Each week our High Voltage column wraps all the news driving ASX battery metals stocks with exposure to lithium, cobalt, graphite, manganese and vanadium.

Scroll down for a table showing the recent performance of 200 ASX battery metal stocks >>

INDUSTRY FOCUS

The boss of one emerging manganese producer says battery metals are currently on the nose with investors because they jumped the gun over the whole electric vehicle thematic.

Despite this, rapidly growing demand is very real.

“There was a huge enthusiasm for battery raw materials well in advance of the emergence of the real demand for these products,” Euro Manganese (ASX:EMN) CEO Marco Romero told Stockhead.

“I think there was an excessive exuberance … followed by a disappointment.

“There probably will be other rushes, other ups and downs in the market over time, but there is no doubt that the fundamental demand for these products is on the increase and will be so for the foreseeable future.”

The proof is in the billions of dollars being spent by major carmakers, according to Mr Romero.

Now carmakers are changing gear

And now these major carmakers are even flirting with direct investment in cobalt miners so they have a stable, long term supply of the EV battery ingredient.

Cobalt is currently crucial to improving the longevity and safety of lithium-ion batteries, and despite the EV industry’s desire to substitute cobalt out, the demand outlook remains very strong.

Carmakers don’t need their own personal cobalt mines just yet, but “it is certainly a topic of conversation,” Ted Miller, head of energy storage strategy and research at Ford says.

This follows speculation that Japanese car and battery makers Toyota, Honda and Panasonic are considering a joint venture to secure cobalt for EV batteries.

Total global cobalt production in 2017 was 110,000 tonnes, with battery use accounting for around 40 per cent of that.

Cobalt demand will continue to rise EVEN IF cobalt-per-EV falls.    Source: Cobalt27

Roskill analysts expect cobalt demand from the battery sector alone to reach nearly 100,000 tonnes by 2020 and the market as a whole to reach over 155,000 tonnes.

Mr Miller also reiterated that automakers are trying hard to reduce their dependency on cobalt, which is relatively expensive and primarily mined out of the politically sensitive Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Not only has the DRC just hiked royalties on cobalt to 10 per cent – almost triple the previous levy of 3.5 per cent — existing producers in the country are having critical production issues.

via GIPHY

 

Like a (co)bolt from the blue

These production issues could actually inject some life back into the flatlining cobalt market.

Glencore subsidiary Katanga Mining was in the midst of ramping up to 34,000 tonnes per year of cobalt hydroxide in 2019 – that’s equivalent to 21 per cent of global supply.

The amount of product Katanga now expects to export in 2019? Nada.

In November last year, Glencore announced that 20,000 tonnes of cobalt hydroxide sales would be removed from the market until the third quarter of 2019 after discovering low levels of radioactivity.

Now this wave of supply has been deferred until at least 2020 after the DRC Government wasn’t convinced of Glencore’s plan to remove the radioactivity from the cobalt.

Katanga now reckons that if it gets the green light from the DRC government it can start commissioning its ion exchange plant in the fourth quarter of 2019.

“The market had been expecting a glut of material to hit the market in the second half of 2019,” Marcel Goldenberg, metals pricing analyst at S&P Global Platts told Stockhead.

“Yet, the announcement from Katanga and the subsequent loss of expected cobalt supply from the global market in the second half of 2019 may cause the recent price trends to be reversed, according to market sources.”

READ: Lithium Stocks — Here’s Everything You Need to Know

SMALL CAP SPOTLIGHT

Of the companies on our list, about 80 lost ground, 54 were ahead and 58 were steady this week.

Here’s how that looks for the year so far:

This week’s big winners included US-based lithium explorer Anson Resources (ASX:ASN) and Canadian cobalt player Blackstone Minerals (ASX:BSX), up 28 per cent for the week.

High Purity Alumina (HPA) hopeful Andromeda (ASX:ADN) has caught the eye of a company which supplies global battery maker LG Chem.

HPA, which can be created from an aluminous clay called kaolin, is in demand because it helps stop lithium-ion batteries from catching fire.

South Australian based Andromeda  said that discussions were now “in progress” regarding the use of the explorer’s halloysite-kaolin for HPA production in China.

The $6.1m market cap explorer finished the week up 17 per cent.

Cobalt explorers Corazon (ASX:CZN) and Buxton Resources (ASX:BUX), vanadium focused Auteco (SX:AUT), and graphite player Lincoln Minerals (ASX:LML) were also in the top 10 this week.

