Charlotte, North Carolina-based Albemarle Corporation (ALB) develops, manufactures, and markets engineered specialty chemicals for mobility, energy, connectivity, and health solutions. With a market cap of $10.9 billion, the company offers critical ingredients used in grid storage, automotive, aerospace, conventional energy, electronics, construction, agriculture and food, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. The lithium giant is expected to announce its fiscal third-quarter earnings for 2026 after the market closes on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Ahead of the event, analysts expect Albemarle to report a profit of $2.39 per share on a diluted basis, up significantly from a loss of $0.19 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company beat the consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters while missing the forecast on another occasion.
For the full year, analysts expect Albemarle to report EPS of $11.19, up remarkably from a loss of $0.79 per share in fiscal 2025. Meanwhile, its EPS is expected to rise 2.9% year over year to $11.51 in fiscal 2027.
ALB stock has underperformed the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 14.4% gains over the past 52 weeks, with shares down 4.3% during this period. Similarly, it underperformed the State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLB) 15.7% returns over the same time frame.
Albemarle's underperformance has been heavily driven by persistent volatility and depressed structural pricing in the global lithium market following prior oversupply cycles, forcing the company to navigate severe margin compression, aggressive cost-cutting initiatives, and cautious investor sentiment regarding long-term electric vehicle demand growth.
On Aug. 5, ALB reported its Q2 results, and its shares jumped over 10% in the following two trading sessions. Its adjusted EPS of $3.75 exceeded Wall Street expectations of $3.35. The company’s revenue was $1.7 billion, beating Wall Street forecasts of $1.6 billion.
Analysts’ consensus opinion on ALB stock is reasonably bullish, with a “Moderate Buy” rating overall. Out of 23 analysts covering the stock, 12 advise a “Strong Buy” rating, two suggest a “Moderate Buy,” eight give a “Hold,” and one recommends a “Strong Sell.” ALB’s average analyst price target is $156.87, indicating an ambitious potential upside of 69.5% from the current levels.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.