium extraction pilot at the Salar de Atacama.
Albemarle disclosed in its Q2 call that its DLE pilot has logged over 3,000 operating hours with recovery rates “over 90%”, versus 30% to 40% for conventional ponds. Details are in the company’s Q2 2026 earnings exhibit.
Federal capital thins the risk on projects like these, although Albemarle is funding its own DLE work off $638 million in Q2 free cash flow, not grants.
Policy Whiplash Is the Real Killer The scarier figure in the CNBC segment was the number of cancellations. CNBC reported that $24 billion of US battery projects were canceled between January 2025 and August 2026.
An industry expert on the segment told CNBC that “a stable policy environment that doesn’t ricochet between administrations is the single most critical thing for successful industrial policy.” Capital allocators need a decade of visibility, and they are not getting it.
Albemarle has adjusted accordingly. The company placed Kemerton Train 1 into care and maintenance, trimmed full-year capex to approximately $500 million, and retired $1.3 billion in debt.
On September 3, Albemarle also announced a CEO succession plan, another reminder that the company is repositioning for a longer, choppier cycle than the 2022 boom suggested.
Demand Problem No Grant Can Solve The last binding constraint is the customer. An industry expert told CNBC that “the ultimate challenge is demand” and that every link depends on someone buying the finished product.
US EV sales fell 36% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2025 after federal purchase credits expired. That is a demand shock supply-side grants cannot fix.
Stationary storage is the offset. CNBC reported that roughly 15% of global battery demand came from energy storage in 2025, about double that share in the United States, and Albemarle said on its call that stationary storage will represent about 30% of global lithium market demand in 2026.
CEO Kent Masters said on the Q2 call that “energy storage demand is kind of off the charts” and that global lithium consumption was up 45% year-over-year through May. Grid batteries are carrying the lithium bull case right now, well ahead of EVs.
Is ALB Stock a Buy? Albemarle beat Q2 estimates with adjusted EPS of $3.75 on $1.74 billion in revenue, and management now expects to land at the high end of its $20 per kg LCE scenario. That would put full-year sales at $5.7 to $6 billion.
Analyst sentiment is 59% bullish with an average target of $172.56, although our model flags a -0.662 year-over-year earnings-growth drag and a beta of 1.33.
The $500 million DOE program is unlikely to reprice ALB on its own, and the policy risk described by CNBC’s experts is real. The lithium tightness Masters describes on the call is the real driver of Albemarle’s near-term earnings, and it exists independent of Washington.
The setup reads as neutral. Demand is strong enough to defend today’s price, but until US industrial policy stops ricocheting and domestic EV sales recover from that 36% drop, chasing ALB higher on grant headlines is the wrong reason to own it.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC lifted its stake in shares of Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB – Free Report) by 6,118.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,209 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after purchasing an additional 19,884 shares during the period. Albemarle accounts for 0.9% of CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 16th biggest position. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC’s holdings in Albemarle were worth $2,729,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in ALB. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Albemarle by 25.5% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,223 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $229,000 after acquiring an additional 654 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its stake in Albemarle by 26.2% in the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 4,798 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $346,000 after purchasing an additional 996 shares during the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association bought a new position in Albemarle during the first quarter worth about $208,000. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Albemarle during the first quarter worth about $411,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Albemarle by 536.7% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 573 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 483 shares during the last quarter. 92.87% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth ALB has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Argus raised their price objective on Albemarle from $185.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Albemarle from $225.00 to $175.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Rothschild & Co Redburn dropped their price objective on shares of Albemarle from $188.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Albemarle from $245.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Albemarle from $244.00 to $211.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $190.04.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Albemarle Albemarle Price Performance NYSE:ALB opened at $126.51 on Monday. Albemarle Corporation has a 52 week low of $71.25 and a 52 week high of $221.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.09. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $128.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $158.52. The firm has a market cap of $14.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 468.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.33.
Albemarle (NYSE:ALB – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $3.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.20 by $0.55. Albemarle had a net margin of 3.09% and a return on equity of 10.96%. The firm had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.61 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.11 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 31.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Albemarle Corporation will post 11.39 earnings per share for the current year.
Albemarle Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th will be given a dividend of $0.41 per share. This is an increase from Albemarle’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 11th. Albemarle’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 600.00%.
Albemarle Profile (Free Report)
Albemarle Corporation is a leading global specialty chemicals company primarily engaged in the production and distribution of lithium, bromine, and catalysts. Its lithium segment supplies key components used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and grid storage systems. The company’s bromine specialty products serve a wide range of industries, including oil and gas drilling fluids, fire safety solutions, and water treatment. In its catalysts division, Albemarle provides products for petroleum refining, chemical processing and emissions control.
Founded in 1994 as a spin-off from Ethyl Corporation, Albemarle has grown through strategic acquisitions and capacity expansions to become one of the world’s foremost chemical producers.
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Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.
Over the past month, shares of this specialty chemicals company have returned -3.7%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.1% change. During this period, the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry, which Albemarle falls in, has gained 0.3%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?
While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.
Revisions to Earnings EstimatesHere at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.
We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
Albemarle is expected to post earnings of $2.55 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +1442.1%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -30.8%.
The consensus earnings estimate of $11.39 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +1541.8%. This estimate has changed -11% over the last 30 days.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $11.07 indicates a change of -2.8% from what Albemarle is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed -10.9%.
Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Albemarle is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Revenue Growth ForecastEven though a company's earnings growth is arguably the best indicator of its financial health, nothing much happens if it cannot raise its revenues. It's almost impossible for a company to grow its earnings without growing its revenue for long periods. Therefore, knowing a company's potential revenue growth is crucial.
In the case of Albemarle, the consensus sales estimate of $1.52 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +16.1%. The $6.1 billion and $6.38 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +18.6% and +4.6%, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryAlbemarle reported revenues of $1.74 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +31.1%. EPS of $3.75 for the same period compares with $0.11 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.59 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +9.94%. The EPS surprise was +11.94%.
Over the last four quarters, Albemarle surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates each time over this period.
ValuationWithout considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.
While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.
The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Albemarle is graded B on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
Bottom LineThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Albemarle. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Albemarle (ALB - Free Report) . Shares have added about 5.4% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.
