Lithium Fund Falls 3.99% as SQM Drops 3.54% | Lithium, Oct 22
Key Facts
- The LIT lithium fund fell 3.99% to US$60.68 on Thursday 22 October, the sharpest fall of the three lithium stocks we track.
- Chile’s SQM dropped 3.54% to US$56.37, a bigger fall than US rival Albemarle, which lost 2.04% to US$92.54.
- These are equities, not spot lithium: LIT is an exchange-traded fund holding lithium miners and battery-technology companies.
- Lithium stocks fell with the market: the Nasdaq lost about 2.6% and gold hit a two-month low.
- The Lithium Triangle holds more than half of known resources: Chile, Argentina and Bolivia together, according to Fastmarkets.
Today’s Focus
Lithium-linked shares fell on Thursday, 22 October 2026. The LIT fund, a basket of lithium miners and battery-technology companies, dropped 3.99% to US$60.68.
Chile’s SQM fell 3.54% to US$56.37 and US rival Albemarle lost 2.04% to US$92.54. Chilean sub-index SQM-B also fell 3.2% in Santiago.
We found no company news from either producer. The fall looks like a spillover from a broad sell-off in technology shares and metals.
What matters today. Lithium shares moved with global risk appetite, not with lithium prices, which we do not track here.
01 The session in one read
Lithium-linked shares had a bruising Thursday, 22 October 2026. The Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF, known by its ticker LIT, dropped 3.99% to US$60.68.
The fall was not isolated. SQM declined 3.54% to US$56.37 and Albemarle lost 2.04% to US$92.54, leaving little place to hide for Lithium Triangle exposure.
Thursday’s decline is best read as a spillover from a global sell-off rather than a lithium-specific shock.
Lithium stocks fell with the Nasdaq and with metals, and we found no company-specific news. The variable to watch is whether the LIT fund can hold the US$60 level, because a break below it would signal deeper selling in the sector.
02 The board
The broadest proxy, LIT, fell hardest at 3.99%, which suggests investors sold the whole battery supply chain and not only one producer.
SQM’s 3.54% slide outpaced Albemarle’s 2.04% decline. Both operate in Chile’s Atacama salt flat, so the gap probably reflects different investor bases and trading volumes.
| Asset | Level | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Lithium (LIT fund) | US$60.68 | −3.99% |
| Albemarle | US$92.54 | −2.04% |
| SQM | US$56.37 | −3.54% |
Source: RT close, 2026-10-22. Where a commodity has no spot feed, an exchange-traded tracker or leading producer is shown as a labelled proxy.
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| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBOV | 204,120.12 | -1.15% | +21.85% | 206,495.23 | 168,310 | 167,142 | — |
| IPSA | 10,780.31 | -1.88% | — | 10,987.14 | 11,210 | 10,984 | 1,513,213,483 |
| IPC MEX | 69,370.40 | -1.25% | +12.17% | 70,249.54 | 66,121 | 65,405 | 108,886,187 |
| MERVAL | 3,017,221 | — | +30.51% | 3,022,485 | 3,042,365 | 2,991,150 | — |
| COLCAP | 2,528.42 | -1.25% | — | 9.04 | 9.05 | 9.02 | 4,133 |
| BVL PERÚ | 59,561.23 | -4.26% | — | — | — | — | — |
| USD/BRL | 5.16 | +0.01% | -5.13% | 5.16 | 5.18 | 5.14 | — |
| EUR/BRL | 5.95 | +1.01% | -5.83% | 5.89 | 5.98 | 5.94 | — |
| USD/MXN | 17.06 | -0.24% | -8.58% | 17.10 | 17.08 | 17.01 | — |
| USD/CLP | 913.98 | +0.04% | -5.67% | 913.65 | 915.11 | 906.68 | — |
| USD/COP | 3,140 | +0.03% | -22.04% | 3,139 | 3,141 | 3,105 | — |
| USD/PEN | 3.36 | -0.66% | -4.82% | 3.38 | 3.38 | 3.35 | — |
| USD/ARS | 1,493 | +0.10% | +12.96% | 1,491 | 1,494 | 1,480 | — |
| USD/UYU | 40.27 | +1.24% | +1.80% | 39.77 | 40.27 | 40.23 | — |
| USD/PYG | 5,939 | +1.68% | -19.54% | 5,841 | 5,939 | 5,925 | — |
| USD/BOB | 11.64 | -0.76% | +72.04% | 11.73 | 11.72 | 11.64 | — |
| USD/DOP | 58.34 | +1.25% | -3.44% | 57.62 | 58.34 | 58.04 | — |
| USD/CRC | 445.92 | +0.89% | -9.71% | 441.97 | 448.50 | 445.92 | — |
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03 What moved it
No company announcement from Albemarle or SQM emerged during the session. Instead, technology shares fell sharply, the Nasdaq by about 2.6%, and gold hit its lowest level since 4 August on fears that oil-driven inflation will keep interest rates high.
When risk assets retreat together, lithium equities, which sit between mining and clean-energy growth, tend to absorb the pessimism. US initial jobless claims fell to 194,000 against a forecast of 200,000 (RT economic calendar), which kept rate worries alive.
04 The Latin American read
For the Lithium Triangle, Thursday was a reminder that global sentiment can override local fundamentals. Chile, Argentina and Bolivia together hold more than half of known lithium resources, according to Fastmarkets, but their listed champions trade in New York and move with global equity flows.
Argentina’s growing list of new projects remains the supply wild card. Chile’s IPSA fell 1.88% on the day, with SQM-B among the heaviest losers.
05 The names to watch
Albemarle held up best of the three, losing 2.04% against LIT’s 3.99%. Its Atacama operations are a bellwether for Chile’s mining policy.
SQM’s 3.54% decline shows the Chilean flagship remains more sensitive to risk-off flows. LIT’s heavier fall signals that investors also sold battery-technology names.
06 The outlook
The near-term question is whether the sell-off in technology and metals has further to run. If risk appetite stabilises, lithium equities could find a floor quickly.
The longer-term test is unchanged: can electric-vehicle battery demand absorb rising output from the Lithium Triangle, especially new Argentine projects?
07 What to watch
- Global risk appetite: A rebound in technology shares would ease pressure on lithium stocks.
- LIT at US$60: The fund closed just above this level; a break below would signal deeper selling.
- Argentine project news: Fresh supply headlines could sharpen fears that output will outpace battery demand.
- Albemarle against SQM: A widening gap may show which producer investors trust more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the LIT fund?
LIT is an exchange-traded fund that holds lithium miners and battery-technology companies, so it tracks equities and not the price of lithium itself.
Why did lithium stocks fall on Thursday?
We found no company news. Lithium shares fell with a broad sell-off in technology stocks and metals, and the LIT fund lost 3.99%.
Which countries hold the most lithium?
Chile, Argentina and Bolivia together hold more than half of known lithium resources, according to Fastmarkets.
Why did SQM fall more than Albemarle?
SQM lost 3.54% and Albemarle 2.04%. The gap probably reflects different investor bases and trading volumes, not geology.
Market data: RT
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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