Latest news with #Lithium
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Liontown to raise approximately A$266m through placement and offer share purchase plan
Liontown Resources has launched a fully underwritten placement to raise approximately A$266m ($173.2m) at an issue price of A$0.73 per share. This capital-raising effort also includes a non-underwritten share purchase plan (SPP) to raise up to an additional A$20m. The move aims to strengthen the company's balance sheet and provide a liquidity buffer during a period of lower prices. The proceeds from this capital raising will support the ramp-up and underground transition of the Kathleen Valley Lithium operation, as well as fund general corporate purposes and transaction costs. Liontown reserves the right to accept oversubscriptions through a non-underwritten conditional placement. In a significant boost to the project, the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC) has also committed A$50m to support the Kathleen Valley Lithium operation. NRFC CEO David Gall said: 'Lithium is a critical mineral that is central to both decarbonisation efforts and the government's Future Made in Australia strategy. "Australia is well-positioned to be a competitive, long-term supplier of lithium to the rest of the world and local lithium production is important to the nation's economic security and resilience. 'Our investment in Liontown will help to attract private capital and develop Australia's resources sector. It is aligned with the government's strategy of transforming Australia into a global leader in the critical minerals supply chain.' The operation, which commenced production of spodumene concentrate on 31 July 2024, is one of Australia's largest and most advanced lithium projects, with a production capacity of 500,000 tonnes per annum and potential for future expansion. As a key supplier of lithium to major global manufacturers such as Tesla, Ford and LG Energy Solution, Liontown is positioned to contribute significantly to Australia's industrial capacity in the critical minerals supply chain. Liontown has also awarded contracts to Tjiwarl community businesses, with the company's approach to First Nations engagement serving as a model for the mining industry. Liontown CEO Tony Ottaviano said: 'We are pleased to welcome NRFC as a cornerstone investor in Liontown. Their investment is a strong endorsement of Kathleen Valley's strategic importance and long-term value.' The initiation of underground production at the Mt Mann orebody in April this year marked a pivotal transition for Kathleen Valley, setting the stage for the operation to become Australia's first underground lithium mine by fiscal year 2026. "Liontown to raise approximately A$266m through placement and offer share purchase plan" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Up, Up, Down, Down: Lithium bounced back with a vengeance in July
Lithium lovers rejoice – the lightest of all metals bounced back with impact in July Iron ore, coal and rare earths meanwhile also chugged along nicely Gold picked up the pace from a flat June, bolstered by continued macro uncertainty Up, Up, Down, Down provides a wrap of all the main commodities ASX companies are digging, including winners, losers and key supply-demand news. WINNERS Lithium (Fastmarkets Carbonate CIF China, Japan and Korea) Price: US$9080/t % Change: +12.09% UP Commbank's mining and metals expert Vivek Dhar says lithium's price surge over the past month has been driven by China's efforts to curb overcapacity and price wars. The rebound is also due to China's crackdown on illegal mining activities rather than increased demand from battery or EV manufacturers, Dhar said. Chinese authorities have been targeting environmental and licensing violations in key lithium provinces Jiangxi and Qinghai. He said the increase indicated the lithium price cycle had likely bottomed out, assuming China's crackdown reduces lithium supply. DOWN Dhar cautions about a potential pullback in prices due to latent lithium supply that could become available in response to higher prices, referring to projects that were delayed or put on hold following the price decline since the end of 2022. While BloombergNEF anticipates the sale of ~22m battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles this year, up 25% from 2024, growth remains mixed across the board. According to Rho Motion's EV and Battery monthly database, the European market has grown 26% while sales in the North American market continue to wane. This is partly due to diminished regulatory support from the US. Iron ore (SGX Futures) Price: US$99.76/t % Change: +6.10% UP China's announcement that it will build a series of hydroelectric power plants with total capacity of 60 gigawatts on the Yarlung Tsangpo River sent the infrastructure into overdrive, which also served to drag iron ore up. The China Iron and Steel Association also noted that pig iron and steel production in China had increased in July while steel stocks