But investors have to be wondering, will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Albemarle due for a pullback? Well, first let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent drivers for Albemarle Corporation before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.
Albemarle’s Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates on Lithium Pricing StrengthAlbemarle posted second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.75 per share, up from 11 cents a year ago. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.35 by 11.9%, supported by stronger lithium pricing, Specialties growth and productivity gains.
On a reported basis, net income (attributable to Albemarle common shareholders) was $438.3 million or $3.52 per share. This compares favorably with a loss of $18.8 million or 16 cents per share in the prior-year quarter.
Net sales increased 31.1% year over year to $1.74 billion and topped the consensus mark of $1.59 billion by 9.9%. Energy Storage sales volume rose 11% to 65 kilotons of lithium carbonate equivalent, while average realized pricing advanced 60.5% to $19.53 per kilogram.
Adjusted EBITDA climbed 155% year over year to $858.1 million. The increase reflected higher Energy Storage pricing, stronger Specialties pricing and volumes, and ongoing cost and productivity improvements.
Segment HighlightsEnergy Storage net sales surged 77.9% year over year to $1.28 billion. It beat the consensus estimate of $1.19 billion. The improvement was driven by higher pricing, with volume also increasing from the year-ago period.
The segment’s adjusted EBITDA advanced 229.3% to $723.5 million. Higher lithium pricing drove the gain, partly offset by increased CORFO commissions.
Specialties net sales rose 20.5% year over year to $423.5 million. It was above the consensus estimate of $363 million. Volumes increased 8%, while pricing improved 11%, reflecting strength across bromine and derivatives.
Adjusted EBITDA for the segment increased 61.3% to $117.7 million. Favorable pricing, higher volumes, productivity gains and proactive management of Middle East-related cost escalation supported profitability.
Cash Flow and LiquidityCash from operating activities totaled $710 million in the quarter, while free cash flow was $638.3 million. Operating cash flow conversion reached 83%, helped by the timing of a larger Talison joint venture dividend and non-recurring working capital benefits.
As of June 30, 2026, cash and cash equivalents were $1.63 billion, and estimated liquidity was about $3.2 billion. Total debt totaled $1.9 billion, with net debt to adjusted EBITDA of roughly 0.5.
For the first half of 2026, operating cash flow increased $518 million year over year to $1.06 billion. Capital expenditures declined $131.8 million to $170.4 million.
OutlookAlbemarle increased its 2026 Specialties net sales outlook to $1.4-$1.6 billion from the prior $1.3-$1.5 billion range. The adjusted EBITDA forecast rose to $275-$325 million from $225-$275 million, reflecting stronger-than-expected year-to-date pricing and volume performance.
The company cut its capital expenditure forecast to about $500 million from $550-$600 million expected earlier.
Albemarle also expects Energy Storage sales volumes of 225-235 kilotons, as higher Wodgina output partly offsets a delay in the Talison CGP3 ramp following the June 9 fire.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?Since the earnings release, investors have witnessed a downward trend in estimates review.
The consensus estimate has shifted -30.79% due to these changes.
VGM ScoresAt this time, Albemarle has a strong Growth Score of A, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with an F. However, the stock was allocated a score of B on the value side, putting it in the top 40% for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Interestingly, Albemarle has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
Performance of an Industry PlayerAlbemarle is part of the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry. Over the past month, LyondellBasell (LYB - Free Report) , a stock from the same industry, has gained 5.4%. The company reported its results for the quarter ended June 2026 more than a month ago.
LyondellBasell reported revenues of $9.18 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +19.8%. EPS of $4.30 for the same period compares with $0.62 a year ago.
For the current quarter, LyondellBasell is expected to post earnings of $2.46 per share, indicating a change of +143.6% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -0.1% over the last 30 days.
LyondellBasell has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of A.
Wall Street má za sebou solidní růst tažený výrokem člena FEDu Wallera, který naznačil ochotu hlasovat pro podržení sazeb na současné úrovni. Růst indexů jde na vrub především největším společnostem jako Nvidia, Meta nebo Microsoft. Index S&P 500 je půl procenta od historického maxima.
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Martin Varecha
Fio banka, a.s.
Prohlášení
Ragnar Udd Appointed President and CEO, Effective February 1, 2027
Kent Masters to Serve as Executive Chairman
, /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a global leader in providing essential elements for mobility, energy, connectivity and health, today announced that Ragnar "Rag" Udd has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, effective February 1, 2027. Udd will also join the Albemarle Board of Directors. Kent Masters, Chairman and CEO, will transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board upon Udd joining the Company. Gerald Steiner will continue to serve as Albemarle's Lead Independent Director.
A Proven Leader to Drive Albemarle's Next Chapter
Udd has over 25 years of experience in leading global resources businesses in geographies closely mirroring Albemarle's global footprint, including Australia, Asia and North and South America. He is currently serving as Chief Commercial Officer of BHP and as a member of its executive leadership team, where he has global responsibility for sales and marketing, procurement, maritime activities and commodities market strategy. Prior to that, Udd held senior leadership roles across commercial, operational, technology, logistics and infrastructure functions, including President Americas, where he led BHP's copper and potash businesses. He also served as interim Chief Technology Officer, BHP Mitsubishi Asset President and Vice President Logistics and Infrastructure for Western Australia Iron Ore.
"Rag's appointment as our next CEO follows a comprehensive succession planning process conducted by the Board," said Steiner. "Rag brings extensive commercial and operational expertise in natural resources and has successfully led global commercial strategy and advanced disciplined growth across complex businesses. We are confident he is the right leader to capitalize on our industry-leading portfolio and operational capabilities to unlock long-term value for shareholders."
"I am honored to be named Albemarle's next CEO," said Udd. "Albemarle has world-class natural resources, deep technical expertise and strong customer partnerships. I am excited to work with Kent, the leadership team and the Board to build on the Company's strong foundation in both its Energy Storage and Specialties business segments."
A Well-Defined Transition Plan to Ensure Leadership Continuity
Masters will transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board upon Udd joining Albemarle. In this role, Masters will lead the Board's governance, provide input and perspective on strategic planning, and ensure a seamless handoff of leadership responsibilities.
