Analyst Consensus ?
ConsensusHold43 ratings
Bullish1944.2%
Neutral1944.2%
Bearish511.6%
1 unmapped firm rating excluded from the percentages.
Albemarle Corporation · ALB · FY2026 Q1 · Calendar Q2 2026
Albemarle Q1 2026: Earnings Beat on Lithium Pricing, Debt Repaid, Guidance Raised
Albemarle delivered a decisive Q1 2026 beat, with EPS of $2.95 versus a $1.19 estimate (148% surprise) and revenue of $1.43 billion versus $1.34 billion expected (6.6% surprise). Net sales rose 33% year-over-year and adjusted EBITDA more than doubled to $664 million, driven by higher lithium pricing, energy-storage volume growth, and cost-productivity gains. The company repaid $1.3 billion of debt, reducing leverage to approximately 1x EBITDA, and raised its Specialties segment outlook. Management expressed confidence in long-term growth from DLE technology in Chile, brownfield expansions at Greenbushes and Wodgina, and Kings Mountain permitting. The stock initially moved up on the beat (abnormal move of +3.3%) but subsequently drifted 21.6% lower. As of July 31, ALB trades at $117.76, well below the consensus analyst target of $206.75, suggesting the market remains skeptical about…
Reported After market closeNYSEBasic Materials
$13.89B market cap
90quality score
Company context
Snapshot as of publicationAlbemarle Corporation stands as a global innovator, producing and distributing a diverse portfolio of engineered specialty chemicals. Its business operations are divided into three principal segments: Lithium, Bromine, and Catalysts. The Lithium division supplies a variety of lithium compounds, including lithium carbonate, hydroxide, and chloride, alongside critical reagents like butyllithium. These materials are vital for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries found in electric vehicles and consumer electronics, as well as for high-performance greases, thermoplastic elastomers used in tires and plastics, and as catalysts for chemical reactions, organic synthesis in areas like steroid chemistry, vitamins, and the pharmaceutical industry.…
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensus
Reported EPS
$2.95
Consensus $1
EPS surprise
+147.9%
Reported versus consensus
Reported revenue
$1.43B
Consensus $1.34B
Revenue surprise
+6.6%
Reported versus consensus
Earnings History
Estimate
Beat
Miss
Match
Analyst 52W Price Targets
$116.45Current
$68Low
$198.8Average
$320High
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted current price from FN2's market snapshot as of Jul 31, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.
Firm-level rating actions
FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.
| Firm | Rating | Prior rating | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotiabank | Sector Outperform | Sector Outperform | Maintain | Jul 28, 2026 |
| Truist Securities | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 20, 2026 |
| Mizuho | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Citigroup | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Jun 18, 2026 |
| RBC Capital | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | May 26, 2026 |
| Argus Research | Buy | Buy | Maintain | May 11, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | May 8, 2026 |
| UBS | Buy | Buy | Maintain | May 8, 2026 |
| B of A Securities | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Apr 21, 2026 |
| Baird | Neutral | Outperform | Downgrade | Apr 17, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI Group | In Line | In Line | Maintain | Feb 18, 2026 |
| JP Morgan | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jan 28, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jan 28, 2026 |
| Oppenheimer | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Deutsche Bank | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Jan 13, 2026 |
| BMO Capital | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Nov 19, 2025 |
| Keybanc | Overweight | Downgrade | Jul 30, 2025 | |
| Morgan Stanley | Underweight | Underweight | Maintain | May 6, 2025 |
| TD Securities | Hold | Hold | Maintain | May 1, 2025 |
