Sigma Lithium Corporation (NASDAQ:SGML) saw its stock price surge by 14.1% in premarket trading on Friday following the announcement of a substantial sale involving 100,000 tonnes of high-purity lithium fines. The transaction was executed at a price surpassing prior sales, a positive development that indicates strong demand and favorable market pricing.
The company clarified that the sale price was based on prevailing market conditions reflected in the Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) index. Specifically, the net final price was adjusted to $140 per tonne for lithium fines with a lithium oxide content of 1%, compared to the current SMM price of $195 per tonne for a higher lithium oxide content of 1.35%.
Sigma Lithium characterized the financial benefit from this sale as a "green reward" to its shareholders, attributing it to its investments in environmental innovation at the company’s Greentech plant. These advancements include technologies that enable the dry stacking of tailings and facilitate lithium recycling through the sale of high-purity fines, highlighting the company's commitment to eco-friendly operations.
In addition to reporting on the sale, Sigma Lithium reaffirmed that its mining remobilization activities continue on schedule, with project completion anticipated in January 2026, consistent with the timeline disclosed in the company's January 13 announcement.
The company strongly contested recent media narratives suggesting that an administrative review by the Ministry of Labor and Employment concerning waste piles constitutes an "operational injunction." Sigma Lithium labeled these reports as "fake news" and described them as part of a coordinated and well-funded online defamatory campaign targeting the firm.
The administrative inquiry, initiated in mid-December following a routine health and safety inspection, does not impede the company’s operational capabilities or its mine remobilization efforts, according to Sigma Lithium’s statements.
Furthermore, the company has informed relevant regulatory bodies, including the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), about the defamatory activity, which contributed to significant volatility in its stock price on January 16. On that day, trading volume reached more than four times the average daily volume on the Nasdaq exchange.