"Kent has been instrumental in building Albemarle into the industry leader it is today," Steiner continued. "He has played a key role in the development of Albemarle's strategy and driven disciplined execution across cycles. Importantly, Kent's steadfast commitment to our core values has strengthened Albemarle's profile as a values-led, purpose-driven organization. We look forward to his continued contributions as he steps into the Executive Chairman role."
"It has been a privilege to serve as CEO and work alongside Albemarle's incredible team every day," said Masters. "I am proud of what we have achieved together, and I am confident now is the right time to transition the leadership to Rag, who is well positioned to lead Albemarle's future. I look forward to working closely with him to ensure a seamless transition."
Masters will serve as Executive Chairman through the date of the Company's 2027 annual meeting of shareholders and thereafter his role will be reviewed as part of the Board's annual director nomination process.
About Albemarle
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) is a world leader in transforming essential resources into critical ingredients for mobility, energy, connectivity and health. We partner to pioneer new ways to move, power, connect and protect with people and planet in mind. A reliable and high-quality global supply of lithium and bromine allows us to deliver advanced solutions for our customers. Learn more about how the people of Albemarle are enabling a more resilient world at Albemarle.com.
Albemarle regularly posts information to Albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings and other information regarding the company, its businesses and the markets it serves.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements concerning our expectations, anticipations and beliefs regarding the future, which constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, which are based on assumptions that we have made as of the date hereof and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, often contain words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "may," "should," "would," and "will" and similar references to future periods. Forward-looking statements may include statements regarding expectations relating to Company strategy, operations, or performance; plans and expectations related to board composition and contributions; other underlying assumptions and outlook considerations, and all other information relating to matters that are not historical facts. These and other forward-looking statements are based on management's current assumptions and expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect expected results. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements if one or more of the underlying estimates, assumptions or expectations prove to be inaccurate or are unrealized. Factors that could cause Albemarle's actual results to differ materially from the outlook expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement include: breaches of contract; changes in economic and business conditions; changes in availability to serve as the CEO; trade policies and tariffs; technological change and development; changes in laws and government regulation; regulatory actions, proceedings, cyber-security breaches, and the other factors detailed from time to time in the reports Albemarle files with the SEC, including those described under "Risk Factors" in Albemarle's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are filed with the SEC and available on the investor section of Albemarle's website (investors.albemarle.com) and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Albemarle assumes no obligation to provide any revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.
Albemarle Corp. (NYSE:ALB) stock traded lower Tuesday as JPMorgan reduced its earnings estimates and price forecast for the lithium producer.
Analyst Jeffrey Zekauskas maintained a Neutral rating and lowered the December 2027 price forecast to $140 from a previous December 2026 forecast of $160.
Lower Lithium Prices Pressure Albemarle OutlookJPMorgan cut its 2026 adjusted EBITDA estimate by 14.4% to $2.88 billion from $3.37 billion. It also reduced its 2027 estimate by 18.4% to $2.93 billion from $3.59 billion.
The firm lowered its 2026 adjusted earnings estimate to $12.05 per share from $14.20. Its 2027 estimate fell to $11.65 from $15.35.
The revisions reflect weaker lithium prices. China lithium carbonate prices averaged $24,810 per metric ton in the second quarter. However, they have averaged about $21,625 so far in the third quarter.
JPMorgan now expects lithium prices to remain in the low-$20-per-kilogram range. The firm previously modeled prices in the mid-$20 range. Each $1-per-kilogram change could affect Albemarle’s annual EBITDA by about $250 million.
Third-Quarter Profit Expected to FallJPMorgan expects third-quarter adjusted EBITDA of $668 million. That would fall from $858 million in the second quarter but rise from $226 million a year earlier.
The firm also expects lower quarterly lithium sales volume and a weaker product mix.
Meanwhile, Albemarle faces delays at the Greenbushes CGP3 plant following a June fire. The plant restarted Aug. 1, but JPMorgan now expects full production rates by the end of the first quarter of 2027.
The bank said Albemarle trades near its price forecast and carries a fair valuation for a high-quality but volatile lithium producer.
Albemarle Price ActionALB Price Action: Albemarle shares were down 5.16% at $134.21 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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Bank of Nova Scotia acquired a new stake in Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 6,006 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock, valued at approximately $811,000.
A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Addison Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Albemarle during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Albemarle during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Albemarle during the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its stake in Albemarle by 190.1% during the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 293 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in Albemarle by 121.5% in the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 299 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.87% of the company’s stock.
Albemarle Stock Performance NYSE:ALB opened at $135.93 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.04 billion, a PE ratio of 503.46 and a beta of 1.33. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $129.71 and its 200 day moving average is $159.90. Albemarle Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $71.25 and a fifty-two week high of $221.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.09.
Albemarle (NYSE:ALB – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $3.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.20 by $0.55. Albemarle had a net margin of 3.09% and a return on equity of 10.96%. The company had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.61 billion. Albemarle’s quarterly revenue was up 31.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.11 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Albemarle Corporation will post 11.63 earnings per share for the current year. Albemarle Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. This is an increase from Albemarle’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. Albemarle’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 600.00%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In ALB has been the topic of several research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on Albemarle from $244.00 to $211.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Scotiabank dropped their price target on Albemarle from $200.00 to $190.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on Albemarle from $166.00 to $157.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 10th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Albemarle from $205.00 to $185.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a “reduce” rating and set a $161.00 price objective on shares of Albemarle in a report on Monday, August 10th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Albemarle currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $190.04.
Read Our Latest Research Report on Albemarle
About Albemarle (Free Report)
Albemarle Corporation is a leading global specialty chemicals company primarily engaged in the production and distribution of lithium, bromine, and catalysts. Its lithium segment supplies key components used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and grid storage systems. The company’s bromine specialty products serve a wide range of industries, including oil and gas drilling fluids, fire safety solutions, and water treatment. In its catalysts division, Albemarle provides products for petroleum refining, chemical processing and emissions control.
Founded in 1994 as a spin-off from Ethyl Corporation, Albemarle has grown through strategic acquisitions and capacity expansions to become one of the world’s foremost chemical producers.