| Piper Sandler | Underweight | Underweight | Maintain | Feb 20, 2025 |
| Berenberg | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Jul 31, 2024 |
| HSBC | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Jul 17, 2024 |
| Loop Capital | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Mar 15, 2024 |
| Vertical Research | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Mar 8, 2024 |
| TD Cowen | Market Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | Jan 29, 2024 |
| Credit Suisse | Underperform | Underperform | Maintain | Aug 3, 2023 |
| Goldman Sachs | Sell | Neutral | Downgrade | Dec 15, 2021 |
| Cowen & Co. | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Mar 10, 2021 |
| SunTrust Robinson Humphrey | Hold | Hold | Maintain | May 11, 2020 |
| CFRA | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Apr 3, 2020 |
| Seaport Global | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Nov 14, 2019 |
| Bank of America | Underperform | Buy | Downgrade | Oct 28, 2019 |
| Buckingham Research | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Oct 3, 2019 |
| Buckingham | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Oct 3, 2019 |
| Gabelli & Co. | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Sep 12, 2019 |
| Nomura | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Aug 9, 2019 |
| Argus | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Feb 23, 2018 |
| Macquarie | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Aug 19, 2015 |
| BB&T Capital | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 8, 2015 |
| Topeka Capital | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Jul 29, 2014 |
| Topeka | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Jul 29, 2014 |
| Sterne Agee | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Oct 18, 2013 |
| PiperJaffray | Neutral | Overweight | Downgrade | Sep 24, 2013 |
| Gilford Securities | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Jan 8, 2013 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted current price $116.45. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RBC Capital | Analyst unavailable | $166 | $118.83 | +42.6% | Jul 17, 2026 |
| RBC Capital | Analyst unavailable | $257 | $177.4 | +120.7% | May 26, 2026 |
| Vertical Research | Analyst unavailable | $224 | $171.58 | +92.4% | May 26, 2026 |
| Scotiabank | Ben Isaacson | $215 | $191 | +84.6% | May 14, 2026 |
| Deutsche Bank | David Begleiter | $250 | $206.88 | +114.7% | May 12, 2026 |
| RBC Capital | Analyst unavailable | $253 | $216.2 | +117.3% | May 11, 2026 |
| Argus Research | Analyst unavailable | $230 | $215 | +97.5% | May 11, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $264 | $198.01 | +126.7% | May 8, 2026 |
| Truist Financial | Analyst unavailable | $260 | $198.35 | +123.3% | May 8, 2026 |
| RBC Capital | Analyst unavailable | $245 | $185.38 | +110.4% | Apr 24, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $189 | $186.22 | +62.3% | Apr 14, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $230 | $172.35 | +97.5% | Apr 9, 2026 |
| Truist Financial | Peter Osterland | $210 | $158.91 | +80.3% | Mar 6, 2026 |
| Berenberg Bank | Andres Castanos-Mollor | $153 | $168.42 | +31.4% | Feb 23, 2026 |
| Evercore ISI | Analyst unavailable | $180 | $173.46 | +54.6% | Feb 18, 2026 |
| RBC Capital | Analyst unavailable | $216 | $170.25 | +85.5% | Feb 17, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $165 | $166.35 | +41.7% | Feb 16, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Vincent Andrews | $170 | $165.85 | +46.0% | Feb 13, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $185 | $175.43 | +58.9% | Feb 12, 2026 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $174 | $189.51 | +49.4% | Jan 26, 2026 |
| RBC Capital | Arun Viswanathan | $200 | $178.41 | +71.7% | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Oppenheimer | Analyst unavailable | $207 | $176.56 | +77.8% | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Truist Financial | Peter Osterland | $205 | $172.54 | +76.0% | Jan 21, 2026 |
| HSBC | Analyst unavailable | $200 | $163.04 | +71.7% | Jan 19, 2026 |
