MONTREAL, Jan. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brunswick Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: BRW, OTCQB: BRWXF; “BRW” or the “Company”) is very pleased to announce a maiden, open-pit Mineral Inferred Resource Estimate (“MRE”) of 52.2 million tonnes (“Mt”) grading 1.08% Li2O and 131ppm Ta2O5 for its wholly owned Mirage Project located in the Eeyou Istchee Baie-James region of Quebec, Canada (see Figure 1). The MRE was prepared in accordance with the National Instrument (“NI”) 43-101 standards by PLR Resource Inc. and Syne ...

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Market Performance - Wall Street experienced modest gains in Q4 2025, with the S&P 500 up 1.9%, Dow Jones up 3.3%, and Nasdaq Composite up 2.1% [1] - The small-cap index Russell 2000 increased by 1.6% during the same period [1] Federal Reserve Actions - The Federal Reserve implemented three rate cuts in 2025, starting in September, with two occurring in Q4 [2] - The Fed's outlook for 2026 remains cautious, projecting only one rate cut next year, maintaining the Fed Funds rate at 3.4% [3] Economic Impact of Government Shutdown - The longest U.S. government shutdown began on October 1, 2025, and lasted until November 12, 2025, significantly halting economic progress in Q4 [4] AI Industry Developments - OpenAI formed multibillion-dollar partnerships with companies like Oracle, NVIDIA, AMD, and Broadcom in 2025 [5] - SoftBank sold 32.1 million shares of NVIDIA and reduced its stake in T-Mobile, raising $9.17 billion to fund a $22.5 billion investment in OpenAI [6] AI Market Concerns - OpenAI's CEO indicated that the AI market may be in a bubble, raising investor caution due to concerns about circular financing and investment payoffs [7] Cryptocurrency Trends - Bitcoin prices fell approximately 6% in 2025, starting at about $93K, peaking at $126K in October, and declining towards year-end [8] ETF Performance - Silver ETFs saw significant gains, with abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF up 52.1% and iShares Silver Trust up 52.0%, driven by supply constraints and industrial demand [11] - Biotech ETFs also performed well, with Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF up 43.7% and ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF up 31.8%, supported by favorable regulatory developments and funding conditions [13] - Lithium ETFs experienced growth, with Sprott Lithium Miners ETF up 33.4% and iShares Lithium Miners and Producers ETF up 31.4%, driven by rising demand for electric vehicles and energy storage [15]

Core Viewpoint - Lithium Argentina AG reported strong operational results for 2025, achieving production at the high end of its annual guidance and setting a record for quarterly production in Q4 2025 [1][3]. Operational Highlights - Full-year 2025 production totaled approximately 34,100 tonnes of lithium carbonate, within the guidance range of 30,000 to 35,000 tonnes [8]. - Q4 2025 production reached approximately 9,700 tonnes, with an average operating rate of 97% of nameplate capacity [8]. - Cash operating costs for Q4 2025 are expected to be below $6,000 per tonne, a decrease from $6,285 per tonne in Q3 2025, indicating continued operational optimization [8]. - The Cauchari-Olaroz operation is expected to reduce net debt by $26 million in Q4 2025, with $15 million distributed to both Ganfeng and Lithium Argentina, and over $150 million in liquidity from cash and available undrawn debt facilities [8]. - The company submitted environmental permit and RIGI applications for a Stage 2 expansion of 45,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of lithium carbonate production capacity [8]. Leadership Updates - Alec Meikle has been promoted to President, responsible for executing the company's strategic plan and managing key external relationships [4][6]. - John Kanellitsas will transition from Executive Chairman to Chairman of the Board, focusing on long-term strategy and industry partnerships [5][6]. - The leadership changes are aimed at strengthening governance and clarifying roles within the company [6].

Group 1 - The A-share market shows mixed performance with the Shanghai Composite Index up by 0.06% and the ChiNext Index down by 0.45% [1] - Sectors such as brain-computer interfaces, lithium mining, and humanoid robots are leading in gains, while communication equipment, commercial aerospace, and military industries are experiencing declines [1] Group 2 - Guotai Junan believes that the Chinese stock market is likely to stabilize and surpass important thresholds, driven by expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts in 2026 and increased liquidity from overseas [1] - The A500 ETF is seeing continuous inflows of incremental capital, supported by insurance funds, which strengthens the liquidity foundation [1] - The Chinese government has emphasized the need to stabilize investment and improve real estate market expectations, indicating a potential increase in policy support for growth [1] Group 3 - Debon Securities anticipates a gradual unfolding of the spring market, with the A-share market expected to maintain a slow bull trend [2] - The ongoing upward trend of the RMB against the USD is seen as a positive factor for the A-share market [2] - The market is advised to focus on sectors such as commercial aerospace, artificial intelligence, and robotics, as well as cyclical sectors like oil and non-ferrous metals [2] Group 4 - Dongfang Securities notes that the Shanghai Composite Index has successfully crossed the 4000-point mark, indicating a continued upward trend in the market [3] - The strengthening of the Hong Kong stock market and the RMB during the holiday period has boosted investor confidence [3] - New industries, particularly in commercial aerospace, AI, brain-computer interfaces, and nuclear fusion, are expected to attract increased capital inflows, enhancing market risk appetite [3]

Core Insights - Intrepid Potash, Inc., Aquatech International, LLC, and Adionics have announced progress on their lithium development project in Wendover, Utah, focusing on producing battery-grade lithium carbonate from byproduct brine at Intrepid's potash facility [1] Group 1 - The successful completion of test work demonstrates the ability to convert brine into battery-grade lithium carbonate [1]

