Rock Stock Channel

Zimbabwe Halts Lithium Exports | 6–7% Global Supply Shock? | Q2 Metals High-Grade Hits & Maiden MRE Coming In this episode of Rock Stock Recap, we (Howard Klein, Matt Fernley, and Rodney Hooper) break down what could be one of the most important lithium policy developments of the year: Zimbabwe’s sudden suspension of lithium concentrate exports — including cargo already in transit. Zimbabwe re...

In this Rock Stock Recap, we (Howard Klein and Matt Fernley) are joined by Keith Phillips—former CEO of Piedmont Lithium and now Executive Chairman of Q2 Metals—to discuss the latest developments across lithium and select rare earth themes. Including an interview with Lithium Ionic (TSXV: LTH) COO Mike Westendorf on the Bandeira project. Chapters (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:13) Keith's New Role At Q2...

Howard Klein of RK Equity discusses the Trump administration's Project Vault initiative and explains how a strategic lithium reserve could help boost the country's efforts to create secure supply chains.  “The goal of a strategic lithium reserve is to stabilize prices and allow the industry to develop,” he explained. “If prices fall too low, the reserve would step in as a buyer. If prices spike to...

Alex Wylie, CEO of LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners (TSXV: LIB | OTCQB: VLTLF), discusses the company’s evolving strategy to produce lithium carbonate from existing oil and gas infrastructure in the United States. Chapters (00:00) Introduction (03:34) Rebranding And Permian Basin Strategy (04:55) Production Progress And Key Milestones (07:33) Funding And Select Water Partnership (08:42) North...

Arnab Datta (Employ America) and Alex Turnbull (investor and long-time critical minerals practitioner) sit down with Howard Klein to unpack the policy shift now underway in Washington on critical minerals, rare earths, and battery materials. Chapters (00:00) The Market Stabilization Gap (03:08) Prioritizing Key Minerals (05:14) Guests and Their Focus (10:31) Why Volatility Blocks Investment (15:44...

In February 2026’s Recharge podcast, co-presenters Matt Fernley (Battery Materials Review) and Cormac O’Laoire (Electrios Energy) discuss key developments across battery materials and EV markets, including:   • China EV pricing dynamics around Chinese New Year, destocking, and continued price competition • Shifts in EV and PHEV mix, subsidy effects, and market-share gains by smaller Chinese automa...

Lithium Universe CEO Iggy Tan provides a timely update on the company’s lithium refinery strategy, project financing path, and new technology initiatives as lithium markets recover. Chapters (00:00) Introduction (03:23) Norah Offtake Agreement (07:26) Financing And Lithium Price Recovery (10:10) Brownsville U.S. Refinery Plan (13:52) Quebec Project Priority (15:31) Solar Recycling And Silver Tech...

In this week’s Rock Stock recap, we (Howard, Matt, and Rodney) review one of the most consequential weeks for global critical minerals, lithium, EV demand, and commodity markets, and discuss what it means for investors, operators, and supply chains across mining, batteries, and electrification. Chapters (00:00) Intro (02:27) Project Vault And Policy Tools (04:27) Lithium, Batteries, Strategic Rese...

Ana Cabral, CEO of Sigma Lithium (NASDAQ/TSXV: SGML) discusses the company’s restart of mining operations at its flagship hard-rock lithium project in Minas Gerais, Brazil, and what that means for production, costs, cash flow, and growth. Chapters (00:00) Introduction (02:14) Restart Timeline (03:05) Cash Flow And Costs (05:45) Fines Sales Strategy (10:18) Plant Recovery Performance (11:35) Move T...

In today’s update on The Metals Company (NASDAQ: TMC), Howard and Rodney sit down with CFO Craig Shesky to review the company’s latest regulatory and permitting developments and what they mean for the path to commercial production. Chapters (00:00) Introduction (03:37) New NOAA Rules (06:38) Larger Mining Area (10:29) Metal Prices And Outlook (12:59) CEO House Hearing TMC has filed what it describ...

After processing the World Economic Forum (Davos) and the Future Minerals Forum (Riyadh), we sat down to unpack what we’re seeing in markets as commodities move from cyclical to strategic. In this Rock Stock Recap, Howard, Matt and Rodney discuss how geopolitics—choke points, export controls, reserves, and policy alignment—are increasingly shaping price formation in critical minerals, and why that...

In this episode, I (Howard Klein) connect fast-moving signals across critical minerals, power markets, and U.S. industrial policy coming out of Saudi Arabia’s Future Minerals Forum, Davos/DERVOS, and Washington, DC. Chapters (00:00) Introduction (08:31) Tesla Refinery (10:26) Policy signals from Washington (15:04) DERVOS panel highlights (17:41) Chamath Palahapitiya on Power (19:16) Albemarle (19:...

In this interview, we (Howard and Matt) speak with John Passalacqua, CEO of First Phosphate (CSE: PHOS) about the rapidly evolving lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery supply chain and why phosphate remains one of the least understood — yet most important — inputs in LFP cathodes. Chapters (00:00) Introduction (04:24) LFP Demand Shift (05:59) Offtake Prepayment (06:46) 2026 Feasibility Path (07:45...