had declined year-on-year, an indication that demand had improved. DOWN Prices moderated at the end of July following an unexpected downturn in China's factory activity for July, which clouded the demand outlook for iron ore. Ongoing issues in China's property sector and concerns about Trump's tariffs on the global economy could also slash iron ore demand and prices. Rare earths (NdPr Oxide) Price: US$65.07/kg % Change: +5.15% UP Strategic support like price floors is resetting price benchmarks with the most recent example coming out of the US following MP Materials' Pentagon deal guaranteeing a minimum NdPr price of US$110/kg for a decade. Resources Minister Madeline King said Australia was now also considering setting a price floor to support rare earth projects. Flows of rare earths magnets from China to the US rose to 353t in June, up from just 46t in May according to the latest customs data, after China imposed export controls on rare earths magnets in April. Greer stated that the US was "about halfway there" in making sure magnets from China could flow as freely as they did before China imposed export controls. Coal (Newcastle 6000 kcal) Price: US$115.15/t % Change: +4.77% UP Asian imports of seaborne coal rose by 12% in July to 70.66Mt though this was driven by the developed economies of North Asia – Japan, South Korea and Taiwan – rather than China and India. China and India are reducing imports of coal from Indonesia but are making up for it by buying more higher-energy and hence higher-priced coal from alternative sources. DOWN A slow down in global economic growth has already caused coal prices to fall in 2025 to date and may further weaken demand for the fossil fuel. Clean energy growth in developed economies could also impact on coal demand, which will reduce prices. Gold Price: US$US3298.98/oz % Change: 0.65% UP Gold prices have picked up the pace as expectations that the US will cut rates become increasingly certain. The uncertainty generated by US President Donald Trump's economic policies also continued to provide support for prices of the precious metal as it always does with the economic outlook is uncertain. Post-July, Citi has walked back the previous reduction to its gold price target, restoring its US$3500/oz forecast over the next three months. DOWN Technical indicators have indicated the price to 36-month moving average has reached levels comparable to major market events such as the 1970s gold bull market and pre-2008 Global Financial Crisis period. Momentum indicators are also decreasing, which could suggest a potential cooling period ahead. World Gold Council has flagged the precious metal could slip if widespread and sustained conflict resolution occurs, though it doesn't think that this is likely in the current environment. LOSERS Uranium (Numerco) Price: US$71/lb % Change: -9.84% Up Expanding nuclear programs around the world are a sign of renewed strength in the market with China building six reactors, India advancing approvals for 21 units and Japan extending reactor lifespans beyond 60 years. As AI data centres ramp up power needs, Sprott says uranium's long-term investment thesis will only get stronger. Down The price retreat reflects market expectations that SPUT will complete its 2.5Mlb inventory purchase program shortly, removing a key source of buying pressure. E&P analysts forecast a modest surplus of 2-3% (~4-6Mlb annually) emerging in 2026-2027. Copper Price: US$9611/t % Change: -2.61% Up US President Donald Trump's first wave of copper tariffs includes 50% import duties on semi processed products like wires, tubes and rods worth US$7.7bn last year, and cabling used for phone or internet connections. The White House also ordered officials to come up with a plan to slap tariffs on other copper-intensive manufactured goods in 90 days. Chilean copper giant Codelco announced it has halted mining operations at its flagship El Teniente copper mine and postponed the release of quarterly results due to a collapse incident at the mine. The mine accounts for roughly a month's worth of ore supply for Chinese copper smelters. Down A major catalyst for the copper price drop is due to tariff trade changes including Trump's decision to exempt refined copper from his broader tariff implementation. As a result, COMEX copper inventories have hit a 21-year high, soaring 170% to more than 253,000 short tons per exchange data. OTHER METALS Nickel Price: US$14,987/t %: -1.49% Silver Price: US$36.22/oz %: +0.66% Tin Price: US$33,378/t %: -1.00% Zinc Price: US$2727/t %: -4.36% Cobalt Price: $US32,390/t %: 0% Aluminium Price: $2566/t %: -1.21% Lead Price: $1971.5/t %: -3.59% Graphite Price: US$410/t %: -1.20%
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Lithium could help treat Alzheimer's
