Core Viewpoint - Lithium battery concept stocks experienced a strong performance, driven by news of a significant supply disruption from a major player in the industry, CATL, which has temporarily halted operations at a mining project in China [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - Lithium Americas (LAC.US) rose over 10% - Albemarle (ALB.US) increased by more than 9% - Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM.US) gained over 7% - Microvast (MVST.US) saw an increase of over 6% [1] Group 2: Supply Disruption - CATL announced the suspension of a large mining project in Yichun, Jiangxi Province, due to the expiration of its mining license [1] - The company plans to resume production as soon as it obtains the necessary approvals [1] Group 3: Analyst Insights - Citigroup analyst Kate McCutcheon stated that the reduction of approximately 9,000 tons of lithium supply per month is not expected to cause a hard supply shortage, but it is likely to boost market sentiment in the short term [1] - Analyst Jack Shang estimated that the sentiment surrounding the supply disruption could drive lithium prices above $11,000 per ton in the coming days [1]

Core Viewpoint - Lithium battery concept stocks experienced a strong rally, driven by news of a significant supply disruption from a major player in the industry, CATL, which has temporarily halted operations at a large mining project in China [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - Lithium Americas (LAC.US) surged over 10% - Albemarle (ALB.US) increased by more than 9% - Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM.US) rose over 7% - Microvast (MVST.US) gained more than 6% [1] Group 2: Supply Disruption - CATL announced the suspension of operations at its mining site in Yichun, Jiangxi Province, due to the expiration of its mining license [1] - The company plans to resume production as soon as it obtains the necessary approvals [1] Group 3: Analyst Insights - Citigroup analyst Kate McCutcheon noted that the reduction of approximately 9,000 tons of lithium supply per month is not expected to cause a hard supply shortage, but it is likely to boost market sentiment in the short term [1] - Analyst Jack Shang estimated that the sentiment from the supply disruption could drive lithium prices above $11,000 per ton in the coming days [1]

Core Viewpoint - Lithium battery concept stocks experienced a strong performance, with notable increases in share prices for companies such as Lithium Americas, Albemarle, SQM, and Microvast, following the news of a significant mining project suspension by CATL in China [1] Group 1: Market Reaction - Lithium Americas (LAC.US) rose over 10%, Albemarle (ALB.US) increased by more than 9%, SQM (SQM.US) gained over 7%, and Microvast (MVST.US) saw a rise of over 6% [1] - The market sentiment is expected to be positively influenced by the supply disruption, despite analysts not anticipating a hard supply shortage from the reduction of approximately 9,000 tons of lithium supply per month [1][1] Group 2: Analyst Insights - Citigroup analyst Kate McCutcheon noted that the news of the supply reduction is likely to boost market sentiment in the short term [1] - Analyst Jack Shang from Citigroup estimated that the sentiment surrounding the supply disruption could drive lithium prices above $11,000 per ton in the coming days [1]

Group 1 - Major declines were observed in several stocks, with American company Yabao down by 10.71%, Chilean chemical mining company SQM down by 5.35%, Lucid Group down by 4.45%, and Leap Motor down by 4.39% [1] - Porsche's P911 stock in Europe fell by 4.09% [1] Group 2 - NIO Inc. experienced a rise of 1.31%, while Panasonic Corporation's stock in Tokyo increased by 1.47% [1] - Tesla's stock rose by 3.02%, and MP Materials saw an increase of 3.27% [1]

Group 1 - The article expresses a bullish outlook on Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE: SQM) due to its low-cost lithium operations and favorable geopolitical positioning [1] - The bullish sentiment was noted during a time when the Trump administration was threatening to impose trade restrictions, which could have impacted SQM's operations [1] Group 2 - The author, Dilantha De Silva, is an experienced equity analyst with over 10 years in the investment industry, focusing on small-cap stocks often overlooked by Wall Street [1] - Dilantha has been featured on major financial platforms such as CNBC, Bloomberg, Nasdaq, and Yahoo Finance, indicating a strong presence in the investment community [1]

