Albemarle reports 60 percent increase in sales

Charlotte, NC – Albemarle Corporation announced its results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023.

Second-Quarter 2023 and Recent Highlights include: Net sales of $2.4 billion, an increase of 60%; Net income of $650.0 million, or $5.52 per diluted share, an increase of 60%; Adjusted diluted EPS of $7.33, an increase of 112%; Adjusted EBITDA of $1.0 billion, an increase of 69%.

“We achieved $2.4 billion in net sales, up 60% from prior year, primarily driven by higher prices and volumes in our Energy Storage business,” commented Albemarle CEO Kent Masters. “We remain confident in the long-term outlook for our businesses and are increasing our full-year 2023 net sales and adjusted EBITDA outlook based on the recent increase in lithium market prices. Our investments in future capacity are on track, with the Salar Yield Improvement Project mechanically complete and the Meishan project on schedule for early 2024 mechanical completion.”

The company is updating its full-year 2023 outlook to reflect recent lithium market prices. Net sales are expected to increase 40% to 55% over the prior year, primarily driven by the continued global shift to electric vehicles. The year-over-year increase in Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of 10% to 25%, primarily due to higher Energy Storage pricing. Net cash from operations is expected to be in the range of $1.2 billion to $1.8 billion for the full year 2023, below previous outlook primarily driven by changes in working capital related to timing of Energy Storage shipments and agreements in principle to resolve the previously disclosed matter (“DOJ Matter”) with the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The company’s capital expenditures are expected to be between $1.9 billion and $2.1 billion for 2023, above previous outlook due to the retention of full ownership in lithium processing assets under the amended agreements with MinRes.