What's Driving American Battery Tech Stock Up 2x In A Month?

Forbes

4 days ago

09 July 2025, Saxony, Kamenz: Employees of the Mercedes subsidiary Accumotive are working on a ... More production line for battery systems for electric cars. The plant is now producing lithium-ion batteries for the Mercedes-Benz CLA. Photo: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa (Photo by Sebastian Kahnert/picture alliance via Getty Images)
American Battery Technology (NASDAQ:ABAT) has experienced a stock increase of over 100% in the last month, rising from approximately $1.35 to more than $3 per share. What factors are behind this rise, and is there potential for further growth?
Lithium Mining Push
The recent increase seems to be linked to the rising support for ABAT's Tonopah Flats Lithium Project (TFLP) in Nevada, which received "FAST-41" transparency priority status from the U.S. Federal Permitting Council. This classification aids in expediting federal approvals from various agencies and signals the project's strategic significance. The initiative is ambitious, aiming to create a domestic lithium mine and a refinery capable of producing 30,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide each year – a crucial component for electric vehicle (EV) batteries and energy storage systems. ABAT has also obtained notable financial support, including a $58 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and a $900 million letter of interest from the Export-Import Bank of the United States to facilitate project construction and expansion.
Battery Recycling Gains Importance
As the U.S. takes steps to lessen its dependence on Chinese critical mineral imports, ABAT's domestic emphasis – in both mining and its closed-loop battery recycling facility – aligns perfectly with these policy developments. The company's commercial-scale recycling facility in Nevada allows it to reclaim battery-grade lithium and other essential metals from used batteries, thus fostering a more sustainable domestic supply chain. The company focuses on the extraction, refinement, and recycling of essential battery materials such as lithium and cobalt – critical elements for electric vehicles (EVs) and clean energy storage systems, by methodically disassembling battery packs instead of shredding or smelting. This system accommodates various lithium-ion battery chemistries and forms. Although the business is relatively small at present, battery recycling has the potential to evolve into a significant industry in the long term, particularly as the EV sector matures and the demand for EV upgrades increases.
More Gains For the Stock?
That being said, the stock remains highly speculative. Even with the potential for growth driven by increasing lithium demand and EV adoption, ABAT is still in the nascent stages of commercialization. Over the last 12 months, the company generated only $1.9 million in revenue while experiencing an operating loss of $46 million. Its price-to-sales ratio is an exorbitant 144.5, significantly higher than the S&P 500 average of 3.1, and its market capitalization is below $300 million. Though government backing and its significance to the clean energy shift provide strong incentives, ABAT is still a small-cap, early-stage firm vulnerable to operational, financial, and execution challenges common in such undertakings.
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