Why Was LAC Stock Down on Wednesday?
AI-generated explanation by Rhea-AI. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What Changed
Price Move History
- Daily moves over 5%
- 60 252 sessions, November 11, 2025 to November 11, 2026
- Largest daily move
- +15.8% close of April 30, 2026
- 1-year change
- -66.6% closing prices, November 11, 2025 to November 11, 2026
- 1-month change
- -29.8% closing prices, October 9, 2026 to November 11, 2026
Company Description
Lithium Americas Corp. (LAC) is a resource development company whose common shares trade on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LAC, according to its SEC filings and news releases. Incorporated in British Columbia, Canada, and based in Vancouver, Lithium Americas is focused on developing the Thacker Pass lithium project in Humboldt County in northern Nevada.
Company disclosures describe Lithium Americas as developing Thacker Pass, which hosts what it calls the largest known measured lithium resource (Measured and Indicated) and reserve (Proven and Probable) in the world. The project is structured as a joint venture between Lithium Americas and General Motors Holdings LLC (GM). Multiple news releases state that Lithium Americas holds a 62% interest in the Thacker Pass joint venture and acts as the manager of the project, while GM holds the remaining 38% interest.
Business focus and project development
Public statements from the company emphasize that Lithium Americas is developing and building Thacker Pass rather than operating an existing mine. The company has described itself as advancing Phase 1 of Thacker Pass toward production, with a targeted nominal design capacity of 40,000 tonnes per year of battery-quality lithium carbonate for Phase 1. Company updates highlight that construction activities at the site include work on processing facilities, permanent roads and entrances, structural foundations, and related infrastructure.
News releases explain that Lithium Americas and its engineering, procurement and construction management contractor, Bechtel, entered into a National Construction Agreement (Project Labor Agreement) with North America’s Building Trades Unions for construction of Thacker Pass. The company has stated that the three-year construction build is expected to create nearly 2,000 direct jobs, including approximately 1,800 skilled contractors, during the construction phase.
Ownership, partners and government support
Thacker Pass is owned by a joint venture in which Lithium Americas holds a majority economic and voting interest and serves as project manager, while GM is the minority joint venture partner. Company disclosures and SEC filings also describe a significant relationship with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Lithium Americas has obtained a guaranteed loan from the DOE’s Loan Programs Office under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program to finance construction of the processing facilities at Thacker Pass.
Public filings and news releases state that the DOE loan is structured with a principal amount of approximately $1.97 billion and additional capitalized interest during construction, for a total expected loan amount of about $2.23 billion. The tenor of the loan is described as approximately 23–24 years from the date of the first draw, with interest based on the applicable long-dated U.S. Treasury rate and no additional spread. The company has reported receiving a first drawdown of $435 million under this DOE loan to support construction of the processing facilities at Thacker Pass.
As part of amendments to the DOE loan arrangements, Lithium Americas has agreed, through an omnibus waiver, consent and amendment (OWCA), to provide the DOE with warrants representing a 5% equity stake in the company and a 5% economic stake in the Thacker Pass joint venture, subject to customary conditions and definitive documentation. Company disclosures also describe additional reserve account funding obligations and adjustments to lithium offtake agreements with GM that are connected to these DOE arrangements.
Capital markets and financing strategy
Lithium Americas uses a mix of equity and debt financing to fund its development activities. SEC filings describe the establishment of at-the-market equity programs (ATM Programs) under which the company may sell common shares from time to time through a sales agent, with aggregate offering limits disclosed in the related Form 8-K filings. These programs are conducted pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 and related prospectus supplements filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The company has also disclosed a strategic investment from fund entities managed by Orion Resource Partners LP, including unsecured convertible notes and a production payment agreement related to Thacker Pass. In addition, news releases refer to strategic investments from GM and Orion Resource Partners LP as part of the project financing package for Phase 1 of Thacker Pass. Lithium Americas has also used at-the-market equity programs for general corporate purposes, including funding corporate and project overhead, capital expenditures, reserve accounts required under the DOE loan, repayment of indebtedness and working capital.
Project execution and construction progress
Company news releases provide detailed updates on the progress of Thacker Pass. Lithium Americas has reported that engineering design for the project reached around 70% design completion by mid-2025 and surpassed 80% design completion by the end of the third quarter of 2025, with a goal of exceeding 90% design completion by year-end 2025. The company has emphasized that a higher level of detailed engineering at early stages of construction is intended to help de-risk project execution in terms of schedule and cost.
Construction updates include references to permanent concrete placement in the processing plant area, installation of steel columns, completion of permanent plant roads and entrances, and development of laydown yards for long-lead equipment. The company has also described the establishment of a fabrication yard in Winnemucca to receive steel for pre-assembled pipe-rack sections and other components.