Lithium could help treat cases of Alzheimer's disease, a Harvard study suggests. People with the neurodegenerative condition have low levels of the metal in their brain which the study revealed, for the first time, is needed for normal brain function. Experiments in mice found that when a novel form of lithium was given to animals with Alzheimer's disease, it reversed the symptoms, even in severe cases. The scientists now hope to further investigate lithium as a potential treatment in humans with clinical trials. 'These findings reveal physiological effects of endogenous lithium in the brain and indicate that disruption of lithium homeostasis may be an early event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease,' the scientists write in their study. 'Lithium replacement with amyloid-evading salts is a potential approach to the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.' Lithium's role in the body has long remained a mystery but it has been used as a medication for mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia for decades. A decade-long study saw Harvard scientists analyse the brains of deceased donors at various stages of Alzheimer's disease, as well as in people with no disease when they died. They found lithium to be the only one of 27 metals to be at lower levels in cases of disease. Experiments in both humans and mice brain samples found that amyloid plaques, the protein which develops in cases of Alzheimer's and causes disease, pulls lithium out of brain cells. In healthy brains, the lithium, which naturally has a positive charge, stays in the cells and helps maintain normal function. But in brains with amyloid, which is naturally negatively charged, the lithium is attracted to the disease-causing plaque and pulled out of the cells. This depletion triggered the brain's immune defence cells to go awry and caused inflammation and an inhibited ability to break down and clear out the toxic amyloid, which suffocates neurons and leads to cognitive decline and Alzheimer's. Scientists have investigated lithium as a possible treatment for Alzheimer's previously but found existing medications in the form of lithium carbonate to be ineffective and also prone to significant side effects. The Harvard team looked for lithium compounds which are not strongly positive in charge that would be impervious to amyloid and therefore more likely to stay in the cells and not be pulled out. The compound lithium orotate was found to be ideal and in mice studies reversed the course of disease, alleviated symptoms and restored memory. This form of lithium was given in small doses to animals to mimic the natural level of the metal and analysis found it 'almost completely prevented' amyloid from settling in the brain. In older mice with severe disease, the treatment 'was highly effective at reducing amyloid deposition and tau accumulation'. It also 'almost completely reversed the memory loss', the scientists write, whereas the existing lithium medicine had no impact. Lithium orotate also improved learning and spatial memory in old mice with severe amyloid. The authors are reluctant to draw conclusions for humans from these rodent experiments but say this new lithium medicine could be a viable route for future drug studies. Current Alzheimer's drugs such as donanemab and lecanemab do not improve a patient's condition but slow down disease progress. However, these come at significant cost as well as the risk of serious side effects such as brain bleeds and swelling. Neither was approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for use on the NHS despite being deemed effective and safe by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Results 'very encouraging' No drug has yet been discovered that can actually improve a patient's condition and reverse the condition of Alzheimer's. 'You have to be careful about extrapolating from mouse models, and you never know until you try it in a controlled human clinical trial,' study author Prof Bruce Yankner, professor of genetics and neurology at Harvard, said. 'But so far the results are very encouraging. What impresses me the most about lithium is the widespread effect it has on the various manifestations of Alzheimer's. I really have not seen anything quite like it in all my years of working on this disease.' The study is published in the study Nature and in an accompanying opinion piece, Prof Ashley Bush from the University of Melbourne, who was not involved in the research, said the work of the Harvard team exposes 'a possible contributor to Alzheimer's disease and a potential non-conventional therapeutic target'. The work could also lead to improvements for how lithium is used in mental health conditions, she believes, especially in older patients. 'Apart from the implications for treating Alzheimer's disease, the data invite a re-evaluation of lithium-salt variants as treatments for older adults with bipolar disorder,' she writes.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lithium Americas Corp. (LAC) Suffers a Larger Drop Than the General Market: Key Insights