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Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) shares are consolidating Monday. This follows Friday’s gain of 6.75%. The shares have reached a price level where they may encounter resistance. This could put a ceiling over the price. This is why Albermarle is the Stock of the Day.
Many people think that stocks move because of fundamental news. They believe a company’s trading and fundamentals are correlated.
Sometimes this is true.
But most of the time, a stock’s movement is the result of the psychology and emotions of the people who are trading it.
For example, if a stock is in an uptrend, it is because anxious, impatient buyers are outbidding one another. They are afraid that someone else will be willing to pay more than they are, and this is who the sellers will go to.
They don’t want to miss the trade, so they raise their bids.
Stocks Head Lower for the Opposite ReasonNervous and anxious sellers undercut each other. These sellers know the buyers will go to whoever is willing to sell at the lowest price.
They don’t want to miss the trade, so they reduce their offer prices.
In addition to driving trends, emotions can create important levels.
As you can see on the chart, the $169 level was support in May. When this support broke, some of the people who bought shares decided it was a mistake.
Some held on to their losing positions, but when the stock rallied back to $169, they saw the chance to get out at breakeven. They placed sell orders, creating resistance at the former support level.
The same thing may happen around $147. It was support in June. If the current rally reaches it, remorseful buyers trying to exit their positions at breakeven can create resistance.
This could result in the current rally ending or pausing.
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Zámořské akciové trhy během dnešního obchodování vzrostly a zakončily volatilní týden v kladných číslech. Podporu trhům poskytla příznivá makroekonomická data ukazující nejrychlejší tempo růstu podnikatelské aktivity v USA za poslední čtyři roky. Index Dow Jones si připsal 0,98 % na 53277,01 bodu, širší S&P 500 vzrostl o 0,43 % na 7674,36 bodu a technologický Nasdaq Composite zpevnil o 0,43 % na 26180,46 bodu. Z jednotlivých odvětví indexu S&P 500 dosáhly nejvyšších zisků základní materiály s růstem o 2,2 %, následované zdravotní péčí o 1,3 % a zbytnou spotřebou o 1 %. Naopak nejvýraznější pokles zaznamenaly utility, které ztratily 2,3 %, zatímco energie a reality odepsaly 0,2 % a 0 %. Mezi jednotlivými tituly výrazně posílila společnost Robinhood Markets (HOOD) o 14 %, dále pak Moderna (MRNA) o 8,9 %, Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) o 7,7 %, Coinbase Global (COIN) o 8,2 % a Albemarle Corp (ALB) o 6,8 %. Největší propad naopak postihl společnost Marvell Technology (MRVL), jež oslabila o 5,6 %, a nedařilo se ani firmám Sempra (SRE) se ztrátou 5,1 %, Edison International (EIX) o 4,1 %, American Electric Power (AEP) o 3,8 % a CenterPoint Energy (CNP) s poklesem o 3,6 %. Na komoditních trzích mírně vzrostla cena severoamerické lehké ropy WTI o 0,2 % na 87 dolarů za barel, zatímco spotové zlato posílilo o 2,4 % na 4624,69 dolaru za unci. Americký dolar celkově mírně oslabil. Výnos desetiletých amerických vládních dluhopisů vzrostl o tři bazické body na 4,73 %. Výrazný růst zaznamenal bitcoin, jehož cena stoupla o 6,1 % na 77086,77 dolaru.
Index Dow Jones +0,98 % na 53277,01 b.
S&P 500 +0,43 % na 7674,36 b.
Nasdaq Composite +0,43 % na 26180,46 b.
Index S&P 500 +0,43 % na 7674,36 b. Nejsilnější sektory S&P Změna Nejslabší sektory S&P Změna Základní materiály +2,2 % Utility -2,3 % Zdravotní péče +1,3 % Energie -0,2 % Finanční sektor +1 % Reality 0 % Nejsilnější akcie S&P Změna Nejslabší akcie S&P Změna Robinhood Markets (HOOD) +14 % Marvell Technology (MRVL) -5,6 % Moderna (MRNA) +8,9 % Sempra (SRE) -5,1 % Coinbase Global (COIN) +8,2 % Edison International (EIX) -4,1 % Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) +7,7 % American Electric Power (AEP) -3,8 % Albemarle Corp (ALB) +6,8 % CenterPoint Energy (CNP) -3,6 %
Daniel Marván
Fio banka, a.s.
Prohlášení
Key Takeaways Albemarle generated $638 million in free cash flow and $710 million in operating cash flow in Q2.ALB delivered $100 million in productivity gains and expects to reach the top of its 2026 target.Albemarle has raised its quarterly dividend for 30 straight years, with a 1.2% yield. Albemarle Corporation (ALB - Free Report) remains committed to driving shareholder value by leveraging solid liquidity and healthy cash flows. At the end of the second quarter of 2026, it had liquidity of around $3.2 billion, including cash and cash equivalents of around $1.6 billion. ALB generated an operating cash flow of $710 million and free cash flow of $638 million in the second quarter. Operating cash flow for the first half nearly doubled year over year to roughly $1.1 billion.
Free cash flow in 2026 is expected to be supported by strong cash conversion and productivity measures. ALB delivered $100 million in cost and productivity improvements in the first half of 2026 and expects to attain the top end of its $100-$150 million target for 2026. It achieved an operating cash flow conversion of 83% in the second quarter. First-half 2026 conversion was at the high end of its long-term target range of 60-70%.
Albemarle’s ability to convert improving operating performance into free cash is likely to result in incremental returns to shareholders. The company remains focused on maintaining its dividend payout. It has raised its quarterly dividend for the 30th straight year. ALB offers a dividend yield of 1.2% at the current stock price. Backed by healthy cash flows and sound financial health, the company's dividend is perceived to be safe and reliable.
Among its peers, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM - Free Report) exited the second quarter with strong liquidity, with cash and cash equivalents being around $3.4 billion. Sociedad Quimica’s solid cash position supports its capital investment in growth projects and shareholder-friendly actions. Sociedad Quimica projects total capital expenditure of roughly $3 billion for the 2026-2028 period, which includes investment in the Salar Futuro project in Chile.
ICL Group Ltd. (ICL - Free Report) ended the second quarter with cash and cash equivalents, and short-term investments and deposits of $662 million. Including unutilized revolving credit facility and securitization, ICL Group had cash resources of roughly $2.2 billion at the end of the quarter. ICL generated an operating cash flow of $290 million in the second quarter.
