Lithium Ionic Corp.'s (LTH:TSX.V; LTHCF:OTCQX; H3N:FSE) latest drill results show continued expansion of its Bandeira lithium project in Brazil, reported Canaccord Genuity Analyst Katie Lachapelle in a Dec. 4 research note, following a site visit.
"Drill results suggest continued resource upside, both within known pegmatites and across previously untested areas," Lachapelle wrote.
Stock Undervalued, 194% Return
Canaccord Genuity maintains its Speculative Buy rating and CA$2.50 per share target price on the hardrock lithium developer. Lithium Ionic currently is undervalued, highlighted Lachapelle, now trading at about CA$0.85 per share.
This is evidenced, the analyst purported, by the US$369.4 million (US$369.4M) price Pilbara Minerals Ltd. (PLS:ASX) recently paid for Latin Resources Limited, reflecting a 67% premium to the latter's share price at the time. Like Lithium Ionic, Latin has a lithium project in Brazil's Lithium Valley, called Salinas, which is at an earlier stage than Bandeira (preliminary economic assessment versus nearing final project approval). As for each project's resource, Salinas' is 77,700,000 tons (77.7 Mt) of 1.24% lithium oxide (Li2O), Bandeira's is 60.1 Mt of 1.28% Li2O.
"We therefore believe Lithium Ionic is oversold, owing to negative recent commodity price sentiment and questions around project funding (now likely resolved)," Lachapelle wrote.
Resolution of the question of funding, she explained, recently came for Lithium Ionic in the form of a letter of interest from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) for up to US$266M in debt financing, an amount that would cover Bandeira's capex.
"Final closing is contingent on EXIM's completion of due diligence," noted Lachapelle.
In the meantime, the Canadian lithium developer remains well-funded, the analyst wrote, with about CA$30M in cash, enough to advance Bandeira to a final investment decision and to possibly commence early construction work.
"We believe that the company is also well-advanced in potential offtake discussions, which could be an incremental source of funds," wrote Lachapelle.
The return to Canaccord Genuity's target price on Lithium Ionic from its current share price is 194%.
Mineral Resource Growing
Meanwhile, Lithium Ionic keeps expanding the resource at Bandeira, Lachapelle wrote, citing about a 6.4 Mt of growth since the feasibility study (FS) was done.
Bandeira's current resource is 23.6 Mt of 1.34% Li2O (+12% contained). In comparison, the FS was based on total ore mined of 17.2 Mt at a run-of-mine 1.16% grade (diluted) and a Measured and Indicated resource of 20.9 Mt of 1.35% Li2O. The operation outlined showed average annual production of 178,000 tons of 5.5% spodumene concentrate over a 14-year life of mine.
The project's resource "continues to expand, in our view, based on today's results," Lachapelle wrote. "As such, we view a mine life of about 20 years as a probable outcome."
The latest drill results the analyst referenced include these highlight intercepts:
- 16 meters (16m) of 1.77% Li2O from 137.41m, including 9m of 2.36% Li2O, from hole ITDD-24-280
- 19.6m of 1.33% Li2O from 83.7m, including 8.47m of 1.81% Li2O, from hole ITDD-24-268
Some of the holes intersected grades higher than that of the existing mineral resource. According to Lachapelle, the average grade of the new results is 1.43% Li2O.
What To Watch For
Lachapelle listed several events that could boost Lithium Ionic's share price.
One is recipe of the construction permit for Bandeira. Confirmation of the EXIM financing is a second. Any offtake agreements or mergers and acquisitions activity constitute other potential catalysts.
| Want to be the first to know about interesting Cobalt / Lithium / Manganese investment ideas? Sign up to receive the FREE Streetwise Reports' newsletter. | Subscribe |
Important Disclosures:
- Lithium Ionic Corp. is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports and pays SWR a monthly sponsorship fee between US$4,000 and US$5,000.
- Doresa Banning wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor.
- This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.
For additional disclosures, please click here.