In the latest trading session, Lithium Americas Corp. (LAC) closed at $3.28, marking a -1.5% move from the previous day. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.01%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 0.32%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 0.05%. The stock of lithium producer has risen by 25.66% in the past month, leading the Basic Materials sector's gain of 1.67% and the S&P 500's gain of 5.37%. The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Lithium Americas Corp. in its forthcoming earnings report. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at -$0.04, signifying a 20.00% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of -$0.18 per share and revenue of $0 million, indicating changes of +14.29% and 0%, respectively, compared to the previous year. It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Lithium Americas Corp. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability. Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. 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 past month, there's been a 0.6% rise in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Lithium Americas Corp. is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The Mining - Miscellaneous industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 150, which puts it in the bottom 40% of all 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. To follow LAC in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Lithium Americas Corp. (LAC) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Sign in to access your portfolio
Cision Canada
18-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Leoch Battery Unveils All-Scenario Smart Energy Solutions at The Battery Show Asia 2025
HONG KONG, July 18, 2025 /CNW/ -- As a Strategic Partner of The Battery Show Asia 2025, Leoch Battery took center stage today at the AsiaWorld-Expo, unveiling its revolutionary All-Scenario Smart Energy Solutions for the Demand Side. The global premiere showcased Leoch Battery's innovative smart energy management solutions and ecosystem designed to redefine resilience, economics, and sustainability in energy management. A Highlight of the Show: Leoch's Grand Unveiling The Battery Show Asia 2025, held from July 15–17, brings together industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers to explore the future of energy storage and new energy mobility. As a key participant, Leoch Battery demonstrated its leadership through a series of high-impact presentations and product launches: Global Vision and ESG Commitment Founder and Chairman Dong Li and CEO Kouyue Wu outlined Leoch Battery's mission to drive zero-carbon transitions, aligning with the world's focus on sustainable mobility and energy solutions. Demand-Side Energy Revolution CTO Robin Li presented the EMS+ESS Ecosystem Solution, highlighting its economic value model for ESS, EMS and Microgrid solutions, with multiple value stacking to reduce diesel and electricity cost, and use AI to dynamically choose the best operating mode to earn additional energy trading revenue like frequency regulation or demand response via the microgrid flexibility. AI Data Center Breakthroughs Senior Manager of Lithium Battery R&D Jax Zhou introduced the PU Series High-Power 6C UPS Lithium Systems, addressing critical power and high power density needs for AI workloads—a timely topic given the show's emphasis on tech-driven power efficiency. Resilience Meets Economics Director of EMS product Kevin Zhang explored modular energy storage system designs scaled up by microgrid EMS, resonating with attendees from telecom, data center, C&I and microgrid sectors, to shorten the payback less than 5 years. Cybersecurity and Global Compliance Head of Solutions Hanyong Lee showcased Leoch Battery's secure Network Power Backup Solution across lead, lithium and sodium-ion, underscoring the importance of cyber security (designed and implemented in Singapore on government-grade level compliance standard) in global telecom backup power and storage—a key discussion point across the exhibition. Real-World Impact A case study with Schneider Electric's NaviX Solutions and a panel featuring Singapore Battery Consortium, National University of Singapore and Singapore Energy Study Institute, China International Marine Containers Group and Sino Express Intelligence highlighted the industry trends, problem statement and practical applications of Leoch Battery's technologies, reinforcing the show's goal of bridging innovation with technology & implementation. Certification Milestone The event culminated with Leoch Battery receiving UL9540A & IEC62619 certifications —a testament to its commitment to fire safety & excellence, mirroring the show's dedication to advancing safety compliance and industry standards. Looking Ahead Leoch Battery's innovations align with global trends—from AI-driven efficiency to ESG-aligned financing, underscored by Citi and HSBC. The strategic partnership between The Battery Show Asia and Leoch Battery represents a powerful alliance driving innovation and transformation across the energy storage industry.
