SQM Reports Earnings for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026
SQM (NYSE: SQM) reported Q1 2026 revenues of US$1,760.1 million, up 69.8% year-over-year, with net income of US$364.7 million or US$1.28 per share, up 165.2%.
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Rhea-AI Summary
SQM (NYSE: SQM) reported Q1 2026 revenues of US$1,760.1 million, up 69.8% year-over-year, with net income of US$364.7 million or US$1.28 per share, up 165.2%. Gross profit reached US$778.6 million, a 44.2% margin.
Lithium sales volumes were ~69,000 metric tons LCE, and full-year lithium sales growth guidance increased from 10% to 15%. Specialty plant nutrition sales volumes are now expected to grow about 10% in 2026.
Positive
- Q1 2026 revenues increased 69.8% year-over-year to US$1,760.1 million
- Net income rose 165.2% year-over-year to US$364.7 million (US$1.28 per share)
- Gross profit margin improved from 29.4% to 44.2% (US$778.6 million)
- Lithium sales volumes reached ~69,000 metric tons LCE in Q1 2026
- Full-year lithium sales volume growth guidance raised from 10% to 15%
- Specialty plant nutrition sales volumes now expected to grow about 10% year-over-year
- Nova Andino Litio generated over US$530 million in Q1 2026 contributions to the Chilean state
Negative
- None.
Details
News Market Reaction – SQM
On May 27, the first trading day after this news, SQM closed 4.36% above the previous close.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the May 27 session.
Key Figures
- Q1 2026 revenue
- US$1,760.1 million
- Three months ended March 31, 2026; vs. US$1,036.6 million last year
- Q1 2026 net income
- US$364.7 million
- Three months ended March 31, 2026; vs. US$137.5 million last year
- Q1 2026 EPS
- US$1.28 per share
- Three months ended March 31, 2026; vs. US$0.48 per share last year
- Q1 2026 gross profit
- US$778.6 million
- Three months ended March 31, 2026; 44.2% of revenues
- Q1 2025 gross profit
- US$304.7 million
- Three months ended March 31, 2025; 29.4% of revenues
- Lithium sales volumes
- 69 thousand metric tons LCE
- Q1 2026 sales volumes across operations (approximate figure)
- Nova Andino state contributions
- More than US$530 million
- Contributions to Chilean state in Q1 2026
- SPN volume guidance
- 10% sales volume growth
- Expected 2026 SPN sales volumes vs. last year
Historical Context
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Reported strong 2025 rebound in net income and lithium-driven revenue growth.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
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| SQM will hold a conference call to discuss these results on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at 12:00pm EDT (12:00pm Chile time). |
| Participant Call link: https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIf194b8fef0d7479a82018f16e2c31fe3 |
| Webcast: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/9qtcu4gc |
SANTIAGO, Chile, May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) (NYSE: SQM; Santiago Stock Exchange: SQM-B, SQM-A) reported today net income for the three months ended March 31, 2026, of US
Gross profit(1) reached US
SQM’s Chief Executive Officer, Ricardo Ramos, stated, “We delivered strong results during the first quarter of the year. In lithium, sales volumes reached approximately 69 thousand metric tons of LCE across our operations, as we continued to operate at full capacity to meet strong customer demand. Based on our current estimates, global lithium demand could exceed 1.9 million metric tons of LCE this year, while market dynamics continue to suggest a tight supply-demand balance. As a result, we have upgraded our sales volume guidance for the year, increasing our expected growth from
He added, “The first quarter of 2026 marked our first full quarter operating alongside CODELCO through our partnership Nova Andino Litio, and the results underscore the strength of this partnership. We are operating at full capacity, delivering strong financial results, while we continue to expand production capacity. In the first quarter alone, Nova Andino Litio generated more than US
“We are currently finalizing the documentation required to begin the environmental permitting process for the Salar Futuro project. We expect to submit the project to the environmental authorities in the coming months and to share further details with the market in the near term. This project will be developed by Nova Andino, and we are very enthusiastic about its potential to establish a new benchmark in lithium production.”
Mr. Ramos continued, “In our SPN business lines, we are also increasing our sales volume guidance for the year. We now expect total sales volumes to grow by approximately
He further noted, “In Iodine, we observed strong sales volumes and higher year-over-year prices, a trend we expect to continue into the next quarter. We are maintaining our full-year sales volume guidance, with volumes expected to be in line with last year. The seawater pipeline is currently in the commissioning phase, and we expect to bring it online during the second half of the year.”
The CEO concluded, “We continue to see positive market dynamics across our key business lines, particularly in lithium, while remaining optimistic about our iodine and specialty plant nutrition segments. We believe we are well positioned to deliver solid results and improved returns to our shareholders, while continuing to advance our expansion plans in both lithium and iodine”
To see full press release please visit: https://ir.sqm.com/
Contact information Nova Andino Litio: Ignacia Lopez / ignacia.lopez@novandino.com International Lithium Division: Diana Wearing Smith / diana.wearingsmith@sqm.com Iodine & Plant Nutrition Division: Carolina Guzman / carolina.guzman@sqm.com
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