Here’s a table of ASX battery metal stocks with exposure to lithium, cobalt, graphite, manganese and vanadium>>>

Scroll or swipe to reveal table. Click headings to sort. Best viewed on a laptop

 

Ticker Name 1 Week Price Change % 1 Year Price Change % Share Price [Mon Feb 11] Market Cap
AUR AURIS MINERALS 33.3333 -6.9767 0.04 $16,347,254.00
ASN ANSON RESOURCES 28.7879 -59.5238 0.088 $40,124,348.00
BSX BLACKSTONE MINERALS 27.7778 -74.4444 0.1 $8,007,152.50
CZN CORAZON MINING 25 -66.6667 0.0045 $6,326,416.50
BUX BUXTON RESOURCES 20 0 0.12 $15,646,375.00
LML LINCOLN MINERALS 20 -81.8182 0.006 $3,449,902.00
AUT AUTECO MINERALS 20 0 0.006 $5,400,000.00
VXR VENTUREX RESOURCES 19.4444 -4.4444 0.22 $51,652,112.00
TRT TODD RIVER RESOURCES 19.3548 -41.9385 0.074 $11,510,067.00
MZZ MATADOR MINING 18.75 -40.625 0.19 $10,237,833.00
TAR TARUGA MINERALS 17.6471 -25 0.06 $8,470,034.00
ADN ANDROMEDA METALS 16.6667 0 0.007 $7,590,956.00
JMS JUPITER MINES 14.5833 290.9465 0.29 $519,132,608.00
LPI LITHIUM POWER INTERNATIONAL 14.5833 -33.7349 0.275 $72,191,320.00
INF INFINITY LITHIUM 14.5161 -40.8333 0.071 $13,882,491.00
MXR MAXIMUS RESOURCES 13.2353 -55.3623 0.071 $2,149,384.25
ENT ENTERPRISE METALS 12.5 -40 0.009 $3,492,564.75
GPX GRAPHEX MINING 11.7647 -36.6667 0.19 $17,760,528.00
RNU RENASCOR RESOURCES 11.7647 -47.2222 0.02 $20,761,638.00
ZNC ZENITH MINERALS 11.2903 -59.4118 0.067 $14,255,063.00
FEL FE 11.1111 -60 0.018 $7,472,559.50
KDR KIDMAN RESOURCES 10.8 -25.1351 1.425 $560,644,416.00
INR IONEER 10.7143 -51.5625 0.15 $228,622,448.00
NZC NZURI COPPER 10.5263 -30 0.21 $54,742,516.00
CZR COZIRON RESOURCES 10 -42.1053 0.011 $21,426,616.00
BKT BLACK ROCK MINING 9.5238 23.2143 0.073 $38,772,340.00
SYA SAYONA MINING 9.5238 -63.4921 0.023 $43,031,500.00
MIN MINERAL RESOURCES 9.2857 -9.4294 17 $3,195,461,376.00
AMD ARROW MINERALS 7.6923 -56.25 0.014 $4,403,568.50
BAU BAUXITE RESOURCES 6.6667 33.3333 0.08 $17,153,786.00
RTR RUMBLE RESOURCES 6.6667 0 0.045 $16,780,330.00
TLG TALGA RESOURCES 5.8824 -47.8261 0.36 $81,822,240.00
OMH OM HOLDINGS 5.6818 27.3596 1.41 $1,026,686,464.00
KSN KINGSTON RESOURCES 5.5556 -9.5238 0.019 $22,017,570.00
GED GOLDEN DEEPS 5.1282 17.1429 0.039 $7,026,612.50
POS POSEIDON NICKEL 5.1282 -4.6512 0.042 $108,350,776.00
ARM AURORA MINERALS 5 -38.2353 0.021 $2,459,799.00
WKT WALKABOUT RESOURCES 4.7619 12.2449 0.11 $33,467,472.00
HMX HAMMER METALS 4.5455 -54 0.023 $6,122,536.00
ARU ARAFURA RESOURCES 4.4444 -51.2927 0.048 $34,627,348.00
BAT BATTERY MINERALS 4.3478 -72.4138 0.023 $25,614,446.00
CAZ CAZALY RESOURCES 4.3478 -40 0.024 $5,587,657.50
S32 SOUTH32 4 4.7126 3.71 $18,690,437,120.00
ORE OROCOBRE 3.7383 -47.4763 3.315 $899,673,536.00
