{
  "id": 1962199,
  "title": "Chile’s Lithium Producer SQM Posts US$660 Million Quarterly Profit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/chiles-lithium-producer-sqm-posts-us-660-million-quarterly-profit",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-19T15:17:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Rio Times",
    "slug": "the-rio-times",
    "url": "https://www.riotimesonline.com/chiles-lithium-producer-sqm-posts-us660-million-quarterly-profit/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chile's lithium producer SQM announced a record US$660 million profit for the first half of 2026, thanks to record sales volumes and a rebound in lithium prices. The company sold 84,100 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, up from 53,100 tonnes in the same period last year. Revenue jumped 136.7% to US$2,468.4 million, while gross profit soared to US$1,260.0 million from US$253.0 million. Earnings per share reached US$2.31, more than doubling from US$3.59 in the first half of 2025. Analysts had forecast earnings of US$2.03 to US$2.04 per share. CEO Ricardo Ramos attributed the surge to higher lithium prices, driven by better-than-expected demand. SQM expects global lithium demand to surpass two million tonnes in 2026. The company also reported solid earnings from its iodine segment, up 11.4% to US$302.2 million. SQM and Codelco merged their Atacama lithium units into a joint venture, Nova Andino Litio, with Codelco holding a 50% controlling stake. Chilean shares have rallied this year, buoyed by copper and lithium prices.",
  "summary": "Chilean lithium producer SQM earned US$660.0 million in the second quarter of 2026, up 646.4% on the year, as prices recovered and sales volumes hit a record. The post Chile’s Lithium Producer SQM Posts US$660 Million Quarterly Profit appeared first on The Rio Times .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}