Price and volume data and scope
| Period | Average realized price, USD/kg LCE | Sales volume, thousand tonnes LCE |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2025 | 10.28 | 69 |
| Q3 2026 | 20.02 | 56 |
LCE means lithium carbonate equivalent, a common basis for combining lithium products. Includes salts and spodumene mineral sales. The average reflects product mix as well as prices; it is not a single market quote. Both versions use zero baselines: price 0–25 dollars/kg; volume 0–80 thousand tonnes. Values are company-rounded. No source artwork reproduced.
Albemarle sold less lithium material in the September quarter, yet its lithium-business revenue rose 58%. Results released November 4 show how strongly a commodity producer can benefit when the price of what it sells recovers. [1]
The company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange as ALB, reported an average realized price nearly twice the year-earlier level. That helped overcome lower shipments. But it already expects weaker pricing to squeeze the same business in the fourth quarter. [1]
The price does the heavy lifting
Energy Storage revenue reached $1.12 billion. Sales volume fell from 69,000 to 56,000 tonnes on a lithium carbonate equivalent basis, which combines different lithium products. Last year's quarter had unusually high mineral shipments and inventory sales, making it a demanding comparison. [1]
The recovery was already visible in August's report. Second-quarter Energy Storage revenue had risen 78% from a year earlier, with volume up 11% and a much higher average realized price. That earlier quarter had help from both price and volume. The latest one shows that the two can move apart. [2]
A price recovery does not rescue every plant
There is a practical limit to the good news. In February, Albemarle announced that it would idle the remaining operating line at its Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant in Western Australia. The plant processes mineral from the Greenbushes mine into another lithium product. [3]
“recent lithium price improvements alone are not enough to offset the challenges facing Western hard-rock lithium conversion operations”
Kent Masters, Albemarle chairman and chief executive, February 11, 2026 [3]
Albemarle said it could supply customers through other production channels without reducing its projected 2026 volumes. Its Australian mining interests were unaffected. Closing a processing line therefore did not mean walking away from the mines that feed its business. [3]
That distinction matters for shareholders: a valuable resource and an economical processing plant are separate commercial questions. A better selling price gives the company more room, while each operation still has its own costs.
The next squeeze comes from both sides
For the fourth quarter, Albemarle expects Energy Storage sales and profit margins to fall from the third quarter despite steady sales volumes. Lower market prices hurt revenue, while higher-cost mineral inventory bought earlier is expected to weigh on margins. [1]
The market connection For ALB shareholders, more lithium demand is only part of the story. Selling prices, shipment timing and the cost of material already purchased can pull earnings in different directions.
The rebound has real substance. Its durability depends on how much money remains between the price Albemarle receives and the costs it must still pay.