RIO RIO TINTO 3.4258 26.7252 92.1 $133,327,994,880.00
CRL COMET RESOURCES 3.2258 -68 0.032 $7,374,400.00
E25 ELEMENT 25 3.125 -34 0.165 $13,854,118.00
COB COBALT BLUE HOLDINGS 3.0303 -71.9008 0.17 $20,557,934.00
FCC FIRST COBALT CORP 2.7027 -81.1881 0.19 $59,381,320.00
A4N COLLERINA COBALT 2.33 -17.5 0.088 $49,900,000.00
SO4 SALT LAKE POTASH 2.2472 3.4091 0.455 $92,821,760.00
EMH EUROPEAN METALS 1.4493 -28.5714 0.35 $46,925,512.00
BEM BLACKEARTH MINERALS 1.25 -59.5 0.081 $4,923,625.50
PAN PANORAMIC RESOURCES 1.0417 16.8675 0.4875 $239,846,064.00
AML AEON METALS 0 14 0.29 $173,303,568.00
AYR ALLOY RESOURCES 0 -50 0.003 $4,731,233.00
AZI ALTA ZINC 0 -40 0.006 $8,213,794.00
ADV ARDIDEN 0 -80 0.004 $6,707,521.00
ARE ARGONAUT RESOURCES 0 13.0435 0.026 $40,413,896.00
AGY ARGOSY MINERALS 0 -60.2941 0.135 $124,672,040.00
ACP AUDALIA RESOURCES 0 -28.3 0.009 $10,700,000.00
ANW AUS TIN MINING 0 -30.4348 0.015 $29,822,562.00
BAR BARRA RESOURCES 0 -18.1818 0.036 $17,783,394.00
BDI BLINA MINERALS 0 -50 0.001 $4,363,882.50
BOA BOADICEA RESOURCES 0 -29.5455 0.155 $8,191,001.50
BYH BRYAH RESOURCES 0 -38.4615 0.08 $4,868,009.50
CAD CAENEUS MINERALS 0 -66.6667 0.001 $14,063,075.00
CFE CAPE LAMBERT RESOURCES 0 -69.2308 0.016 $16,214,425.00
CZI CASSINI RESOURCES 0 13.6986 0.083 $27,295,060.00
CDT CASTLE MINERALS 0 -60 0.008 $1,790,367.75
CMC CHINA MAGNESIUM CORP 0 -23.0769 0.02 $7,048,771.00
CNJ CONICO 0 -52.9412 0.016 $5,628,132.00
CGM COUGAR METALS 0 -75 0.002 $1,955,605.38
DHR DARK HORSE RESOURCES 0 -80 0.004 $8,892,390.00
DTM DART MINING 0 -43.0199 0.005 $4,640,214.00
DEV DEVEX RESOURCES 0 -49.3535 0.047 $4,321,187.00
DGR DGR GLOBAL 0 36.3636 0.12 $73,581,824.00
EUC EUROPEAN COBALT 0 -70.6522 0.027 $19,804,130.00
EUR EUROPEAN LITHIUM 0 -55 0.09 $49,492,940.00
4CE FORCE COMMODITIES 0 -86.4865 0.011 $4,239,158.50
GLN GALAN LITHIUM 0 125 0.315 $36,307,852.00
GPP GREENPOWER ENERGY 0 -76.9231 0.003 $4,696,111.00
GWR GWR GROUP 0 35.1351 0.1 $22,816,570.00
HGM HIGH GRADE METALS 0 -86.3636 0.009 $4,076,440.75
IDA INDIANA RESOURCES 0 -11.8501 0.054 $5,167,087.50
KTA KRAKATOA RESOURCES 0 -44.4444 0.025 $2,937,500.00
LPD LEPIDICO 0 -66.6667 0.017 $53,698,804.00
LTR LIONTOWN RESOURCES 0 -27.2727 0.024 $28,349,686.00
MNS MAGNIS ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES 0 -14.6341 0.335 $207,786,240.00
MZN MARINDI METALS 0 -54.5455 0.005 $9,923,794.00
MLS METALS AUSTRALIA 0 -50 0.003 $7,025,393.50
MEI METEORIC RESOURCES 0 -79.0698 0.009 $5,170,102.00
MTB MOUNT BURGESS MINING 0 -44.4444 0.005 $2,210,397.00
OAR OAKDALERESOURCES 0 -34.2857 0.023 $1,502,766.75
OKR OKAPI RESOURCES 0 -43.75 0.225 $7,727,145.00
ORN ORION MINERALS 0 -35.5556 0.033 $56,212,004.00