ALB’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesAlbemarle has gained 70.1% in over a year compared with the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry’s rise of 4.2%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ALB is currently trading at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 2.44, above the industry. It carries a Value Score of B.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALB’s 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year rise of 1,607.6%. The EPS estimates for 2026 have been trending lower over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ALB stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Albemarle is now a focused lithium and bromine pure-play, following the divestiture of its catalyst business and balance sheet improvements. ALB holds world-class lithium assets, securing a low-cost position and structural advantages, with a robust balance sheet and $2.7 billion in liquidity. The current lithium price recovery and disciplined supply underpin a base case EBITDA of ~$2.5 billion, with further upside from Kings Mountain and DLE expansion.
Key Takeaways Albemarle shares fell 27.7% in three months as weaker lithium prices pressured the stock.ALB is expanding lithium capacity, improving productivity and cutting costs to support growth.Albemarle expects lithium demand to witness a 10-20% CAGR from 2025 to 2030, led by storage.
Albemarle Corporation’s (ALB - Free Report) shares have tumbled 27.7% in the past three months, underperforming the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry decline of 8.3% and the S&P 500’s 3.2% increase.
Falling lithium market prices have been weighing on ALB stock. Lithium prices have pulled back amid slowing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in China, elevated inventories and expectations for higher supply from mine restarts and capacity expansions. EV orders have moderated in China, the world’s largest lithium consumer, while demand from the energy storage market remains resilient.
ALB’s 3-month Price Performance Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Reflecting the retreat in lithium prices, ALB stock broke below its 50-day simple moving average (SMA) on May 15, 2026. It also slipped below its 200-day SMA on June 23, 2026. The 50-day SMA is reading lower than the 200-day SMA, following a death crossover on July 21, 2026, signaling a bearish trend.
Albemarle Trades Below 50-Day SMA Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Given the pullback in Albemarle’s shares, investors might be tempted to snap up the stock. But is this the right time to buy ALB? Let’s find out.
Growing Lithium Demand and Productivity Aid AlbemarleAlbemarle is well-placed to gain from long-term growth in the battery-grade lithium market. The market for lithium batteries and energy storage remains strong, offering significant opportunities for the company to develop innovative products and expand capacity. Lithium demand is expected to grow on the back of significant global EV penetration.
ALB expects lithium demand to witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10-20% from 2025 to 2030. Stationary storage is expected to be a significant driver for lithium demand along with EVs. Albemarle expects demand to grow roughly 15-40% this year, with growth already trending near the higher end of the range.
The company is strategically executing its projects aimed at boosting its global lithium conversion capacity. It remains focused on investing in high-return projects to drive productivity. Healthy customer demand, capacity expansion and plant productivity improvements are supporting its volumes.
The Salar yield improvement project in Chile has achieved a 50-60% operating rate, and the ramp-up continues to deliver encouraging outcomes. Albemarle, in March 2026, submitted the environmental assessment permit for a commercial direct lithium extraction (DLE) project at Salar de Atacama. The DLE pilot plant supports future growth at Salar de Atacama and has demonstrated lithium recoveries of more than 90%. The CGP3 expansion at the Greenbushes spodumene mine in Australia is underway and is expected to reach full production in first-quarter 2027.
Albemarle is taking aggressive cost-saving and productivity actions. The company delivered roughly $450 million in cost and productivity improvements for full-year 2025, having surpassed its initial target of $300-$400 million. It expects additional cost and productivity improvements of $100-$150 million in 2026, with $100 million already delivered.
ALB is taking actions to maintain its competitive position, including the initiation of a comprehensive review of cost and operating structure, optimization of the conversion network and reduction of capital expenditure.
ALB’s Strong Financial Health Supports Capital AllocationAlbemarle remains committed to driving shareholder value by leveraging healthy cash flows and strong liquidity. Its operating cash flow was around $1.3 billion in 2025, up roughly 86% from the prior year. At the end of the second quarter of 2026, it had liquidity of around $3.2 billion, including cash and cash equivalents of around $1.6 billion. The company generated an operating cash flow of $710 million and free cash flow of $638 million in the second quarter. Operating cash flow for the first half nearly doubled year over year to roughly $1.1 billion.
The company remains focused on maintaining its dividend payout. It has raised its quarterly dividend for the 30th straight year. ALB offers a dividend yield of 1.3% at the current stock price. Its peers, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM - Free Report) and Rio Tinto Group (RIO - Free Report) , have a dividend yield of 3.7% and 5%, respectively.
Volume and Margin Pressure Weigh on ALB StockALB’s Energy Storage unit faces volume pressure in 2026, which may affect the segment’s sales. The company’s guidance reflects flat to 4% lower year-over-year Energy Storage sales volumes in 2026. Albemarle expects Energy Storage sales volumes of 225-235 kilotons (kt), compared with 235kt in 2025, as higher Wodgina output partly offsets a delay in the CGP3 ramp-up following the June 9, 2026 fire. Lower sales volumes are expected to result in a decline in Energy Storage sales in the third quarter.
Some impacts of the lithium price retreat are also expected to reflect on the company’s performance in the third quarter. ALB expects sequentially lower prices and volumes to result in a decline in Energy Storage sales and margins compared with the second quarter.
ALB’s Earnings Estimates SouthboundThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 for ALB has been revised downward over the past 60 days. The consensus estimate for third-quarter 2026 has been going down over the same time frame.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
A Look at ALB’s ValuationALB is currently trading at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 2.38, above the industry’s 0.93. It is trading at a premium to Rio Tinto and in line with Sociedad Quimica. Albemarle has a Value Score of B. Rio Tinto and Sociedad Quimica currently have a Value Score of A and C, respectively.
