Lithium ETF Falls 1.88% as Chile’s SQM Slides | Lithium, Oct 14
Key Facts
- The LIT lithium fund fell 1.88% to US$66.38 on Wednesday 14 October, while Albemarle edged up 0.33% to US$97.97.
- Chile’s SQM fell 1.89% to US$61.64 in New York, while Diario Financiero reported that lithium prices have erased their 2026 gains.
- Lithium prices have erased all of their 2026 gains, on expectations of oversupply, according to the same newspaper.
- US inflation of 3.7% beat the 3.6% forecast, lifting the dollar and pressuring growth and battery-metal stocks.
Today’s Focus
Lithium stocks fell on Wednesday 14 October as the US dollar rose and lithium prices stayed under pressure. The LIT fund lost 1.88% to US$66.38.
Diario Financiero said lithium prices have given back all of their 2026 gains on oversupply fears. SQM’s New York shares fell 1.89%.
Albemarle, the largest US producer, edged up 0.33%.
What matters today. Lithium is a bet on electric-vehicle demand and on Chile, Argentina and Brazil’s supply, so a fall to the year’s lows matters to US holders of battery-metal funds.
01 The session in one read
The LIT fund lost 1.88%, while Albemarle gained 0.33%. SQM, Chile’s lithium producer, fell 1.89%.
The pattern was a global mood, not company news: the S&P 500 fell 1.11% and the Nasdaq 1.88%.
Lithium shares are following the metal’s price, which has given up all of its 2026 gains. The dollar made the day worse.
The variable to watch is any supply cut by a large producer, because that would change the story.
02 The board
| Asset | Level | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Lithium (LIT fund) | US$66.38 | -1.88% |
| SQM (NYSE) | US$61.64 | -1.89% |
| Albemarle (ALB) | US$97.97 | +0.33% |
| Dollar index (DXY) | 102.5 | +0.34% |
| S&P 500 (US) | 7,718.94 | -1.11% |
We have no live spot feed for lithium, so we show dollar-listed proxies. The LIT fund holds miners and battery makers, not the metal.
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Latin America — Cross-Market Board
| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBOV | 206,505.98 | -0.18% | +21.85% | 206,887.52 | 168,310 | 167,142 | — |
| IPSA | 10,966.21 | -0.49% | — | 11,020.01 | 11,210 | 10,984 | 1,513,213,483 |
| IPC MEX | 66,659.01 | -0.46% | +12.17% | 66,965.15 | 66,121 | 65,405 | 108,886,187 |
| MERVAL | 2,835,843 | -1.16% | +30.51% | 3,022,485 | 3,042,365 | 2,991,150 | — |
| COLCAP | 2,582.29 | +0.46% | — | 9.04 | 9.05 | 9.02 | 4,133 |
| BVL PERÚ | 60,511.74 | -1.60% | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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
The US consumer price index rose 0.6% in September and 3.7% over twelve months, above the 3.6% forecast, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Rising US yields weigh on growth stocks and on battery makers.
Diario Financiero reported that lithium prices have erased all of their 2026 gains as the market expects too much supply.
China’s producer prices rose 5.0% in September from a year earlier, above the 4.5% forecast, and its balance of trade showed a surplus of US$133.53 billion (905.97 billion yuan), against a forecast of US$118.1 billion, official data showed.
Customs data showed exports up 36.3% and imports up 31.0% from a year earlier, against forecasts of 25.5% and 24.5%. Consumer prices rose 0.9%, just under the 1.0% forecast.
Banks made 1,080 billion yuan of new loans (about US$159 billion), above the 975 billion forecast, and total social financing reached 3,550 billion yuan (about US$523 billion). Money supply grew 7.2%, below the 7.4% forecast, and outstanding loans grew 4.8%, as forecast, using about 6.79 yuan per dollar, the rate implied by the trade data.
04 The Latin American read
Chile and Argentina are part of the world’s “lithium triangle”, with Bolivia. Brazil is a smaller but growing producer, in its Minas Gerais state.
Chile’s S&P IPSA fell 0.49% on the day, partly because of SQM.
05 The names to watch
SQM is Chile’s biggest lithium company, and Albemarle runs a large operation in Chile’s Atacama salt flat. Both depend on contract prices.
The Global X Lithium ETF holds both, along with battery makers.
06 The outlook
Lithium needs either more demand or less supply to recover. Neither signal arrived on Wednesday.
What it means for you: if you hold lithium shares, the risk is price, not volume, and Chile’s peso, near 985 per dollar, adds a currency effect for local investors.
07 What to watch
- Lithium prices: A rebound above the start-of-year level would end the oversupply story.
- SQM: A further fall would extend the recent weakness.
- Chile’s peso: A weaker peso lowers the dollar value of local profits.
- US data: US retail sales on Thursday 15 October at 12:30 UTC will steer growth stocks.
Background: Lithium ETF Slips 1.05% as Albemarle Falls 0.87%.
Background: Chile Stocks Slip 0.21% as Copec Falls 3.8%.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did lithium stocks fall on 14 October?
The LIT fund fell 1.88% as lithium prices stayed weak and US inflation lifted the dollar.
What happened to SQM?
Its New York shares fell 1.89% to US$61.64, a fall in line with the sector.
Why are lithium prices low?
Diario Financiero said they have erased all of their 2026 gains on expectations of oversupply.
Which countries produce lithium in Latin America?
Chile and Argentina are leaders, with Brazil growing as a producer.
Market data: RT; US inflation: US Bureau of Labor Statistics; China data: National Bureau of Statistics and customs; SQM and lithium prices: Diario Financiero
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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