PMY PACIFICO MINERALS 0 -42.8571 0.004 $6,585,751.50
PSM PENINSULA MINES 0 -69.2308 0.004 $3,451,488.25
PLL PIEDMONT LITHIUM 0 -39.3939 0.1 $67,038,036.00
PSC PROSPECT RESOURCES 0 -61.5385 0.022 $45,014,528.00
RMX RED MOUNTAIN MINING 0 -45.4545 0.006 $4,668,220.50
RDS REDSTONE RESOURCES 0 38.5281 0.016 $7,535,429.00
RLC REEDY LAGOON CORP 0 -84.6154 0.006 $2,413,630.25
SBR SABRE RESOURCES 0 -73.6842 0.005 $2,034,868.00
SVD SCANDIVANADIUM 0 -44.7368 0.014 $4,926,125.50
SUH SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE MINING 0 -65.5556 0.031 $2,742,553.50
SRK STRIKE RESOURCES 0 -34.2857 0.046 $6,685,376.50
TNO TANDO RESOURCES 0 105.3333 0.115 $23,230,450.00
TKL TRAKA RESOURCES 0 -72.8814 0.016 $5,301,136.50
VML VITAL METALS 0 -11.1111 0.008 $13,940,890.00
VRC VOLT RESOURCES 0 -40.625 0.02 $27,654,086.00
ZEU ZEUS RESOURCES 0 0 0.013 $2,500,000.00
GXY GALAXY RESOURCES -0.2525 -35.0329 1.965 $823,198,528.00
SYR SYRAH RESOURCES -0.3472 -56.383 1.435 $506,851,552.00
CLA CELSIUS RESOURCES -1.7857 -45 0.057 $42,404,212.00
LIT LITHIUM AUSTRALIA -2.2727 -50.8571 0.084 $39,897,076.00
AUZ AUSTRALIAN MINES -2.3256 -53.8462 0.042 $118,605,224.00
HIG HIGHLANDS PACIFIC -2.381 31.4103 0.1025 $112,005,216.00
AXE ARCHER EXPLORATION -2.7027 -26.5306 0.075 $14,356,735.00
ARL ARDEA RESOURCES -2.8571 -59.5238 0.51 $53,545,112.00
HAV HAVILAH RESOURCES -2.8571 -37.037 0.17 $37,102,340.00
CXO CORE LITHIUM -3.3898 -12.3077 0.058 $39,584,600.00
KOR KORAB RESOURCES -3.5714 0 0.027 $8,647,967.00
HXG HEXAGON RESOURCES -3.7037 -38.0952 0.13 $37,931,840.00
AVL AUSTRALIAN VANADIUM -3.8462 -34.2105 0.024 $49,346,096.00
CHN CHALICE GOLD MINES -3.8462 -4.7619 0.13 $33,321,016.00
K KIBARAN RESOURCES -4.1667 -14.8148 0.105 $35,838,524.00
SEI SPECIALITY METALS INTERNATIONAL -4.1667 -11.5385 0.023 $12,762,158.00
DEG DE GREY MINING -4.3478 -8.3333 0.11 $48,662,916.00
TNG TNG -4.5455 -30 0.105 $101,164,080.00
TMT TECHNOLOGY METALS AUSTRALIA -4.6154 24 0.315 $22,413,866.00
NMT NEOMETALS -4.6512 -45.1397 0.2 $114,234,600.00
MQR MARQUEE RESOURCES -5 -86.0976 0.057 $2,436,424.25
MRR MINREX RESOURCES -5 -78.6517 0.019 $1,821,676.88
SVM SOVEREIGN METALS -5.1948 -41.6 0.073 $20,213,414.00
NVA NOVA MINERALS -5.2632 -55 0.019 $14,746,549.00
KRR KING RIVER RESOURCES -5.41 -5.41 0.035 $43,400,000.00
CUL CULLEN RESOURCES -5.5555 -18.1818 0.016 $2,880,902.00
HWK HAWKSTONE MINING -5.5555 -29.1667 0.017 $9,695,406.00
PIO PIONEER RESOURCES -5.5555 -37.037 0.017 $25,569,906.00
GME GME RESOURCES -5.5556 -41.0304 0.087 $40,981,920.00
WCN WHITE CLIFF MINERALS -5.8824 -87.1323 0.01 $3,695,604.75
BGS BIRIMIAN -6.0606 -67.3684 0.145 $42,033,620.00
ESR ESTRELLA RESOURCES -6.25 -25 0.015 $6,886,366.00
FGR FIRST GRAPHENE -6.25 30.4348 0.15 $57,915,060.00