Disclosures for Canaccord Genuity, Lithium Ionic Corp., December 4, 2024
Analyst Certification Each authoring analyst of Canaccord Genuity whose name appears on the front page of this research hereby certifies that (i) the recommendations and opinions expressed in this research accurately reflect the authoring analyst’s personal, independent and objective views about any and all of the designated investments or relevant issuers discussed herein that are within such authoring analyst’s coverage universe and (ii) no part of the authoring analyst’s compensation was, is, or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed by the authoring analyst in the research, and (iii) to the best of the authoring analyst’s knowledge, she/he is not in receipt of material non-public information about the issuer. Analysts employed outside the US are not registered as research analysts with FINRA. These analysts may not be associated persons of Canaccord Genuity LLC and therefore may not be subject to the FINRA Rule 2241 and NYSE Rule 472 restrictions on communications with a subject company, public appearances and trading securities held by a research analyst account. Sector Coverage Individuals identified as “Sector Coverage” cover a subject company’s industry in the identified jurisdiction, but are not authoring analysts of the report. Investment Recommendation Date and time of first dissemination: December 04, 2024, 16:54 ET Date and time of production: December 04, 2024, 16:54 ET Target Price / Valuation Methodology: Lithium Ionic Corp. - LTH Our target price is based on 1.0x NAV, measured as at October 1, 2025. Risks to achieving Target Price / Valuation: Lithium Ionic Corp. - LTH Exploration risk Exploration is subject to a number of risks and can require a high rate of capital expenditure. Risks can also be associated with the conversion of inferred resources and lack of accuracy in the interpretation of geochemical, geophysical, drilling and other data. No assurances can be given that exploration will delineate mineral resources or that the company will be able to convert mineral resources into minable reserves. Financing risk As an exploration and development company with no operating cash flow, Lithium Ionic is reliant upon the capital markets to fund the development of its assets and the continuing business development activities. There is no guarantee that LTH will continue to be able to access capital markets should there be changes in market sentiment and/or pricing. Permitting risk Our estimates and valuation assume the successful receipt of permits for the company’s projects; however, there is no guarantee that this will be the case, or that permits will be received within our assumed timelines. Operating risk If and when in production, the company will be subject to risks such as plant and equipment breakdowns, metallurgical (meeting design recoveries), materials handling and other technical issues. An increase in operating costs could reduce the profitability and free cash generation from the operating assets considerably and negatively impact valuation. Furthermore, the actual characteristics of an ore deposit may differ significantly from initial interpretations, which can also materially impact forecast production from original expectations. Jurisdictional risk Investments in emerging markets such as Brazil pose a greater degree of risk as they are more susceptible to destabilization. As a result, Lithium Ionic’s operations could be adversely impacted by political and economic instability and/or changes in government policy that could affect the ownership of assets, mining activities, exchange rates, and taxation, among others. Given the heightened jurisdictional risk and technical risk (pre-resource), we assume an elevated discount rate to value Itinga vs. the typical 8% used to value operating lithium assets in safe jurisdictions. Commodity price and currency fluctuations As with any mining company, LTH is directly exposed to commodity price and currency fluctuations. Commodity price fluctuations are driven by many macroeconomic forces, including inflationary pressures, interest rates and supply and demand factors. These factors could reduce the profitability, costing and prospective outlook for the business.
Required Company-Specific Disclosures (as of date of this publication) Canaccord Genuity or one or more of its affiliated companies intend to seek or expect to receive compensation for Investment Banking services from Lithium Ionic Corp. in the next three months. A partner, director, officer, employee or agent of Canaccord Genuity or its affiliated companies, or a member of his/her household, is an officer, or director, or serves as an advisor or board member of Lithium Ionic Corp. and/or one of its subsidiaries, and such person’s name is disclosed below. An analyst has visited the material operations of Lithium Ionic Corp.. No payment was received for the related travel costs.
In line with Article 44(4)(b), MiFID II Delegated Regulation, we disclose price performance for the preceding five years or the whole period for which the financial instrument has been offered or investment service provided where less than five years. Please note price history refers to actual past performance, and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future price and/or performance. Online Disclosures Up-to-date disclosures may be obtained at the following website (provided as a hyperlink if this report is being read electronically) http://disclosures.canaccordgenuity.com/EN/Pages/default.aspx; or by sending a request to Canaccord Genuity Corp. Research, Attn: Disclosures, P.O. Box 10337 Pacific Centre, 2200-609 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V7Y 1H2; or by sending a request by email to [email protected]. The reader may also obtain a copy of Canaccord Genuity’s policies and procedures regarding the dissemination of research by following the steps outlined above. General Disclaimers See “Required Company-Specific Disclosures” above for any of the following disclosures required as to companies referred to in this report: manager or co-manager roles; 1% or other ownership; compensation for certain services; types of client relationships; research analyst conflicts; managed/co-managed public offerings in prior periods; directorships; market making in equity securities and related derivatives. For reports identified above as compendium reports, the foregoing required company-specific disclosures can be found in a hyperlink located in the section labeled, “Compendium Reports.” “Canaccord Genuity” is the business name used by certain wholly owned subsidiaries of Canaccord Genuity Group Inc., including Canaccord Genuity LLC, Canaccord Genuity Limited, Canaccord Genuity Corp., and Canaccord Genuity (Australia) Limited, an affiliated company that is 80%-owned by Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. The authoring analysts who are responsible for the preparation of this research are employed by Canaccord Genuity Corp. a Canadian broker-dealer with principal offices located in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, or Canaccord Genuity LLC, a US broker-dealer with principal offices located in New York, Boston, San Francisco and Houston, or Canaccord Genuity Limited., a UK broker-dealer with principal offices located in London (UK) and Dublin (Ireland), or Canaccord Genuity (Australia) Limited, an Australian broker-dealer with principal offices located in Sydney and Melbourne. The authoring analysts