Summary
Spot prices for most critical minerals are at multiyear lows, and their demand prospects remain uncertain. The bearish reality and near-term outlook are culling production and investment disproportionately, putting at risk efforts to establish a dedicated supply chain for Western markets. Meanwhile, rising long-term demand for critical minerals necessitates continuous pipeline investments to mitigate future shortages and large price swings. How should market participants navigate the near-term challenges while looking to the longer-term horizon?
Join our research team as we address these topics, drawing upon our expanding research across the critical minerals space, including the new Critical Minerals Briefing quarterly report and the upcoming Graphite Commodity Briefing Service monthly series. Topics covered will include:
- Key trends driving policy initiatives
- Market fundamentals and outlooks for battery raw materials
- Impact of price trends on supply
Speakers
S&P Global Energy
Mark Ferguson
S&P Global Energy
Director, Metals & Mining Research
Mark Ferguson is the Research Director for the Metals & Mining Research group at S&P Global Energy. Having worked for previous iterations of the division since 2004, he has extensive experience in producing exploration and supply-side studies and topical research for the mining sector.
Increasingly focused on energy transition-related needs pertinent to the metals & mining sector, the Research team tracks the industry’s upstream efforts while assessing demand and price expectations for key industrial and battery metals.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology/Geography from Saint Mary’s University, and an MSc in Earth Sciences from Dalhousie University.
S&P Global Energy
Alice Yu
S&P Global Energy
Senior Analyst, Metals & Mining
Alice Yu is the Principal Analyst of Future Energy Metals Research at S&P Global Energy.
Alice Yu is Senior Analyst in Lithium and Cobalt for S&P Global Market Intelligence. She launched the Lithium and Cobalt Commodity Briefing Service report in June 2020 and generates the monthly five-year outlooks on the global electric vehicle, lithium and cobalt markets. She has presented on battery metals markets at multiple global conferences in Australia, China and the U.S., and has spoken regularly at S&P events.
Alice has specialized in battery metals research for the past six years, with nine years of experience across commodities research. Prior to joining S&P, she spent six years as a commodities consultant in Hong Kong and London where she led projects ranging from lithium company stock listing, to coal market research and steel M&A analysis.
Alice graduated with a MSc in Economic History and BSc in Economics, both from the London School of Economics.
S&P Global Energy
Gavin Montgomery
Principal Analyst, Metal and Mining
Gavin Montgomery is a Principal Analyst covering critical minerals for S&P Global Energy. Prior to joining S&P Global in May 2024, Gavin worked with a commodity trading company where he headed up Battery Metals and Ferrous research. Before that, Gavin spent over eleven years at Wood Mackenzie where he was a Research Director at various stages responsible for developing and launching the company’s battery raw materials coverage and iron ore services. Gavin holds an MA in Chinese from the University of Edinburgh and a MSc in International Management from the University of London.
S&P Global Energy
Katherine Matthews
S&P Global Energy
Research Analyst, Metals & Mining
Katherine Matthews is an Associate Research Analyst in the Mine Economics team of S&P Global Energy, where she is responsible for building and maintaining financial models for numerous operations globally, covering a wide range of commodities including gold, nickel and uranium. Katherine has previously worked in Azerbaijan and Western Australia as a Project Mine Geologist in porphyry copper and gold deposits, working in both exploration and underground gold mines. Katherine holds a Masters in Applied and Economic Geology from the University of Leicester.