President Donald Trump's administration is likely to take stakes in more companies following China’s latest rare earth export limitations, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday. CRML stock is falling Wednesday. See the chart hereBessent told CNBC that he "wouldn't be surprised" if the U.S. bought equity shares in other companies, but only in strategic industries. "When we get an announcement like this week with China on the rare earths, you realize we have to be self-sufficient, or we have to be s ...

Core Insights - Lithium mining stocks are gaining attention, particularly American Battery Technology Co (ABAT), which saw a 33% increase to $8.98 after completing NEPA baseline studies for its Tonopah Flats Lithium Project [1] - ABAT reached a two-year high of $10.18 and is on track for its sixth consecutive daily gain, with a year-to-date increase of 267.3% [2] - Lithium Americas Corp (LAC) shares rose 11.4% to $8.35, benefiting from U.S.-China trade discussions, with a significant 206.9% increase over the past six months [3] Company Performance - ABAT's stock performance has been notable, with a significant rally from penny stock levels and high trading volume in options, particularly in the October 10 call [2] - LAC's stock has shown resilience, breaking through the $5 mark in late September and trading above all moving averages, indicating strong momentum [3] - Despite positive trends, LAC faces a cautious outlook from analysts, with 10 out of 13 brokerage firms maintaining a "hold" or worse rating, and 13.2% of its float sold short [4]

Core Viewpoint - The U.S. lithium battery sector stocks experienced significant gains, driven by Morgan Stanley's announcement of a $10 billion direct equity investment plan in critical minerals and advanced technologies to meet national security needs [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - QuantumScape (QS.US) rose over 17% [1] - Lithium Americas (LAC.US) increased by more than 14% [1] - Enovix (ENVX.US) saw a rise of over 9% [1] - Albemarle (ALB.US) gained more than 7% [1] Group 2: Investment Announcement - Morgan Stanley plans to invest up to $10 billion as part of a $1.5 trillion initiative [1] - The investment will focus on critical minerals and advanced technologies [1] - The initiative aims to address national security requirements [1]

Group 1: Rare Earth Export Controls - China's recent decision to expand rare earth export controls includes holmium, erbium, thulium, europium, and ytterbium, highlighting U.S. dependence on China for critical minerals essential for manufacturing drones, humanoid robots, EVs, and advanced weaponry [1] - The U.S. defense supply chains are heavily reliant on China, necessitating urgent reindustrialization to produce rare earths, semiconductors, and advanced computing hardware domestically [2] Group 2: Supply Chain Risks - The current geopolitical climate gives China significant leverage, complicating negotiations and making it difficult for the U.S. to secure favorable deals [3] - Sanctions imposed by China on U.S. companies, such as Anduril Industries, necessitate a complete exit from the Chinese supply chain, affecting not only products made in China but also those dependent on Chinese components [5] - There is a risk that China could sanction a major U.S. defense contractor, leading to supply chain disruptions for critical weapons systems, which could impact U.S. military operations globally [6] Group 3: U.S. Initiatives and Investments - The Trump administration has initiated mining projects in Alaska through Trilogy Metals and invested in Lithium Americas Corp. for the Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada [8] - The U.S. Defense Department has committed $400 million to MP Materials Corp. to fund a plant for rare-earth magnets, with plans to support USA Resources as well [8] - There is a pressing need to secure supply chains before 2030 to mitigate risks associated with reliance on foreign sources [9]

Core Viewpoint - Canada is assessing US government investments in its critical minerals companies on a case-by-case basis due to the rise of economic nationalism in the US, as highlighted by Industry Minister Melanie Joly [1][2]. Group 1: US Investments in Canadian Companies - The Trump administration has announced a 10% stake in Trilogy Metals Inc. as part of a $35.6 million investment to enhance critical minerals projects in Alaska [1]. - The US also agreed to acquire an interest in Lithium Americas Corp., which is developing the Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada [1]. Group 2: Canadian Government's Position - The Canadian government will evaluate foreign investments under the Investment Canada Act, but it is unclear how much power it has to block these US deals [2]. - Canada has previously made it more difficult for foreign, state-owned firms to acquire its mining companies, particularly under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau [4]. Group 3: Industry Reactions and Challenges - There is concern that if Canada resists these investments, companies may relocate to access US government funds quickly [3]. - Joly emphasized the need for Canada to attract capital while maintaining sovereignty over its critical minerals [5].

Greetings. I'm Sean Kuit, Zach's equity strategist, and today I'm going to be discussing the soaring stocks that the Trump administration is investing in. So, the Trump trade has taken on a literal connotation with the White House recently investing in several mining and technology companies that have publicly traded stocks.So, historically, the US government has avoided direct ownership of public companies to maintain free market principles and prevent favoritism. Instead, the government usually supports b ...

