LITHIUM MINES AND MINING

Rinehart’s $US1b rare earths ride

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 19-Nov-25

Gina Rinehart’s corporate filings in the US show that the mining magnate has increased her investment in rare earths producer MP Materials from $US461.1m to $US996m, becoming its biggest shareholder. The US Department of Defense acquired a 15 per cent stake in MP Materials in mid-2025, as part of the Trump administration’s push to end Chinese dominance of the global rare earths market. The corporate filings also reveal that Rinehart has divested her stakes in Albemarle, Lithium Americas and Lithium Argentina, and reduced her stake in Chile-based SQM.

CORPORATES
MP MATERIALS CORPORATION, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF DEFENSE, ALBEMARLE CORPORATION, LITHIUM AMERICAS, LITHIUM ARGENTINA, SOCIEDAD QUIMICA Y MINERA SA

Arcadium investors sue over Rio takeover

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Original article by Elouise Fowler
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 17-Dec-24

Arcadium Lithium and its board of directors are facing legal action from three shareholders over the company’s acquisition by Rio Tinto. The investors contend that Arcadium’s directors had misled shareholders and failed in their fiduciary duty to maximise value in the $US6.7 billion ($9.9 billion) deal. Rio Tinto has not been named as a defendant in the lawsuits. The proposed merger will require the support of at least 75 per cent of Arcadium’s shareholders when they vote on the deal next week.

CORPORATES
ARCADIUM LITHIUM PLC – ASX LTM, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Arcadium investors sue over Rio takeover

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Original article by Elouise Fowler
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 17-Dec-24

Arcadium Lithium and its board of directors are facing legal action from three shareholders over the company’s acquisition by Rio Tinto. The investors contend that Arcadium’s directors had misled shareholders and failed in their fiduciary duty to maximise value in the $US6.7 billion ($9.9 billion) deal. Rio Tinto has not been named as a defendant in the lawsuits. The proposed merger will require the support of at least 75 per cent of Arcadium’s shareholders when they vote on the deal next week.

CORPORATES
ARCADIUM LITHIUM PLC – ASX LTM, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Lithium stocks one deal away from rocketing, says broker

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Original article by Alex Gluyas
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 16-Oct-24

Data from S&P Global Platts shows that the spot price of spodumene is currently trading at around $US760 per tonne. However, E&P Financial Group forecasts that the price of spodumene will rise to $US850/tonne in the second quarter of fiscal 2025, and $US1,000/tonne in the third quarter. E&P analyst Adam Martin is also upbeat about the outlook for Australian-listed lithium stocks in the wake of Rio Tinto’s $9.9bn deal to acquire Arcadium Lithium.

CORPORATES
S&P GLOBAL PLATTS, E&P FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX EP1, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ARCADIUM LITHIUM PLC – ASX LTM

Market backs Rio’s $10bn Arcadium play

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Original article by Glen Norris
The Australian – Page: 19 : 11-Oct-24

Citigroup estimates that Rio Tinto’s $9.9bn deal to acquire Arcadium Lithium will generate annual synergies of about $125m. The firm expects Arcadium shareholders to back the deal, contending that the downturn in the price of the battery mineral means that is it is currently cheaper to buy lithium assets rather than build new mines. The deal will make Rio Tinto one of the world’s biggest lithium producers, and CEO Jakob Stausholm says he believes that the transaction is a "risk worth taking". He has also rejected suggestions that Rio Tinto is paying too much for Arcadium.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ARCADIUM LITHIUM PLC – ASX LTM

Rio Tinto’s Argentina dream gets investor OK

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Original article by Peter Ker, Elouise Fowler
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 9-Oct-24

Shares in Arcadium Lithium have rallied in the wake of Rio Tinto’s takeover approach, and the company’s market capitalisation has risen to $6.5bn. However, some analysts regard the timing of the bid to be opportunistic, given that Arcadium’s market cap was $10.6bn in May, prior to a sharp fall in the lithium price. Arcadium has two lithium projects in Argentina, and investors are generally supportive of Rio Tinto’s bid, noting that the pro-business stance of the South American country’s new government will help to offset any sovereign risk.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ARCADIUM LITHIUM PLC – ASX LTM

Arcadium move could cost Rio $9b: investors

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Original article by Peter Ker, Joanne Tran
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 19 : 8-Oct-24

Wilson Asset Management’s Matt Haupt is "broadly supportive" of Rio Tinto’s takeover bid for Arcadium Lithium. He argues that the target is worth more as part of a larger company than a stand-alone business. Rio Tinto confirmed the takeover approach on Monday, and emphasised that there is no certainty that the talks will result in a deal. Arcadium’s market capitalisation was about $US3.3bn ($4.85bn) on Friday. However, Rob Stein from Morningstar estimates that Arcadium is valued at around $US8.5bn, based on the sum ‘of its parts’; he adds that Rio Tinto may need to offer a control premium to reflect the synergies arising from combining the companies’ lithium projects in Argentina.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ARCADIUM LITHIUM PLC – ASX LTM, WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD

Allkem shareholders green-light $9.7b Livent merger

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Original article by Elouise Fowler
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 20-Dec-23

Some 89 per cent of proxy votes cast at Allkem’s shareholders meeting on Tuesday were in favour of the proposed merger with US-based Livent. The latter’s shareholders will shortly vote on the deal; the combined entity will be called Arcadium Lithium and is set to be one of the world’s biggest producers of the battery mineral. It will have assets in Western Australia, Canada and Argentina. Allkem’s chairman will take up the same role at Arcadium, while Livent’s Paul Graves will be CEO.

CORPORATES
ALLKEM LIMITED – ASX AKE, LIVENT INCORPORATED, ARCADIUM LITHIUM

The lithium party’s still young

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Original article by Alex Gluyas
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 14-Jul-21

Matthew Hope of Credit Suisse forecasts that the strong rise in the price of lithium since February will be sustained. He says the lithium supply glut has ended, and the world faces a growing supply deficit as current and proposed lithium projects will be insufficient to meet demand. Rising demand for lithium has also boosted the share prices of Australian-listed producers; Pilbara Minerals’ shares gained 522.6 per cent in 2020-21, which was the second-best return among S&P/ASX 200 stocks.

CORPORATES
CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, PILBARA MINERALS LIMITED – ASX PLS

Rio zeroes in on lithium but copper may be next

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 2-Mar-20

Rio Tinto has not made any major acquisitions under current CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques. However, it has looked at more than 200 opportunities over the last three years, while its low level of debt means it is well-placed to pursue deals. Bold Baatar, the head of Rio Tinto’s energy and minerals division, says lithium has been its focus in terms of potential acquisitions. He adds that Rio Tinto is interested in other metals that are used in vehicle batteries, such as copper and high purity nickel.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO