Albemarle swings to quarterly profit on rising lithium sales

Albemarle Corp, the world’s largest lithium producer, said on Wednesday it swung to a quarterly profit due to rising sales and prices for the white metal used to make electric car batteries.

The company posted fourth-quarter net income of $129.6-million, or $1.21 a share, compared to a net loss of $218.4-million, or $1.95 a share, in the year-ago quarter.