Financial Performance - SQM's Last Twelve Months (LTM) revenues reached US$4.5 billion[6] - The company's LTM Adjusted EBITDA stood at US$1.4 billion[6] - SQM's LTM Adjusted EBITDA Margin was 32%[6] - The Net Financial Debt (NFD) to Adjusted EBITDA ratio was 1.6x as of March 31, 2025[6,8] - First Quarter 2025 revenues were US$1,037 million, a decrease of 4% year-on-year[17] Business Segments - Lithium and derivatives LTM revenue was $2,197 million and gross profit was $517 million[23] - Iodine and derivatives LTM revenue was US$983 million and gross profit was US$525 million[29] - Specialty Plant Nutrition LTM revenue was US$946 million and gross profit was US$161 million[39] - Potassium LTM revenue was US$250 million and gross profit was US$33 million[46] - Industrial Chemicals LTM revenue was US$75 million and gross profit was US$30 million[53] Market Position and Outlook - SQM holds approximately 17% of the global lithium chemical market share[23,24] - The company anticipates the global lithium market to grow by approximately 17% in 2025[23] - SQM has approximately 37% of global Iodine market share[34] - SQM has approximately 41% of global KNO3 market share[44] - SQM has approximately 32% of global Industrial Chemicals market share[56]

Group 1 - SQM, the world's second-largest lithium producer, is cutting approximately 5% of its workforce in response to prolonged low prices for electric vehicle battery metals [1] - Lithium prices have plummeted nearly 90% since reaching a peak at the end of 2022, driven by oversupply and weaker-than-expected demand for electric vehicles [1] - SQM's first-quarter profits significantly missed market expectations, and the company anticipates continued price weakness in the first half of this year [1] Group 2 - The union's preliminary memo indicates that 25% to 30% of the layoffs will affect "ordinary positions," with the remainder impacting supervisory roles, including locations in Santiago, the Atacama salt flat, and northern lithium processing plants [2] - The union expressed regret over the company's decision and questioned the rationale behind it, while also offering support to affected employees [2] - Albemarle Corporation, the largest lithium producer globally, has also implemented layoffs and cost-cutting measures to mitigate the impact of persistently low lithium prices [2] Group 3 - The prices of lithium, nickel, and cobalt have collapsed in 2023, with no significant rebound observed in 2025, turning the "dream" of electrification into a challenging scenario [3] - The Indonesian government has shown signs of supply discipline by limiting mining quotas and suspending approvals for new mining processing plants, with expectations of increased production cuts this year [3]

Core Insights - Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM) plays a crucial role in the global energy transition by producing lithium, which is essential for powering cellphones, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems [1]. Company Overview - SQM is not just a mining company; it is integral to the supply chain of lithium, a key component in modern technology and renewable energy solutions [1]. Industry Context - The demand for lithium is expected to rise significantly due to the increasing adoption of electric vehicles and the need for energy storage solutions, positioning SQM favorably within the industry [1].

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Form 6-K REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the month of March, 2025. Commission File Number 33-65728 CHEMICAL AND MINING COMPANY OF CHILE INC. (Translation of registrant's name into English) El Trovador 4285, Santiago, Chile (562) 2425-2000 (Address of principal executive office) Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports ...

Core Points - Chile's President Boric announced the "National Lithium Strategy" on April 20, 2023, which led to negotiations between Codelco and SQM authorized by Corfo on May 24, 2023 [1] - Codelco disclosed that discussions with Morgan Stanley regarding an "underground agreement" began 21 days prior to the announcement of the lithium strategy, with Morgan serving as a financial advisor during negotiations with SQM [1] - A financial advisory agreement between Codelco and Morgan Stanley was signed on March 30, 2023, prior to the announcement of the lithium strategy, with Morgan's commission set at 0.4% of the net profits from the Codelco-SQM collaboration [1] Company Developments - Codelco's president submitted a copy of the agreement with Morgan Stanley to the Chilean House of Representatives, revealing undisclosed terms, including a provision that no base commission would be paid until a final agreement with SQM was signed [1] - On May 15, 2023, Codelco announced the establishment of two subsidiaries, Codelco de Chile SpA and MineralTararSpA [1] - Codelco sent a letter to Corfo on May 22, 2023, agreeing to enter into cooperation negotiations with SQM [1]