In this first RK Equity X Spaces of 2026, we (Howard Klein, Matt Fernley, and Rodney Hooper) pull together the key threads shaping the battery materials and critical minerals landscape as the year begins. The discussion focuses on how lithium is moving back toward fundamentals, why energy storage is increasingly driving marginal demand, and what that means for investors across the supply chain. Ch...

In this week’s Rock Stock Recap, we (Howard, Matt, and Rodney) discuss the key cross-currents shaping battery materials and the broader commodities complex—what’s driving recent price action, what’s changing in investor positioning, and where fundamentals are reasserting themselves. Chapters (00:00) Intro (04:54) Macro: Shift To Hard Assets (06:37) Silver And Gold Outlook (08:42) Dollar And Commod...

In the January 2026 episode of the Recharge Podcast, we (Matt from RK Equity / Battery Materials Review and Cormac O'Laoire, Managing Director at Electrios Energy) review the key battery and EV market signals coming out of 2025 and what they imply for 2026. Chapters (00:00) Intro (01:34) 2025 EV Demand Shift (06:36) China: BYD And New Rivals (10:02) China: Subsidies And Growth (12:26) US Vs Europe...

In this episode of Rock Stock Channel, we (Howard and Matt) sit down with Advanced Energy Minerals (ASX: AEM) for a detailed follow-up discussion following the company’s recent IPO. We are joined by Executive Chairman Richard Seville and CEO Michael (Mick) Adams to explore how the company is positioning itself in the global high purity alumina (HPA) market. Chapters (00:00) Introduction (06:14) HP...

In this Rock Stock Recap, we (Howard and Matt) sit down with YJ Lee (Arcane Capital) in Singapore to assess what’s changed in the lithium market—and why this rally looks different from the false starts investors have seen before. Chapters (00:00:00) Intro (00:05:42) Shorting Lithium? Quick View (00:06:00) Why Lithium Spiked In China (00:06:48) CATL Closure And Seasonality (00:10:28) ESS Demand: Sh...

In this panel discussion, I (Howard Klein) moderate a conversation on how Nevada is positioning itself as a leading U.S. hub for domestic lithium supply—linking mining, refining, battery production, and recycling into a more integrated “closed-loop” ecosystem. Chapters (00:00) Introduction (01:20) Nevada's Closed-Loop Supply Chain (04:07) Panelist Introductions (06:57) Lithium Market Cycles (13:27...

In this episode, we (Howard and Matt) step outside Washington to examine how China approaches batteries, critical minerals, and supply chain strategy from the inside. Our guest is Henry Sanderson—former China-based journalist (including at the Financial Times) and author of Volt Rush—who brings on-the-ground perspective on how Chinese industrial policy, corporate competition, and capital allocatio...

In this episode of Rock Stock Channel, we (Howard and Rodney) sit down with Chris Evans (CEO, Winsome Resources) and Francis MacDonald (CEO, Li-FT Power) to walk through the recently announced scheme of arrangement to merge Winsome and Li-FT. Chapters (00:00) Introduction (05:41) Why Merge (07:17) Winsome Constraints (09:31) Agnico/Avenir Support (10:57) $40M Financing (13:58) Pro Forma Cash (17:1...

In this Rock Stock Recap episode, Howard, Matt, and Rodney sit down with Ernie Ortiz (CEO, Lithium Royalty Corp) and Ofer Amir (Clean Elements family office) to discuss why sentiment and pricing changed so sharply in 2025, and why the next leg of the lithium cycle may be driven less by EV headlines and more by battery energy storage systems (BESS). Chapters (00:00) Intro (04:26) Why Argentine Brin...

In this December 2025 episode of the Recharge Podcast, we (Matt Fernley, editor of Battery Materials Review, and Cormac O’Laoire, MD of Electrios Energy) break down the key developments shaping the battery supply chain as we head into 2026. Chapters (00:00) Introduction (01:21) Overstated Lithium Demand Forecasts (02:44) EV Battery Size Trends (06:25) Lithium Market Risks (08:40) CATL and China Su...

In this episode, Howard and Matt speak with Richard Seville, Executive Chairman of Advanced Energy Minerals (AEM), ahead of the company’s planned ASX listing (ticker: AEM). Chapters (00:00) Introduction (05:31) Richard's Path to AEM (08:18) What HPA Is & Main Uses (10:42) HPA Market Size & Growth (13:07) AEM Expansion Plans (14:48) Customer Qualification Process (18:11) Manufacturing Proce...

In this episode, we’re joined by Keith Phillips for a wide-ranging, data-driven discussion on lithium markets, battery economics, and critical minerals strategy as 2026 approaches. Chapters (00:00:00) Intro (00:05:24) CATL Restart And Lithium Prices (00:07:45) Solid-State Battery Reality Check (00:12:02) Battery Costs: What's Next (00:15:02) Lithium Demand Forecast Pitfalls (00:17:56) EV Battery S...