Albemarle (ALB) shares soared 16.3% in the last trading session to close at $215.62. The move was backed by solid volume with far more shares changing hands than in a normal session. This compares to the stock's 11.8% gain over the past four weeks.
ALB’s shares surged on a sharp spike in lithium prices globally. Lithium prices have rebounded from trough levels in 2025, supported by tighter supply and strong demand in China and globally. A surge in lithium prices, thanks to strong demand from electric vehicles and energy storage systems, along with supply disruptions due to recent supply reductions in China, is expected to drive ALB’s performance.
This specialty chemicals company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.00 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +655.6%. Revenues are expected to be $1.29 billion, up 19.7% from the year-ago quarter.
Earnings and revenue growth expectations certainly give a good sense of the potential strength in a stock, but empirical research shows that trends in earnings estimate revisions are strongly correlated with near-term stock price movements.
For Albemarle, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 2.7% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. And a positive trend in earnings estimate revision usually translates into price appreciation. So, make sure to keep an eye on ALB going forward to see if this recent jump can turn into more strength down the road.
The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>
Albemarle belongs to the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry. Another stock from the same industry, Stepan Co. (SCL), closed the last trading session 1.2% higher at $50.79. Over the past month, SCL has returned 10.8%.
Stepan Co.'s consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming report has remained unchanged over the past month at $0.32. Compared to the company's year-ago EPS, this represents a change of -61.9%. Stepan Co. currently boasts a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).
#1 Semiconductor Stock to Buy (Not NVDA)
The incredible demand for data is fueling the market's next digital gold rush. As data centers continue to be built and constantly upgraded, the companies that provide the hardware for these behemoths will become the NVIDIAs of tomorrow.
One under-the-radar chipmaker is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. It specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.
See This Stock Now for Free >>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
Albemarle Corporation (ALB): Free Stock Analysis Report
Stepan Company (SCL): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).