🚗 Banking on lithium

What’s going on here?

On Wednesday, mining giant Rio Tinto announced its acquisition of Arcadium Lithium in a $6.7 billion all-cash deal.

What does this mean?

Lithium’s literally a hot commodity, crucial in many technologies fueling the green transition. So this deal showcases Rio’s focus on clean energy, signaling belief in the sector’s prospects despite current crunches. See, an oversupply of lithium from China and a slowdown in EV sales has impacted producers. Just look at Arcadium: the firm has mines and facilities across key nations including Argentina and Canada, and saw a 37% decline in its stock this year. That left the shares essentially on sale – and buyers started to circle, perhaps impressed by Arcadium’s partnerships with the likes of BMW and Tesla. Rio’s no exception: it came swooping in with a winning offer of 90% more than the stock’s previous price.

Why should I care?

For markets: Playing the long game.

You can see why Rio’s willing to overlook those challenges, mind you. Mining and energy firms are adjusting to the rising need for sustainable raw materials and cleaner energy – and lithium’s a key component in that. In fact, lithium is as important to EVs as oil is to gas-guzzling cars, since their batteries are made of the light metal. Plus, around 75% of global lithium production is controlled by just five firms, so there’s an opportunity for Rio to become a key player in the market.

The bigger picture: A happy union.

The transaction’s been unanimously approved by both companies' boards and should be signed, sealed, and delivered by the middle of next year. That’s in stark contrast to another major deal in the industry that didn’t come to pass. Rival BHP tried to buy Anglo American for $49 billion – and, after six weeks and three rejected offers, it was barred from making another offer until late November. But Rio’s success might help BHP pluck up the courage to take another shot.

What’s going on here?

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) – the world’s biggest contract chipmaker – reported quarterly revenue of almost $24 billion, outshining analyst estimates.

What does this mean?

With major clients like Apple and Nvidia, TSMC is the star of the show when it comes to AI advancements. And its impressive third-quarter results suggest the company is the leading light in the ongoing AI revolution. The chipmaker saw a revenue explosion of 37% from about $17 billion the previous year, which eclipsed even its own forecasts. That’s all the more striking since the pandemic-driven tech demand boost is still returning to normal. And, last month, TSMC saw a 40% revenue increase versus last September, showing momentum ahead of its full earnings and future outlook on October 17th.

Why should I care?

The bigger picture: No stars for Samsung.

TSMC's stock is up 72% this year, dwarfing the broader market. And that stellar performance highlights how important AI is for the drive to create faster and better semiconductors. But not everyone’s a winner. Case in point: earlier this week, rival chipmaker Samsung Electronics announced a first-look quarterly profit that was four times higher than the same time last year. Thing is, that was all thanks to an upswing in memory chip demand, and it’s still being left in the dust when it comes to the all-important AI market. Investors are already wising up to that risk: Samsung shares have dropped 23% this year.