New York, Jan 9, 2026, 06:56 EST — Premarket

Albemarle (ALB.N) shares edged higher in premarket trading on Friday, riding a broker upgrade and fresh signs of strength in lithium prices. The stock was up about 0.6% at $159.20 as of 6:56 a.m. ET, after ending Thursday at $158.28. ( MarketBeat)

Baird analyst Ben Kallo upgraded Albemarle this week and raised his price target to $210 from $113, Barron’s reported. The brokerage also lifted its 2026 earnings forecast to $5.35 a share, the report said. ( Barron’s)

The call lands as China’s lithium market stays jumpy. Spot battery‑grade lithium carbonate — a key chemical for lithium‑ion batteries — averaged 133,500 yuan ($/mt) on Jan. 7, up 6,000 yuan from the…