On Monday, Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO) confirmed that it is in non-binding talks to acquire Arcadium Lithium (NYSE:ALTM), a major lithium miner formed from the merger of Livent and Allkem. Both companies clarified that the discussions are preliminary, and there is no certainty that a transaction will proceed.
If the acquisition goes through, Rio Tinto would become one of the largest lithium producers globally, behind industry leaders like Albemarle Corp (NYSE:ALB) and SQM (NYSE:SQM).
However, the company would have to pay a significant premium, as industry insiders value Arcadium between $4 billion and $6 billion—representing a potential 60% premium over the company's market value.
Still, even that premium would be far off Arcadium's $10.6 billion valuation in January when a ...
