Albemarle Corp's stock rose by 5.66% as it crossed above the 5-day SMA, reflecting positive investor sentiment amid a challenging market environment where the Nasdaq-100 and S&P 500 are down over 2%.
The catalyst for this movement comes from HSBC's recent upgrade of Albemarle from Hold to Buy, raising the price target from $117 to $200. This upgrade is based on expectations of rising lithium prices and the company's improved financial outlook, as analysts anticipate a shift in the lithium market towards a deficit in the medium term. The upward revision of price forecasts for lithium carbonate by 12%-48% further supports this positive outlook.
This upgrade not only enhances Albemarle's market position but also reflects broader confidence in the lithium sector's recovery, particularly as demand for lithium continues to grow due to its critical role in energy storage and electric vehicle production.
Wall Street analysts forecast ALB stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for ALB is 149.79 USD with a low forecast of 85.00 USD and a high forecast of 210.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
20 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast ALB stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for ALB is 149.79 USD with a low forecast of 85.00 USD and a high forecast of 210.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
10 Buy
10 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 189.750
Low
85.00
Averages
149.79
High
210.00
Current: 189.750
Low
85.00
Averages
149.79
High
210.00
Wells Fargo
Equal Weight
maintain
$135 -> $174
2026-01-26
New
Reason
Wells Fargo
Price Target
$135 -> $174
AI Analysis
2026-01-26
New
maintain
Equal Weight
Reason
Wells Fargo raised the firm's price target on Albemarle to $174 from $135 and keeps an Equal Weight rating on the shares. The firm is raising its estimates to reflect the recent increase in lithium prices. Wells now believes Albemarle's 2026 earnings will be toward the high end of its $12-$15/kg scenario.
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer
Outperform
maintain
$109 -> $207
2026-01-21
Reason
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer
Price Target
$109 -> $207
2026-01-21
maintain
Outperform
Reason
Oppenheimer raised the firm's price target on Albemarle to $207 from $109 and keeps an Outperform rating on the shares. The firm continues to see Albemarle as best positioned in the lithium market and remains constructive on shares.
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RBC Capital
Arun Viswanathan
Outperform
upgrade
$159 -> $200
2026-01-21
Reason
RBC Capital
Arun Viswanathan
Price Target
$159 -> $200
2026-01-21
upgrade
Outperform
Reason
RBC Capital analyst Arun Viswanathan raised the firm's price target on Albemarle to $200 from $159 and keeps an Outperform rating on the shares as part of a broader research note previewing Q4 for Specialty Chemicals. The firm is expecting in-line prints for Q4 and continues to see company-specific items driving improvement in 2026, the analyst tells investors in a research note. For Albemarle, RBC is positive on the company's improving lithium supply/demand fundamentals and believes it could see significant y/y EBITDA growth from about $1.05B in FY25E to about $1.67B in FY26E from price improvement.
Truist
Peter Osterland
Hold
to
Buy
upgrade
$125 -> $205
2026-01-21
Reason
Truist
Peter Osterland
Price Target
$125 -> $205
2026-01-21
upgrade
Hold
to
Buy
Reason
Truist analyst Peter Osterland upgraded Albemarle to Buy from Hold with a price target of $205, up from $125. The firm sys the outlook for lithium pricing is improving on industry-wide production discipline and strong demand from key end markets including energy storage systems and electric vehicles. Albemarle will also benefit from its efforts to rationalize costs and capital spending, the analyst tells investors in a research note. As such, Truist believes the company is well positioned for "significant" earnings and free cash flow growth in 2026 and 2027.
About ALB
Albemarle Corporation is engaged in transforming essential resources into critical ingredients for mobility, energy, connectivity, and health. The Company’s segments include Energy Storage, Specialties, and Ketjen. The Energy Storage segment develops and manufactures a range of basic lithium compounds, including lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, and lithium chloride. Its Specialties business optimizes its portfolio of bromine and highly specialized lithium solutions. Its Specialties business serves a variety of industries, including energy, mobility, connectivity, and health. Specialty products are essential in both internal combustion and electric vehicles, from high-voltage cables and powertrains to airbags and tires. Its Ketjen segment includes clean fuels technologies (CFT), fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts and additives, and performance catalyst solutions (PCS). It serves various markets such as grid storage, automotive, aerospace, conventional energy, and others.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