Core Insights - Sigma Lithium Corp. experienced significant growth, nearly doubling in value over three months, driven by a 69% increase in net revenues quarter-over-quarter and a 36% increase year-over-year, reflecting strong execution and renewed investor interest in lithium [1] Group 1: Company Performance - Sigma Lithium Corp. ranked first with a 98.8% gain, closing at $18.05 from $8.80 [3] - Aris Mining Corp. achieved a 61.9% return, closing at $22.26 from $13.64, and consolidated its stake in the Soto Norte property [2][3] - Discovery Silver Corp. saw a 58.7% increase, closing at $8.38 from $5.16, and acquired the Porcupine Complex, enhancing its asset portfolio [2][3] - Other notable performers included Snowline Gold Corp. (56.9%), Sprott Physical Silver Trust (54.3%), and Almonty Industries Inc. (49.1%) [3] Group 2: Market Comparison - The S&P/TSX Composite index rose 5.6% during the same period, with a total return of 6.25%, outperforming the S&P 500, which returned 2.35% [3] - Seven of the top ten stocks for Q4 2025 were also among the top performers for the entire year, indicating strong momentum in the mining sector [3] Group 3: Annual Performance Highlights - Discovery Silver Corp. led the annual performance with a staggering 1100% gain, closing at $8.38 from $0.79 [4] - Almonty Industries Inc. followed with an 859.1% increase, closing at $12.07 from $1.52 [4] - Americas Gold and Silver Corp. achieved a 450.4% return, closing at $7.04 from $1.40 [4]

Market Overview - The A-share market opened higher on January 5, with the Shanghai Composite Index surpassing 4000 points for the first time in 34 trading days, reaching 4007.66 points, up by 38.82 points or 0.98% [1][2]. Brain-Computer Interface Sector - The brain-computer interface concept saw a surge, with stocks like Meihua Medical and Aipeng Medical hitting the daily limit, while nearly 20 stocks including Beiyikang and Sanbo Neuroscience also reached their limits. Other stocks like Guanhao Biological and Hanwei Technology rose over 10% [3][4]. Lithium Mining Sector - The lithium mining sector experienced fluctuations, with Salt Lake Holdings hitting the daily limit and reaching a three-and-a-half-year high. The company projected a net profit of 8.29 billion to 8.89 billion yuan for 2025, representing a year-on-year growth of 77.78% to 90.65% [5][6]. Storage Chip Sector - The storage chip sector strengthened, with stocks like Jiangbolong rising over 14% and Shanghai Xinyang over 12%. The demand for storage chips is expected to surge due to strong AI demand, with significant price increases projected for DDR4 and DDR5 memory chips [7][9]. AI Infrastructure Investment - Major North American cloud service providers, including Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon AWS, are expected to invest a record $600 billion in AI infrastructure by 2026. This demand is anticipated to drive up storage chip prices significantly, with DDR4 and DDR5 memory prices expected to rise by 1800% and 500%, respectively [9].

Core Insights - The analysis of Sigma Lithium (SGML) indicates a previously adverse market scenario, with lithium prices having reached cycle lows and a lack of market interest [1] Company Analysis - Sigma Lithium is positioned in a challenging market environment, with recent trading conditions reflecting a downturn in lithium demand [1] Macroeconomic Context - The author emphasizes the importance of macroeconomic dynamics in evaluating company valuations, particularly in the context of Latin American markets [1]

Industry Overview - The global lithium market is entering a new growth cycle after a challenging 2025, with prices having fallen approximately 90% from their 2022 peak due to slowed electric vehicle (EV) demand and increased supply [1] - The market is projected to expand from $13.9 billion in 2024 to $55.5 billion by 2032, indicating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 19% [4] Demand Drivers - Electric vehicles will continue to drive lithium demand, complemented by strong growth in solar power installations that enhance the use of battery energy storage systems (BESS) [2] - Artificial intelligence is creating new lithium needs, as massive AI data centers are increasingly incorporating lithium-ion batteries to manage peak energy use [3] Key Players Rio Tinto - Rio Tinto aims to become a major lithium producer, having completed a $6.7 billion acquisition of Arcadium Lithium, which provides access to significant lithium resources [7] - The company plans to increase capacity at its Tier 1 lithium operations to over 200,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent per year by 2028 [7] - Rio Tinto is also expanding its lithium operations in South America, with a $2.5 billion investment in the Rincon project in Argentina, expected to produce up to 60,000 tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually by 2028 [8] Lithium Americas - Lithium Americas is focusing on the U.S. market with its Thacker Pass project, which is expected to produce up to 40,000 tons of lithium carbonate per year, potentially making the U.S. the second-largest lithium producer [12] - The project has received strong government support, including a 5% stake acquisition by the U.S. Department of Energy and a $435 million loan from a larger $2.23 billion package [13] Albemarle - Albemarle is enhancing its global lithium conversion capacity through strategic projects, with production milestones supporting growth [15] - The company expects to achieve around $450 million in cost and productivity gains in 2025, exceeding initial targets [16] - Albemarle's scale and focus on cost management position it well to capture rising lithium demand globally [17] Sociedad Quimica y Minera (SQM) - SQM is expanding its lithium production capacity, targeting 240,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate by 2026 in Chile and ramping up lithium hydroxide capacity to 100,000 metric tons by the end of 2025 [19] - The company operates a lithium hydroxide refinery in China and is advancing the Mt. Holland project in Australia, further strengthening its global supply chain [20] - SQM anticipates long-term lithium demand to outpace supply, positioning itself to grow market share in the EV battery sector [21]