Core Insights - Lilac Solutions is developing a method to extract lithium from brine at the Great Salt Lake, which is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than traditional mining methods [1][2][3] - The company aims to raise $250 million to build its first commercial processing facility, targeting a production capacity of 5,000 metric tons of lithium per year by 2028 [2][4] - The U.S. lithium market is projected to grow significantly, with demand expected to increase by 26% to nearly 1.5 million tons this year, driven by electric vehicle sales and energy storage needs [4][6] Company Overview - Lilac Solutions has been refining its patented ion-exchange technology for lithium extraction since its founding nearly a decade ago [2] - The company has raised approximately $315 million from various investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures and BMW i Ventures [17] - Lilac's approach involves using specially engineered beads to extract lithium from brine, which is then processed into battery-grade lithium [12] Market Context - The global lithium market was valued at an estimated $28 billion last year, with over 75% of lithium usage attributed to electric vehicle batteries [4][6] - Most lithium used in the U.S. is currently sourced from Chile and Argentina, but there is a push to establish a stable domestic supply [6][8] - The Thacker Pass mine in Nevada is expected to produce about 40,000 tons of battery-grade lithium annually once operational, highlighting the growing domestic lithium supply [6][8] Environmental Considerations - Lilac's method of direct lithium extraction from brine is touted as having a smaller environmental footprint compared to traditional mining, which often leaves large open-pit mines [3][9] - The extraction process involves pumping brine through a facility and returning it to the ground, minimizing disturbance to the water table [9][10] - The concentration of lithium in brine from the Great Salt Lake is lower than in some South American sources, but Lilac estimates production costs will be around $7,000 per ton, potentially lowering to $5,000 per ton with brine from the Smackover Formation [10][16] Future Prospects - Lilac Solutions aims to supply its technology to larger firms and expand its operations beyond the Great Salt Lake [17] - The company is optimistic about the potential of direct lithium extraction technology, which is expected to account for 51% of brine supply by 2035 [10] - The U.S. Geological Survey estimates significant lithium reserves in the Smackover region, indicating a strong potential for domestic lithium production [3][16]

Core Insights - Rare earths and mineral miner stocks experienced significant gains following China's decision to tighten export restrictions on these critical materials, citing national security reasons [1][3] - The U.S. mining sector has seen a surge in stock prices, with companies like USA Rare Earth and MP Materials benefiting from China's export limitations [2][7] Company Performance - USA Rare Earth (USAR) shares increased by 15%, while MP Materials (MP) saw a nearly 3% rise [2] - Albemarle (ALB), the largest lithium producer, led the S&P 500 with a 5% increase, and Lithium Americas (LAC) gained 2% [2] - Since the beginning of October, Lithium Americas shares have risen over 40%, MP Materials has increased close to 10%, and Albemarle has gained nearly 20% [5] Market Context - The gains in the mining sector occurred on a day when major U.S. stock indexes were down due to a federal government shutdown, highlighting the relative strength of the rare earths sector [3] - The Trump administration's investments in strategically significant companies like Lithium Americas and MP Materials aim to reduce U.S. reliance on Chinese rare earths [4][7]

Lithium Americas (LAC) is a mining company developing the Thacker Pass lithium mine in northern Nevada, the largest known lithium deposit in the United States. The company’s operations focus on supplying battery-grade lithium carbonate to North America’s critical minerals supply chain, supporting a transition toward renewable energy and electric vehicles. Lithium Americas is a Canadian company headquartered in Vancouver. More News from Barchart Lithium Americas Stock Lithium Americas has delivered rema ...

Core Insights - President Trump's administration prioritizes strengthening U.S. supply chains, particularly in rare earth metals and lithium [1] - Government investments have led to significant stock returns for companies in this sector, with MP Materials up over 370% YTD and Lithium Americas up more than 180% in the past 30 days [2] Group 1: Government Investments and Stock Performance - Trilogy Metals received nearly $36 million in government backing, resulting in a 211% stock increase on October 7 [4][6] - MP Materials and Lithium Americas have shown substantial stock price movements following government investments, with MP gaining an additional 63% and Lithium Americas experiencing a 9% decline since October 3 [7] Group 2: Potential Beneficiaries - Trilogy Metals and USA Rare Earths are emerging as potential beneficiaries from the government's strategic reshoring efforts [3][14] - USA Rare Earths is positioned as a viable alternative for rare earth magnets, which are critical to U.S. supply chain strategy, especially if MP Materials faces disruptions [12][13] Group 3: Market Sentiment and Analyst Ratings - USA Rare Earths has a 12-month stock price forecast of $17.67, indicating a potential downside of 34.62% from its current price of $27.02 [9] - The company is in close communication with the White House, suggesting a possibility of future government investment [10] - In contrast, Critical Metals is not being considered for government investment, leading to a significant drop in its stock price [11]