Battery Materials Market Weekly

Week 3 Analysis (Jan 15, 2026)

Executive Summary

LCE Surges Higher

Lithium Carbonate rallies to ¥160,000/t ($22,823), up 14.3% WoW. Futures-driven speculation and spot hoarding create bullish momentum.

Cathode Cost Pass-Through

LFP Power Grade rises to ¥54,800/t ($7,817), up 10.3% WoW as lithium costs flow through.

LiPF₆ Finds Floor

LiPF₆ stabilizes at ¥155,000/t ($22,110). Market searching equilibrium.

Anode Margin Capture

Mid-tier artificial anode holds at ¥27,500/t ($3,923). Producers capture margin from feedstock shifts.

Market at a Glance

Weekly Price Direction Heatmap (USD/t, Ex-VAT)

Anode Materials

High-End Artificial

→ STABLE

$7,631 USD/t

NCM Cathodes

5-Series (Single Crystal)

↑ SURGE

$25,305 USD/t

LFP Cathode

Power Grade

↑ SURGE

$7,817 USD/t

Lithium Carbonate

Battery Grade

↑ SURGE

$22,823 USD/t

LiOH

Battery Granular

↑ SURGE

$21,753 USD/t

LiPF₆

Average Market

↓ DOWN

$22,110 USD/t

LCO

4.35V Grade

↑ FIRM

$56,201 USD/t

LMO

Dynamical MnO₂

↑ SURGE

$8,202 USD/t

Anode Market Analysis

Graphite Pricing (USD/t Avg)

Artificial Graphite remains the dominant power baseline.

Market Commentary

Feedstock Dynamics

GPC and needle coke markets remain largely stable. Anode producers continue operating with measured inventory management.

Supply Discipline

Anode enterprises producing on strict "sales-based" model to avoid inventory bloat. Supply discipline keeping prices stable.

Technology Shift: LWG vs Acheson

Transition to LWG furnaces (2,500-3,000 kWh/MT) from Acheson (4,000-4,800 kWh/MT) enables massive margin capture for advanced producers.

Cathode Market: Pricing Snapshots

LFP (Power Grade)$7,817/t ↑
NCM 613 (Single Crystal)$25,305/t ↑
NCM 5-Series (Single/Power)$25,305/t ↑
LCO (4.35V)$56,201/t ↑
LMO (Dynamical MnO₂)$8,202/t ↑

Cathode Dynamics:Cathode sector experiencing direct lithium cost pass-through. LFP rose 10.3% WoW. NCM 613 at $25,305 and NCM 5 at $25,305.

Cathode Comparison (USD/t)

Direct lithium cost pass-through across chemistries.

Lithium Carbonate Market

Battery Grade (99.5%)Bullish Breakout
$22,823/t ↑
Industrial Grade (99.2%)Following Trend
$22,538/t ↑

Market Analysis: LCE surged to ¥160,000/t ($22,823), up 14.3% WoW. Futures speculation and spot hoarding drive the rally.

LCE Price Movement (USD/t Avg)

Breaking higher around the $22.8k level.

Electrolyte & LiOH Markets

Lithium Hydroxide (USD/t Avg)

LiOH trading at $1,070/t discount to LCE.

LiPF₆ Status (USD/t Avg)

Declining on overcapacity.

What Moved the Market This Week?

Lithium Speculation Intensifies

Futures-driven buying continues to push LCE higher. Spot traders suspending offers in anticipation of further gains.

Electrolyte Searching for Floor

LiPF₆ pricing remains under pressure but rate of decline moderating.

LiOH Discount Persists

LiOH trades at $1,070/t discount to LCE, signaling oversupply in high-nickel chemistry.

Anode Supply Discipline

Graphite anode enterprises continue "sales-based" production model. Despite feedstock cost movements, prices stable as manufacturers prioritize margin.

Strategic Outlook

Risk Warning: The lithium uptrend continues to pressure downstream costs. Raw material spikes are being passed through to cell costs with increasing efficiency.

D3CT Recommendation: Procurement teams should evaluate strategic inventory positioning. Winners of 2026 will master the technical physics of their supply chain.

Stay Ahead of the Market

Access real-time, granular intelligence on the lithium-ion battery supply chain. Delta3CoreTec helps you navigate the technical and commercial black boxes.

FOLLOW ON LINKEDIN
© 2026 Delta3CoreTec LLC. Proprietary & Confidential Research.