ALB’s P/S F12M Vs. Industry, SQM and RIO Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Final Thoughts: Hold Onto ALB SharesAlbemarle is poised to benefit from project ramp-ups, ongoing efforts to expand its global lithium conversion capacity and productivity improvement initiatives. The company remains well-positioned to gain from the long-term expansion of the battery-grade lithium market. Near-term headwinds include lower Energy Storage volumes, weaker lithium prices and margin pressure. With shares below key moving averages and trading at a premium to the industry, immediate upside appears limited. Also, declining earnings estimates cast a pall on the company's prospects. Considering these factors, holding onto this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock will be prudent for investors who already own it.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Albemarle’s Blowout Quarter Shows Why Lithium Still MattersAlbemarle NYSE: ALB reported higher second-quarter sales, earnings and cash generation as lithium pricing improved and its specialties business benefited from stronger pricing and volumes.
Second-quarter net sales rose 31% from a year earlier to $1.7 billion, while adjusted EBITDA more than doubled to $858 million. The company’s adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 49%. Net income attributable to Albemarle was $480 million, or $3.52 per diluted share.
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3 Metals and Mining Stocks Riding the Commodity SupercycleChief Executive Officer Kent Masters said the results reflected operational execution, cost discipline and strengthening conditions in the company’s key markets. The company generated $710 million in operating cash flow and $638 million in free cash flow during the quarter.
Energy Storage Pricing Drives Results Energy Storage sales increased 78% year over year and segment adjusted EBITDA rose 229%, driven primarily by higher lithium pricing. Albemarle sold 65,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent, or LCE, during the quarter at an average realized price of about $20 per kilogram LCE.
Gold and Silver Rebound, But This Metal Is Outperforming BothChief Financial Officer Neal Sheorey said the realized price was roughly 15% below market pricing, reflecting spodumene sales and a three-month pricing lag in the company’s long-term agreements.
For the full year, Albemarle now expects Energy Storage volumes of 225,000 to 235,000 tons LCE, ranging from flat to down 4% year over year. The outlook reflects a June 9 fire at the CGP3 plant at the Greenbushes joint venture, partly offset by stronger-than-expected production at Wodgina.
The CGP3 plant restarted Aug. 1 and is ramping up, although Albemarle now assumes it will reach full run rate in the first quarter of 2027. Masters said the plant had been ramping ahead of schedule before the incident. Wodgina, meanwhile, is operating all three processing trains and has benefited from better-than-planned ore availability and recoveries.
Albemarle expects third-quarter Energy Storage sales and adjusted EBITDA to decline sequentially, citing lower expected volumes and an assumption of lower lithium pricing. Margins are also expected to face pressure from the timing of higher-priced spodumene inventory moving through the company’s processing system.
Masters said lithium prices were near $20 per kilogram and that the market remained physically tight, though he declined to forecast prices. He said additional supply from Africa and Chinese lepidolite operations is beginning to return, but demand growth has required new supply to enter the market.
Specialties Outlook Raised The company raised its 2026 outlook for its Specialties segment following a strong first half. Albemarle now expects Specialties net sales of $1.4 billion to $1.6 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $275 million to $325 million for the full year.
Second-quarter Specialties sales increased 20% to $424 million, while adjusted EBITDA rose 61% to $118 million. The segment’s adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by 700 basis points from the prior-year period to 28%.
Sheorey attributed the performance to higher pricing and volumes, as well as favorable mix, amid bromine-market disruptions related to the Middle East situation. He said Albemarle expects pricing to normalize during the second half after bromine prices peaked in April, and therefore anticipates lower sequential sales and EBITDA in the third quarter.
The company continues to estimate that Middle East-related supply-chain disruptions could have a full-year unmitigated impact of approximately $70 million to $90 million. Albemarle said it had not yet experienced much of that impact during the first half and has used proactive cost management to mitigate disruptions.
Masters said the company is on track to reach the high end of its $100 million to $150 million full-year cost and productivity-improvement target. Albemarle has achieved about $100 million of run-rate savings year to date, with approximately 40% coming from supply-chain and back-office initiatives and the remainder from manufacturing cost reductions, incremental volumes and improved yields.
Demand Forecasts Increase as Storage Gains Momentum Management said global lithium consumption increased 45% year over year through May, led by stationary energy storage and improving electric-vehicle demand. Albemarle raised its 2026 forecast for stationary-storage battery production to 900 to 1,100 gigawatt hours, an increase of 100 gigawatt hours from its previous outlook.
The company also raised the low end of its 2030 stationary-storage forecast to a range of 1,500 to 2,000 gigawatt hours. As a result, it increased the low end of its 2030 total lithium-demand forecast by 100,000 tons.
Masters said stationary storage could account for about 30% of global lithium demand in 2026, approaching parity with light-duty electric vehicles. Global stationary-storage production has nearly doubled year over year, according to the company.
Global EV sales were up 10% year to date and increased 16% in the second quarter from the prior-year period, Albemarle said. European EV demand rose 31% year to date, while the rest-of-world market increased 90%, led by Brazil, Australia, India and South Korea.
Atacama DLE Project Advances Albemarle also outlined progress on direct lithium extraction, or DLE, at Chile’s Salar de Atacama. The company submitted an environmental assessment permit in March for a project that could include up to six DLE trains, though its planned initial investment would begin with one train.
The proposed process would operate alongside the company’s existing solar evaporation ponds. Lithium-rich brine would be sent both to the existing ponds and to the DLE plant, with the DLE output returning to final evaporation ponds before conversion into battery-grade lithium carbonate at La Negra.
Masters said Albemarle’s integrated pilot plant has operated for more than a year and accumulated more than 3,000 operating hours. The pilot has demonstrated lithium recoveries above 90%, compared with roughly 30% to 40% for a conventional pond system and 50% to 60% using Albemarle’s existing yield-improvement technology.
The company said the project remains subject to regulatory approvals, community consultation and further technology validation. Masters characterized the initiative as part of Albemarle’s effort to pursue long-term growth through existing resources, infrastructure and operating expertise.
About Albemarle (NYSE:ALB)Albemarle Corporation is a leading global specialty chemicals company primarily engaged in the production and distribution of lithium, bromine, and catalysts. Its lithium segment supplies key components used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, portable electronics, and grid storage systems. The company's bromine specialty products serve a wide range of industries, including oil and gas drilling fluids, fire safety solutions, and water treatment. In its catalysts division, Albemarle provides products for petroleum refining, chemical processing and emissions control.
