Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM)

I maintain my buy rating on Sociedad Quimica Y Minera De Chile, emphasizing its financial resilience and strategic position despite ongoing lithium market pressures and margin compression. Sociedad Quimica Y Minera De Chile's valuation is fair—not undervalued, but not overpriced—supported by superior profitability metrics and operational efficiency versus peers. Short-term risks include weak lithium prices, regulatory uncertainty in Chile, and increased global competition, making 2025 a transitional year.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM ) Q2 2025 Earnings Conference Call August 20, 2025 12:00 PM ET Company Participants Carlos Diaz Ortiz - Chief Executive Officer of the SQM Lithium Chile Division Felipe Smith - Commercial Manager of Iodine Lithium & Industrial Chemicals Gerardo Illanes G.

SANTIAGO, Chile, Aug. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) (NYSE: SQM; Santiago Stock Exchange: SQM-B, SQM-A) reported today net income for the six months ended June 30, 2025, of US$226.0 million or US$0.79 per share, compared to a loss1 of US$(655.9) million or US$(2.30) per share reported for the same period last year.

Lithium is poised to become a red-hot commodity in the basic materials sector, driven by a couple of key macro tailwinds. First and foremost, the new data center buildout across the United States will require a decent amount of lithium to be used in the supercomputers that will train tomorrow's leading artificial intelligence models.

Shares of Albemarle (ALB) and other lithium producers took off on reports big Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., or CATL, said it was suspending production at one of the largest mines in the world.

In the world of electric vehicles and clean energy, lithium is the new oil. The metal powering batteries that run everything from smartphones to Tesla's Model 3 is suddenly back in the spotlight.

The supply of metal used for electric vehicles and computer batteries has been growing, but stocks of lithium companies are rallying as another mine shuts down.

Compelling data from high-cost producers in China and Australia indicate that supply-side capitulation is underway, forming a classic bottoming signal for lithium prices. SQM recently finalized a landmark partnership with state-owned Codelco, eliminating the company's greatest long-term risk and extending its operational runway in Salar de Atacama. Despite this fundamental de-risking, I believe the market is still mispricing SQM, failing to account for its transformation from a high-risk asset into a blue-chip lithium leader.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile is a key lithium producer with unique Atacama assets, powering global EV and battery supply chains, and supplying essential agricultural inputs like iodine, and nitrates. The company trades at a discount: P/E drops from 15.5x to 6.9x by 2027, with projected EPS growth of +30%, +60%, and +90% over 3 years. Strong fundamentals with ROE twice the sector average, 13.5% net margin, and operating cash flow four times higher than peers, despite lithium price pressure.

Shares of Chilean lithium mining company Sociedad Quimica y Minera (SQM 5.08%) -- simply "SQM" to its friends -- jumped 4.9% through 12:10 p.m. ET this afternoon on positive news out of Europe.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM ) Q1 2025 Results Conference Call May 28, 2025 12:00 PM ET Company Participants Isabel Bendeck - Investor Relations Officer Ricardo Ramos - CEO Gerardo Illanes - CFO Felipe Smith - Commercial Vice President of Lithium Chile Division Carlos Diaz - CEO of Lithium Chile Division Andres Fontannaz - Commercial Vice President of International Lithium Division Pablo Hernandez - Vice President of Strategy and Development of Lithium Chile Division Pablo Altimiras - CEO of Iodine and Plant Nutrition Division Juan Pablo Bellolio - Commercial Vice President of Ireland and Industrial Chemicals Conference Call Participants Ben Isaacson - Scotiabank Joel Jackson - BMO Capital Markets Corinne Blanchard - Deutsche Bank Alejandro Demichelis - Jefferies Julia Zaniolo - Bank of America Juraj Domic - LarrainVial Lucas Ferreira - JPMorgan Constanza Gonzalez - Quest Capital Operator Hello, everyone, and welcome to the SQM First Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call.

SANTIAGO, Chile, May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) (NYSE: SQM; Santiago Stock Exchange: SQM-B, SQM-A) reported today net income for the three months ended March 31, 2025, of US$137.5 million or US$0.48 per share, compared to a loss1 of US$(869.5) million or US$(3.04) per share reported for the same period last year.

President Trump signed an executive order on April 15 to launch a Section 232 investigation into the national security threats posed by critical mineral imports. SQM benefits from low-cost lithium production and a diversified product mix, positioning it for long-term growth despite tariff uncertainties. Chile's strong trade relationship with the U.S. and potential friend-shoring strategies favor SQM amid Trump's aggressive trade policies.

SQM (SQM) witnessed a jump in share price last session on above-average trading volume. The latest trend in earnings estimate revisions for the stock doesn't suggest further strength down the road.

Four Indian state firms are in talks with Chilean miner SQM to acquire a 20% stake in its two lithium projects in Australia for $600 million, four sources said, in New Delhi's biggest effort to secure supplies of the key EV battery metal.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile is rated a Buy due to projected growth in the EV market, driving future lithium demand and revenue. Partnership with Codelco in 2031 is set to lower 20-25% of SQM's lithium revenue, which currently accounts for 43% of the company's profits. SQM is expanding lithium production, particularly in Chile, to meet rising demand, with diversified operations in Australia and China for stability.