| Deutsche Bank | David Begleiter | $185 | $169.33 | +58.9% | Jan 12, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $156 | $167.82 | +34.0% | Jan 12, 2026 |
| UBS | Joshua Spector | $205 | $167.58 | +76.0% | Jan 12, 2026 |
| Scotiabank | Analyst unavailable | $200 | $161.29 | +71.7% | Jan 12, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $210 | $158.15 | +80.3% | Jan 7, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Laurence Alexander | $167 | $143.93 | +43.4% | Jan 5, 2026 |
| RBC Capital | Analyst unavailable | $159 | $134.71 | +36.5% | Dec 18, 2025 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $132 | $134.71 | +13.4% | Dec 18, 2025 |
| Truist Financial | Peter Osterland | $125 | $137.01 | +7.3% | Dec 17, 2025 |
| Morgan Stanley | Vincent Andrews | $147 | $133.72 | +26.2% | Dec 16, 2025 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $185 | $119.14 | +58.9% | Dec 5, 2025 |
| Deutsche Bank | David Begleiter | $125 | $128.14 | +7.3% | Dec 3, 2025 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $113 | $128.33 | -3.0% | Dec 2, 2025 |
| BMO Capital | Joel Jackson | $136 | $121.39 | +16.8% | Nov 19, 2025 |
| Scotiabank | Analyst unavailable | $85 | $103.65 | -27.0% | Nov 10, 2025 |
| Truist Financial | Analyst unavailable | $87 | $92.74 | -25.3% | Oct 20, 2025 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $90 | $96.24 | -22.7% | Oct 15, 2025 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $85 | $92.69 | -27.0% | Oct 6, 2025 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $92 | $87.61 | -21.0% | Oct 3, 2025 |
| Robert W. Baird | Ben Kallo | $68 | $87.08 | -41.6% | Aug 29, 2025 |
| UBS | Joshua Spector | $89 | $82.71 | -23.6% | Aug 26, 2025 |
| Deutsche Bank | Analyst unavailable | $74 | $68.56 | -36.5% | Aug 4, 2025 |
| Robert W. Baird | Ben Kallo | $60 | $71.58 | -48.5% | Jul 29, 2025 |
| Mizuho Securities | John Roberts | $76 | $71.82 | -34.7% | Jul 15, 2025 |
| UBS | Joshua Spector | $57 | $74.27 | -51.1% | Jul 11, 2025 |
| Piper Sandler | Charles Neivert | $68 | $61.08 | -41.6% | May 14, 2025 |
| Mizuho Securities | Analyst unavailable | $85 | $75.51 | -27.0% | Mar 7, 2025 |
| Morgan Stanley | Vincent Andrews | $68 | $81.21 | -41.6% | Feb 18, 2025 |
| Berenberg Bank | Andres Castanos-Mollor | $102 | $81.65 | -12.4% | Nov 13, 2024 |
| KeyBanc | Aleksey Yefremov | $127 | $98.56 | +9.1% | Nov 12, 2024 |
| Jefferies | Laurence Alexander | $120 | $96.05 | +3.0% | Sep 27, 2024 |
| BMO Capital | Joel Jackson | $150 | $77.81 | +28.8% | Aug 16, 2024 |
| Piper Sandler | Charles Neivert | $90 | $80.4 | -22.7% | Aug 8, 2024 |
| RBC Capital | Arun Viswanathan | $111 | $81.05 | -4.7% | Aug 6, 2024 |
| KeyBanc | Aleksey Yefremov | $132 | $83.8 | +13.4% | Aug 5, 2024 |
| Berenberg Bank | Andres Castanos-Mollor | $83 | $92.51 | -28.7% | Jul 31, 2024 |
| Piper Sandler | Charles Neivert | $95 | $92.77 | -18.4% | Jun 25, 2024 |
| UBS | Joshua Spector | $124 | $112.65 | +6.5% | Jun 13, 2024 |
| Argus Research | Bill Selesky | $166 | $112.65 | +42.6% | Jun 12, 2024 |
| Piper Sandler | Charles Neivert | $122 | $124.38 | +4.8% | May 30, 2024 |
| Scotiabank | Ben Isaacson | $135 | $127.5 | +15.9% | May 21, 2024 |
| Deutsche Bank | Corinne Blanchard | $140 | $130.78 | +20.2% | May 7, 2024 |
| Scotiabank | Ben Isaacson | $150 | $129.65 | +28.8% | May 6, 2024 |
| RBC Capital | Arun Viswanathan | $157 | $128.1 | +34.8% | May 6, 2024 |
| Berenberg Bank | Andres Castanos-Mollor | $160 | $127.65 | +37.4% | Apr 11, 2024 |
| Loop Capital Markets | Chris Kapsch | $162 | $131.17 | +39.1% | Mar 28, 2024 |
| Loop Capital Markets | Joel Jackson | $180 | $122.66 | +54.6% | Nov 7, 2023 |
| Piper Sandler | Charles Neivert | $155 | $135.32 | +33.1% | Oct 25, 2023 |
| Robert W. Baird | Ben Kallo | $288 | $203.98 | +147.3% | May 15, 2023 |
| KeyBanc | Aleksey Yefremov | $270 | $194.51 | +131.9% | May 11, 2023 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $250 | $235.62 | +114.7% | Jan 11, 2023 |
| Citigroup | Analyst unavailable | $295 | $247.86 | +153.3% | Dec 15, 2022 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $155 | $264.64 | +33.1% | Nov 28, 2022 |
