ALBEMARLE CORP reported a routine equity compensation award for non-employee director Holly Van Deursen. She received 1,250 Phantom Stock units, which convert 1-for-1 into common stock. These units represent annual director stock compensation under Albemarle’s 2023 Directors Plan and are scheduled to vest on July 1, 2027.
The Phantom Stock will be paid in shares of common stock upon events she has established under the plan. Following this award, Van Deursen now holds 10,028 Phantom Stock units in her deferred stock account. This is a grant/award acquisition, not an open-market purchase or sale.
ALBEMARLE CORP director Diarmuid B. O’Connell reported stock-based compensation awards rather than open-market trades. On July 1, 2026, he acquired a total of 1,286 shares of common stock at no cash cost, recorded as grants or awards.
Footnotes explain that 36 shares are an annual installment of non-employee director stock compensation under the 2023 Stock Compensation and Deferral Election Plan for Non-Employee Directors, scheduled to vest on July 1, 2027. Additional shares represent dividends accrued on a prior award granted on July 1, 2025 that vested on July 1, 2026, which the company settled in stock issued under the same plan.
The filing also notes that the director’s holdings were adjusted to reflect a transfer of 893 shares of common stock pursuant to an agreement of separation of assets, indicating a reallocation of previously held shares rather than a market sale.
Albemarle Corporation announced a routine leadership change in its finance function. Former Chief Accounting Officer Donald J. LaBauve Jr. retired on June 1, 2026. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Neal R. Sheorey will serve as interim Principal Accounting Officer effective June 2, 2026, until the board appoints a permanent replacement.
The company states that Mr. Sheorey will not receive any new compensatory arrangements for this interim role. Albemarle also notes there are no family relationships between him and other directors or executive officers and no related-party transactions requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Albemarle Corporation Chairman & CEO J. Kent Masters sold a total of 16,393 shares of Common Stock in open-market transactions on May 15, 2026. The sales were executed in three tranches: 700 shares at a weighted average price of $184.52, 11,867 shares at $183.87, and 3,826 shares at $183.12. Footnotes state the trades were carried out in multiple transactions within price ranges between $182.415 and $184.54 for diversification and tax planning purposes. The disclosure also notes that the reporting person retains significant Albemarle holdings in excess of required stock ownership guidelines.
Jerry Kent Masters Jr. reported a sale of 11,783 shares of Common Stock on 03/10/2026 under a Rule 144 filing. The filing lists multiple Restricted Stock Units previously acquired as compensation on 02/18/2022 (1,673), 04/19/2023 (771), 05/05/2023 (2,363), 12/31/2023 (4,881 and 1,597) and 02/26/2026 (5,108).
Albemarle Corp. Schedule 13G/A amendment shows Capital World Investors reports beneficial ownership of 11,279,425 shares, equal to 9.5% of the 119,078,534 shares believed to be outstanding. The filing states that the position includes 3,124,652 Convertible Preferred Stocks that represent 1,427,966 common shares.
Albemarle Corporation held its Annual Meeting of Shareholders on May 5, 2026, where all nominated directors were elected for terms expiring at the 2027 meeting. Shareholders approved, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of the company’s named executive officers and ratified PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent auditor for the year ending December 31, 2026.
Investors also approved the Albemarle Corporation 2026 Incentive Plan, which will govern future equity awards and replaces the 2017 plan. A management proposal to amend the Articles of Incorporation to remove certain supermajority provisions related to affiliated transactions did not receive sufficient support. In addition, shareholders approved a shareholder proposal expanding their ability to call a special meeting.
Albemarle delivered sharply stronger results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, driven by higher lithium pricing and volumes. Net sales rose 33% to $1.43 billion, while gross margin expanded to 35.1% from 14.5%.
Net income attributable to Albemarle jumped to $319.1 million, and earnings per common share moved from breakeven to $2.35. Adjusted EBITDA more than doubled to $627.5 million, led by the Energy Storage segment.
The company closed the sale of its Refining Solutions business and its 50% Eurecat S.A. stake for about $648 million in cash, recording a $95.0 million loss on the business sale and a $42.3 million gain on Eurecat. Proceeds helped reduce long-term debt from $3.19 billion to $1.88 billion.
Albemarle continued cost actions, including placing Kemerton Train 1 into care and maintenance, which drove $25.9 million of restructuring and asset write-off charges this quarter and is expected to add $80–$100 million of further costs through 2027.
Albemarle reported sharply stronger results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, driven by its Energy Storage business. Net sales rose to $1.43 billion, up 33% year over year, while net income attributable to Albemarle increased to $319 million from $41 million.
Diluted EPS attributable to common shareholders was $2.34, and adjusted diluted EPS was $2.95. Adjusted EBITDA reached $664 million, up 148%, with Energy Storage net sales of $891 million and adjusted EBITDA of $551 million. The company generated $346 million of operating cash flow, delivered $248 million in free cash flow, closed divestitures for $648 million of net cash proceeds, and used these portfolio and cash actions to pay down $1.3 billion of debt. Albemarle ended the quarter with about $2.7 billion in liquidity and reaffirmed 2026 outlook ranges tied to different lithium price scenarios.
Albemarle Corp reports beneficial ownership held by Vanguard Capital Management as of 03/31/2026. Vanguard Capital Management reports beneficial ownership of 8,679,152 shares of Common Stock, representing 7.37% of the class. The filer discloses sole voting power for 1,016,936 shares and sole dispositive power for 8,679,152 shares.
The filing states these holdings include securities held for Vanguard funds and managed accounts and lists affiliated Vanguard entities exercising voting or dispositive power.