Founded in 1994 as a spin-off from Ethyl Corporation, Albemarle has grown through strategic acquisitions and capacity expansions to become one of the world's foremost chemical producers.
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
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Key Takeaways Albemarle sees 2026 results near the high end of its $20/kg LCE scenario, aided by volume and cost gains.Albemarle raised its 2026 storage forecast to 900-1,100 GWh; global lithium demand rose 45% year over year.Q3 Energy Storage sales, adjusted EBITDA and margins should decline sequentially on lower volume and pricing. Albemarle Corporation (ALB - Free Report) used its second-quarter 2026 earnings call to stress tight lithium inventories, stronger stationary-storage demand and cost execution, while warning that third-quarter Energy Storage sales, EBITDA and margins should decline sequentially.
Adjusted earnings of $3.75 per share topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.35, while revenues of $1.74 billion exceeded the $1.59 billion estimate. Management kept company scenario ranges intact, raised Specialties expectations and cut planned capital spending.
ALB Holds to the $20 Lithium ScenarioCFO Neal Sheorey said that Albemarle expects results near the high end of the $20-per-kilogram LCE scenario for both the company and Energy Storage. The company’s scenario calls for 2026 sales of $5.7-$6 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $2.4-$2.6 billion.
Sheorey cited first-half lithium pricing slightly above $20, better volumes, cost and productivity gains and stronger Specialties performance.
A Deutsche Bank analyst asked whether the high-end comment applied to the company or Energy Storage. Sheorey clarified that it applied to both.
Albemarle Raises Its Storage Demand ViewChairman and CEO Kent Masters said that global lithium demand rose 45% year over year through May, with supply additions lagging demand and inventories tight.
Masters stated that Albemarle raised its 2026 stationary-storage battery production forecast to 900-1,100 gigawatt hours and lifted the low end of its 2030 range to 1,500-2,000 gigawatt hours. The low end of the 2030 total lithium demand forecast increased by 100,000 tons.
Chief commercial officer Eric Norris told a Bank of America analyst that an anticipated storage-demand pullback did not occur. Norris said that management has greater confidence in the next couple of years, while the five-year outlook needs more work.
ALB Flags Softer Q3 Energy Storage ResultsSheorey expects third-quarter Energy Storage sales and adjusted EBITDA to fall sequentially on lower volumes and lower assumed pricing. Margins should also decline as higher-priced spodumene inventory flows through results after an approximately four-month lag.
Full-year Energy Storage sales volume is expected at 225,000-235,000 tons LCE, or flat to down 4% year over year. Masters said that Greenbushes CGP3 restarted Aug. 1, and is assumed to reach full run rate in the first quarter of 2027, while Wodgina continues to outperform.
Asked by an RBC analyst about 2027, Sheorey pointed to 240,000-260,000 tons LCE, consistent with the company's previously discussed volume-growth trajectory.
Albemarle Lifts Specialties OutlookSheorey raised 2026 Specialties sales expectations to $1.4 billion-$1.6 billion and adjusted EBITDA to $275-$325 million after stronger pricing, volume and productivity.
Sheorey expects third-quarter Specialties sales and EBITDA to decline sequentially as bromine pricing normalizes. The outlook still includes a $70-$90 million unmitigated full-year impact from Middle East-related supply-chain disruption.
A Morgan Stanley analyst pressed management on bromine normalization. Chief commercial officer Norris said that the Chinese bromine index applies to well under one-third of the business, while most Specialties sales are downstream derivatives with localized pricing.
ALB Keeps Growth Spending SelectiveSheorey said that year-to-date run-rate cost and productivity improvements reached about $100 million, putting Albemarle on track toward the high end of its $100 million-$150 million full-year target. Capital expenditures are now expected at about $500 million.
CEO Masters told BMO and Wolfe Research analysts that Albemarle wants a conservative balance sheet while evaluating brownfield growth at Wodgina and Talison, along with Salar de Atacama and Kings Mountain. No new brownfield project has reached final investment decision.
On direct lithium extraction, Masters said the phased Atacama plan starts with one train. The pilot has logged more than 3,000 operating hours and demonstrated recoveries above 90%.
Albemarle Stays Focused on ExecutionMasters closed by emphasizing operational excellence, disciplined capital allocation and growth tied to Albemarle's resource base.
Management's near-term focus balances tight lithium conditions with softer third-quarter expectations, cost productivity, selective growth and continued CGP3 ramp-up.
ALB's Zacks Rank and Style Score SignalsALB carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). It has a Growth Score of B and a VGM Score of B, while its Value Score is C and Momentum Score is C, giving it stronger marks on growth and the combined style measure than on value or momentum.
The Zacks Style Score complements the Zacks Rank, with A and B grades preferred and the strongest combinations centered on Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) stocks. ALB's current mix is more balanced than top-tier, and the Zacks Rank can change as earnings estimates are revised after the just-reported results. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Srpen patří mezi slabší měsíce pro akciové trhy, a investoři proto mohou hledat dividendové tituly, které dokážou nabídnout stabilnější výnos i v období zvýšené volatility. CNBC proto upozorňuje na několik společností z dividendových aristokratů, které vedle pravidelného růstu dividend nabízejí i zajímavý potenciál dalšího růstu ceny akcií.
Srpen bývá třetím nejslabším měsícem roku. Historická data ukazují, že index S&P 500 v srpnu v průměru přidává jen nepatrné zisky. A přitom už v červenci byly trhy letos poměrně volatilní, když se investoři museli vypořádat s napětím na Blízkém východě a obavami ohledně dalšího směřování Fedu. Index S&P 500 tak nakonec v červenci oslabil o 0,1 %, technologický index Nasdaq ztratil 3,2 % a Dow Jones Industrial Average si připsal 0,3 %.
Dividendové akcie si však ve stejný měsíc vedly lépe než širší trh. Fond ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL) vzrostl téměř o 8 % a fond Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) přidal přibližně 1 %. NOBL investuje do společností z indexu S&P 500, které dlouhodobě každoročně zvyšují dividendy a jeho dividendový výnos činí 2,42 %. Stejně tak VIG se zaměřuje na firmy s historií růstu dividend a nabízí dividendový výnos 1,54 %.