BMT BERKUT MINERALS -6.4935 -52 0.072 $4,073,750.00
GBE GLOBE METALS AND MINING -6.6667 -12.5 0.016 $6,988,835.50
IEC INTRA ENERGY -6.6667 16.6667 0.014 $5,428,136.50
MLM METALLICA MINERALS -6.6667 -45.098 0.028 $10,673,764.00
MCT METALICITY -7.1429 -65.7895 0.013 $7,229,565.00
VMC VENUS METALS -7.1429 18.1818 0.14 $11,766,910.00
PLS PILBARA MINERALS -7.2464 -21.4724 0.645 $1,142,656,256.00
SGQ ST GEORGE MINING -7.4074 -44.4444 0.1275 $38,755,108.00
ERX NOVO LITIO -7.69 17.65 0.06 $27,900,000.00
BPL BROKEN HILL PROSPECTING -7.6923 -61.2903 0.024 $3,549,201.50
CGN CRATER GOLD MINING -7.6923 -33.3333 0.012 $19,981,732.00
IRC INTERMIN RESOURCES -7.6923 -33.3333 0.135 $28,246,616.00
SCI SILVER CITY MINERALS -7.6923 -76 0.013 $3,818,233.25
THX THUNDELARRA -7.6923 -50 0.013 $7,753,150.50
EME ENERGY METALS -8.6957 5 0.105 $22,016,748.00
AEE AURA ENERGY -8.8235 -26.1905 0.0155 $16,367,769.00
KAI KAIROS MINERALS -9.0909 -42.8571 0.02 $17,897,730.00
LI3 LITHIUM CONSOLIDATED -9.8592 -46.6667 0.064 $6,357,548.50
LKE LAKE RESOURCES -10 -61.4286 0.051 $20,137,798.00
PNN PEPINNINI LITHIUM -10 -87.1429 0.0045 $3,243,035.00
TON TRITON MINERALS -10 -49.4382 0.044 $41,721,208.00
AJM ALTURA MINING -10.3448 -61.7647 0.135 $245,749,472.00
HNR HANNANS -11.1111 -63.6364 0.008 $15,903,636.00
LCD LATITUDE CONSOLIDATED -11.1111 -27.2727 0.016 $4,402,864.00
PM1 PURE MINERALS -11.7647 -11.7647 0.015 $4,715,686.00
WML WOOMERA MINING -11.7647 -94 0.052 $6,762,266.00
THR THOR MINING -12 -69.0141 0.021 $15,771,812.00
BSM BASS METALS -12.5 -33.3333 0.014 $38,660,244.00
CHK COHIBA MINERALS -13.3333 30 0.013 $8,639,985.00
MTC METALSTECH -14.2857 -81.25 0.03 $3,508,616.50
N27 NORTHERN COBALT -14.2857 -85.3659 0.06 $3,181,431.25
TKM TREK METALS -14.2857 -79.3103 0.006 $1,873,821.63
VMS VENTURE MINERALS -14.2857 -47.0588 0.018 $9,371,016.00
JRV JERVOIS MINING -15.6863 -57.8431 0.21 $50,234,172.00
MTH MITHRIL RESOURCES -16.6667 -86.4754 0.005 $2,111,946.00
SXX SOUTHERN CROSS EXPLORATION -16.6667 -37.5 0.005 $5,384,216.00
SRN SUREFIRE RESOURCES -16.6667 -70.8333 0.006 $2,203,268.25
AOU AUROCH MINERALS -17.3333 -34.7368 0.062 $6,231,219.50
PGM PLATINA RESOURCES -17.5676 -49.1667 0.061 $15,847,574.00
NWC NEW WORLD COBALT -17.6471 -84.9462 0.016 $7,721,247.00
LRS LATIN RESOURCES -20 -81.8182 0.002 $5,818,230.00
SI6 SIX SIGMA METALS -20 -66.6667 0.004 $1,830,012.63
AVZ AVZ MINERALS -22.449 -85.098 0.039 $79,315,384.00
RIE RIEDEL RESOURCES -25 -84.4156 0.012 $5,016,836.50
PUR PURSUIT MINERALS -25.9259 -60 0.041 $5,855,696.50
NXE MUSTANG RESOURCES -30 -84.65 0.035 $5,300,000.00
KLH KALIA -33.3333 -77.7778 0.002 $5,028,695.00
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