| Jefferies | Jonathan Petersen | $320 | $212.04 | +174.8% | Jun 20, 2022 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $135 | $242.41 | +15.9% | May 9, 2022 |
| Citigroup | PJ Juvekar | $244 | $190.37 | +109.5% | Feb 18, 2022 |
| UBS | John Roberts | $320 | $190.76 | +174.8% | Feb 18, 2022 |
| Wells Fargo | Edward Kelly | $215 | $190.37 | +84.6% | Feb 18, 2022 |
| Oppenheimer | Colin Rusch | $307 | $196.61 | +163.6% | Feb 17, 2022 |
| Mizuho Securities | Chris Parkinson | $243 | $196.61 | +108.7% | Feb 17, 2022 |
| HSBC | Santhosh Seshadri | $280 | $205.2 | +140.4% | Jan 26, 2022 |
| Cowen & Co. | David Deckelbaum | $275 | $232.62 | +136.2% | Dec 26, 2021 |
| Goldman Sachs | Robert Koort | $205 | $238.9 | +76.0% | Dec 15, 2021 |
| Loop Capital Markets | Chris Kapsch | $280 | $214.42 | +140.4% | Oct 4, 2021 |
| Jefferies | Laurence Alexander | $300 | $218.16 | +157.6% | Sep 30, 2021 |
| Argus Research | Bill Selesky | $278 | $237.75 | +138.7% | Aug 10, 2021 |
| Morgan Stanley | Vincent Andrews | $80 | $158.27 | -31.3% | May 10, 2021 |
Track every rating change on ALB the moment it posts. Free to start.
Start freeMarket reaction
event-close to next-session close
Stock move
+3.0%
Event window
SPY move
-0.3%
Same window
Abnormal move
+3.3%
Stock minus SPY
Volume
2.1×
Versus trailing sessions
Subsequent drift
-21.6%
Up to 20 sessions
ALBSPY benchmark
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Try FN2 freeTranscript intelligence
What changed
Q1 2026 marked a sharp improvement versus consensus expectations. EPS came in 148% above estimate, revenue exceeded estimates by 6.6%, and adjusted EBITDA more than doubled year-over-year to $664 million. The company repaid $1.3 billion of debt, reducing leverage to approximately 1x EBITDA. Energy storage demand surged 117% year-over-year, offsetting a 6% decline in global EV unit sales while still delivering 3% GWh growth. The Specialties segment outlook was raised. A DLE pilot plant in Chile achieved over 94% lithium recovery, and environmental permitting was initiated for a commercial-scale project.
Guidance delta
Management raised the Specialties segment outlook to $1.3-$1.5 billion in net sales and $225-$275 million in EBITDA. Energy Storage guidance was maintained. Cost-productivity initiatives remain on track to deliver $100-$150 million in annual savings. Overall guidance sentiment was raised.
Key takeaways
- EPS of $2.95 beat the $1.19 estimate by 148%; revenue of $1.43 billion beat the $1.34 billion estimate by 6.6%
- Net sales up 33% YoY to $1.4 billion; adjusted EBITDA more than doubled to $664 million
- $1.3 billion of debt repaid in Q1, reducing leverage to approximately 1x EBITDA
- Energy storage demand up 117% YoY, offsetting a 6% drop in global EV unit sales
- Specialties outlook raised to $1.3-$1.5 billion net sales and $225-$275 million EBITDA
- DLE pilot plant in Chile achieving over 94% lithium recovery; environmental permitting initiated for commercial project
Management priorities
- Complete permitting and advance the DLE plant in Chile toward commercial operation
- Ramp the CGP3 project at Greenbushes to full capacity
- Bring all three trains at Wodgina to full operation
- Advance permitting and economic studies for the Kings Mountain project
- Continue cost-productivity initiatives targeting $100-$150 million in annual savings
- Maintain balance sheet strength following $1.3 billion debt repayment
Related earnings events
Basic MaterialsSources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-05-11T10:29:34.698584+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-07-26T00:37:12.209961+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-07-31T12:01:19.116859+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-07-31T12:01:19.114116+00:00
Methodology
Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.
Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.
Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.
By FN2 Research · Updated . For educational purposes only; not investment advice.