Právě akcie vyplácející dividendy nabízí během tržní volatility stabilnější a předvídatelnější výnosy a mohou zmírnit propady portfolia. „Trhy jsou volatilní, budoucí vývoj je nejistý a růst dividend navíc pomáhá kompenzovat inflaci, která zůstává vyšší a odolnější, než se očekávalo,“ uvedl v červnu pro CNBC Michael Clarfeld, manažer dividendové strategie společnosti ClearBridge Investments.
Investoři by se však neměli zaměřovat pouze na akcie s nejvyšším dividendovým výnosem. Někdy totiž mimořádně vysoká dividenda může signalizovat problémy - pokud cena akcie výrazně klesne, dividendový výnos naopak matematicky vzroste, což může vytvářet klamný dojem atraktivity. Proto se pozornost často obrací na takzvané dividendové aristokraty, tedy společnosti z indexu S&P 500, které zvyšovaly dividendu každý rok po dobu nejméně 25 let v řadě. Jejich dividendové výnosy sice nebývají nejvyšší na trhu, ale obecně jde o kvalitní a finančně stabilní firmy s dlouhodobě prověřeným byznysem.
CNBC zveřejnila seznam akcií z fondu NOBL, které mají podle analytiků stále zajímavý růstový potenciál (tj. alespoň 15% možnost růstu oproti aktuální ceně) a zároveň je alespoň 55 % analytiků doporučuje k nákupu:
Jednou z těchto akcií je Albemarle, jeden z největších světových producentů lithia. Akcie v červenci ztratily 13 %, analytici však věří, že by mohly výrazně posílit. Průměrná cílový cena naznačuje potenciální růst až o 63 % a mezitím investoři dostávají dividendový výnos 1,4 %. Přibližně 58 % analytiků, kteří akcii sledují, doporučuje její nákup. Patří mezi ně i banka Citigroup, která v červnu své doporučení zvýšila.
Ceny akcií Albemarle v poslední době negativně ovlivňují obavy z příliš vysoké nabídky lithia na trhu. Analytik Citi Patrick Cunningham si však nemyslí, že by došlo k výraznému přebytku suroviny. „I v případě vyrovnaného trhu považujeme Albemarle za jednoho z hlavních vítězů dlouhodobě rostoucí poptávky po lithiu díky kvalitním aktivům, zpracovatelské síti a schopnosti investovat kapitál do růstových projektů s vysokou návratností. Domníváme se, že současné ocenění akcie dostatečně nezohledňuje další fázi růstu společnosti.“
Další zajímavou dividendovou akcií na seznamu je Air Products and Chemicals, která nabízí nejvyšší dividendový výnos z uvedených společností, a to 2,5 %. Podle průměrné cílové ceny analytiků má akcie 17% potenciál růstu a zároveň jí 56 % analytiků doporučuje k nákupu.
Minulý týden společnost Air Products and Chemicals oznámila výsledky za třetí fiskální čtvrtletí. Zisk překonal očekávání analytiků, avšak tržby byly o něco nižší, než trh předpokládal. Firma zároveň zvýšila svůj výhled celoročního zisku, a naopak snížila plánované kapitálové výdaje, tedy investice do nových projektů a infrastruktury. Akcie společnosti v červenci mírně posílily.
Dover vyrábí specializovaná zařízení, komponenty, software a průmyslová řešení pro firmy a k nákupu ho doporučuje téměř 62 % analytiků. Akcie nabízí 1% dividendový výnos a potenciální zhodnocení o 23 %. Management se nedávno zavázal transformovat portfolio směrem k rychlejšímu strukturálnímu růstu na trzích, jako je zemní plyn a biomedicína. Provozní marže se v posledních 10 letech rozšířila díky optimalizaci portfolia a kontrole nákladů a rozvaha firmy navíc značí prostor pro velké akvizice.
Ecolab je globálním lídrem v oblasti úpravy vody, hygieny a sanitace a prevence infekcí a mezi jeho zákazníky jsou mimo jiné i datová centra, u kterých firma očekává růst tržeb alespoň o 20 % ročně. Tento titul doporučuje k nákupu 60 % analytiků a jeho cena představuje 18% možnost zhodnocení, a navíc s dividendovým výnosem 1,1 %.
S&P Global doporučuje ke koupi až 79 % analytiků, což je nejvíce z akcií na seznamu, přičemž u ní vidí 26% zhodnocení. K tomu má titul 0,9% dividendový výnos. Nicméně poslední výsledky investory mírně zklamaly poté, co firma nedoručila očekávané výnosy ze segmentů energetiky a tržních dat. Nicméně na lince marží a zisku na akcii splnila odhady a potvrdila výhled.
Další společností na seznamu je Walmart. Ten sice nabízí relativně nízký dividendový výnos 0,9 %, podle dat společnosti FactSet však má potenciál růstu ceny akcie téměř o 26 %. Přibližně 67 % analytiků, kteří akcii sledují, doporučuje její nákup. Akcie Walmartu během července ztratily asi 2 %.
Walmart své výsledky zveřejní 20. srpna. Investiční společnost Bernstein, která akcii hodnotí doporučením „outperform“, doporučuje akcie dokoupit v případě, že by po případně slabších výsledcích výrazněji oslabily. „Přestože v nejbližší době může dojít ke zpomalení růstu srovnatelných tržeb, Walmart podle nás zůstává ve velmi silné fundamentální pozici. Má cenovou výhodu oproti konkurenci, širší nabídku produktů a stále atraktivnější služby doručování,“ napsal analytik Zhihan Ma.
West Pharmaceutical Services doporučuje 68 % analytiků k nákupu a vidí u ní cílovou cenu o 20 % nad současnou tržní cenou. Dividendový výnos je zde ale pouze 0,3 %. V posledních výsledcích tato farmacie překonala odhady trhu u tržeb, organického růstu, provozní marže i zisku na akcii. Deutsche Bank považuje tuto banku za „jeden z jasných titulů, které překonávají očekávání a od roku 2026 do roku 2027 rostou“, uvedl analytik DB Justin Bowers.
On August 06, 2026, Albemarle Corp (ALB) shares rose 5.5% today, trading at $125.42. The stock has experienced significant price fluctuations, with a 52-week ra
Release Date: August 06, 2026For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Positive Points Albemarle Corp