To support its growing construction workforce, Lithium Americas has built an all-inclusive housing facility in Winnemucca referred to as the Workforce Hub (WFH). Company updates note that placement of housing modules, mechanical, electrical and plumbing work, and occupancy permitting have progressed, with initial residents taking occupancy as the facility was completed in phases. The Workforce Hub is intended to enable ramp-up in the number of construction workers at the Thacker Pass site.
Regulatory and technical disclosures
Lithium Americas’ public communications emphasize compliance with technical reporting standards. News releases state that the scientific and technical information they contain has been reviewed and approved by a qualified person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 and Subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K under the U.S. Securities Act. The company also notes that Thacker Pass mineral resource and reserve estimates are prepared in accordance with these regulatory frameworks.
The company has indicated that it has resolved or secured judicial dismissal of legal and regulatory actions and proceedings arising in the ordinary course of resource development at Thacker Pass, and that these resolutions did not materially impact its financial position or construction schedule, based on its Q2 2025 news release.
Index inclusion and market profile
A company news release states that S&P Dow Jones Indices disclosed that Lithium Americas’ common shares would be added to the S&P/TSX Composite Index, which is described as Canada’s premier equity benchmark including the largest and most actively traded companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Inclusion in this index reflects the company’s presence in the Canadian equity market.
Stock listing and corporate structure
According to its SEC filings, Lithium Americas is organized under the laws of British Columbia, with its principal executive office in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company’s common shares, with no par value per share, are registered under Section 12(b) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LAC. The same symbol is used on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Stock Performance
Lithium Americas (LAC) closed at $1.65 on November 11, 2026. Over the past 12 months, the price has lost 66.6%.
LAC Metrics & Rankings
Price returns through November 11, 2026. Month and year figures include the first trading day. Ranking links may use different dates.
Latest News
Lithium Americas has 10 recent news articles, with the latest published yesterday. Of the recent coverage, 3 articles coincided with positive price movement and 6 with negative movement. Key topics include earnings, management. View all LAC news →
SEC Filings
Lithium Americas has filed 10 recent SEC filings, including 7 Form 4, 2 Form 8-K, 1 Form S-3ASR. The most recent filing was submitted on . SEC filings provide transparency into a company's financial condition, material events, and regulatory compliance. View all LAC SEC filings →
Financial Highlights
Lithium Americas reported net income of -$86.3M in FY2025. Diluted earnings per share stood at -$0.50. The company generated -$61.2M in operating cash flow. The current ratio was 5.16, measuring current assets divided by current liabilities.
Upcoming Events
Mechanical completion of Phase 1
Thacker Pass production start
Phase 1 mechanical completion
Mechanical completion
Thacker Pass mechanical completion
Ramp-up to production
Production start
Phase 1 completion
Loan repayments begin
Convertible notes maturity
Lithium Americas has 11 upcoming scheduled events. The next event, "Mechanical completion of Phase 1", is expected in 2027. 2 of them are financing or capital events, such as a dividend or a debt maturity. Investors can track these dates to stay informed about potential catalysts that may affect the LAC stock price.
Short Interest History
Short interest in Lithium Americas (LAC) currently stands at 44.7 million shares, up 2.9% from the previous reporting period, representing 13.3% of the float. Since November 2025, short interest has increased by 74.7%.
Days to Cover History
Days to cover for Lithium Americas (LAC) currently stands at 6.6 days, up 34.6% from the previous period. The ratio is the reported short interest divided by the average daily trading volume. Since November 2025, the figure has increased by 362.7%. Across the settlements charted above, it has ranged from 1.0 to 6.6 days.
LAC Company Profile & Sector Positioning
Lithium Americas (LAC) operates in the Other Industrial Metals & Mining industry within the broader Basic Materials sector and is listed on the NYSE.
Investors comparing LAC often look at related companies in the same sector, including Lithium Argentina AG (LAR), Sigma Lithium Corporation (SGML), TMC the metals company Inc. (TMC), Americas Gold and Silver Corporation (USAS), and Critical Metals Corp. (CRML). Comparing financial metrics, valuation ratios, and stock performance across these peers can help investors evaluate LAC's relative position within its industry.
Lithium Americas (LAC) updated Thacker Pass Phase 1 construction plans, targeting mechanical completion in late 2027 and ramp-up through 2028. The revised capital cost estimate is $3.83 billion including contingency, versus $2.93 billion previously, reflecting higher labor, staffing and logistics costs. Expected full-capacity output remains nominally 40,000 tonnes of battery-quality lithium carbonate annually.
Detailed engineering was complete and procurement exceeded 90% as of September 30, 2026. The company targets $1.7 billion–$2.0 billion in 2026 capital spending, up from $1.3 billion–$1.6 billion. It anticipates meeting approximately $995 million in incremental funding needs through $650 million of company contributions, $315 million in DOE loan reserves available as required, and approximately $30 million in reduced reserve requirements. The contributions will increase its joint-venture ownership percentage.