There’s a lot happening in the metals world right now, especially when it comes to battery materials. The sector is in a rough spot, with price drops, cost-cutting, and possible mergers shaking things up.
Lithium prices have crashed over 80% since 2022, and nickel has lost half its value since early 2023, leaving big miners deep in the red. Aussie lithium giants like PLS Ltd. and IGO Ltd. just posted their worst earnings in six years.
A flood of nickel from Indonesia is making life even harder for Western miners – just look at BHP shutting down Nickel West. With company valuations hitting rock bottom, we could see more mergers and acquisitions, like Rio Tinto’s recent buyout of Arcadium Lithium Plc. Some analysts think this is just the start of a wave of deals as struggling miners look for a way to survive.