who are responsible for the preparation of this research have received (or will receive) compensation based upon (among other factors) the Investment Banking revenues and general profits of Canaccord Genuity. However, such authoring analysts have not received, and will not receive, compensation that is directly based upon or linked to one or more specific Investment Banking activities, or to recommendations contained in the research. Some regulators require that a firm must establish, implement and make available a policy for managing conflicts of interest arising as a result of publication or distribution of research. This research has been prepared in accordance with Canaccord Genuity’s policy on managing conflicts of interest, and information barriers or firewalls have been used where appropriate. Canaccord Genuity’s policy is available upon request. The information contained in this research has been compiled by Canaccord Genuity from sources believed to be reliable, but (with the exception of the information about Canaccord Genuity) no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made by Canaccord Genuity, its affiliated companies or any other person as to its fairness, accuracy, completeness or correctness. Canaccord Genuity has not independently verified the facts, assumptions, and estimates contained herein. All estimates, opinions and other information contained in this research constitute Canaccord Genuity’s judgement as of the date of this research, are subject to change without notice and are provided in good faith but without legal responsibility or liability. From time to time, Canaccord Genuity salespeople, traders, and other professionals provide oral or written market commentary or trading strategies to our clients and our principal trading desk that reflect opinions that are contrary to the opinions expressed in this research. Canaccord Genuity’s affiliates, principal trading desk, and investing businesses also from time to time make investment decisions that are inconsistent with the recommendations or views expressed in this research. This research is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any designated investments discussed herein in any jurisdiction where such offer or solicitation would be prohibited. As a result, the designated investments discussed in this research may not be eligible for sale in some jurisdictions. This research is not, and under no circumstances should be construed as, a solicitation to act as a securities broker or dealer in any jurisdiction by any person or company that is not legally permitted to carry on the business of a securities broker or dealer in that jurisdiction. This material is prepared for general circulation to clients and does not have regard to the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. Investors should obtain advice based on their own individual circumstances before making an investment decision. To the fullest extent permitted by law, none of Canaccord Genuity, its affiliated companies or any other person accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from or relating to any use of the information contained in this research. Research Distribution Policy Canaccord Genuity research is posted on the Canaccord Genuity Research Portal and will be available simultaneously for access by all of Canaccord Genuity’s customers who are entitled to receive the firm's research. In addition research may be distributed by the firm’s sales and trading personnel via email, instant message or other electronic means. Customers entitled to receive research may also receive it via third party vendors. Until such time as research is made available to Canaccord Genuity’s customers as described above, Authoring Analysts will not discuss the contents of their research with Sales and Trading or Investment Banking employees without prior compliance consent.
For further information about the proprietary model(s) associated with the covered issuer(s) in this research report, clients should contact their local sales representative. Short-Term Trade Ideas Research Analysts may, from time to time, discuss “short-term trade ideas” in research reports. A short-term trade idea offers a near-term view on how a security may trade, based on market and trading events or catalysts, and the resulting trading opportunity that may be available. Any such trading strategies are distinct from and do not affect the analysts' fundamental equity rating for such stocks. A short-term trade idea may differ from the price targets and recommendations in our published research reports that reflect the research analyst's views of the longer-term (i.e. one-year or greater) prospects of the subject company, as a result of the differing time horizons, methodologies and/or other factors. It is possible, for example, that a subject company's common equity that is considered a long-term ‘Hold' or 'Sell' might present a short-term buying opportunity as a result of temporary selling pressure in the market or for other reasons described in the research report; conversely, a subject company's stock rated a long-term 'Buy' or “Speculative Buy’ could be considered susceptible to a downward price correction, or other factors may exist that lead the research analyst to suggest a sale over the short-term. Short-term trade ideas are not ratings, nor are they part of any ratings system, and the firm does not intend, and does not undertake any obligation, to maintain or update short-term trade ideas. Short-term trade ideas are not suitable for all investors and are not tailored to individual investor circumstances and objectives, and investors should make their own independent decisions regarding any securities or strategies discussed herein. Please contact your salesperson for more information regarding Canaccord Genuity’s research. For Canadian Residents: This research has been approved by Canaccord Genuity Corp., which accepts sole responsibility for this research and its dissemination in Canada. Canaccord Genuity Corp. is registered and regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and is a Member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Canadian clients wishing to effect transactions in any designated investment discussed should do so through a qualified salesperson of Canaccord Genuity Corp. in their particular province or territory. For United States Persons: Canaccord Genuity LLC, a US registered broker-dealer, accepts responsibility for this research and its dissemination in the United States. This research is intended for distribution in the United States only to certain US institutional investors. US clients wishing to effect transactions in any designated investment discussed should do so through a qualified salesperson of Canaccord Genuity LLC. Analysts employed outside the US, as specifically indicated elsewhere in this report, are not registered as research analysts with FINRA. These analysts may not be associated persons of Canaccord Genuity LLC and therefore may not be subject to the FINRA Rule 2241 and NYSE Rule 472 restrictions on communications with a subject company, public appearances and trading securities held by a research analyst account. For United Kingdom and European Residents: This research is distributed in the United Kingdom and elsewhere Europe, as third party research by Canaccord Genuity Limited, which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This research is for distribution only to persons who are Eligible Counterparties or Professional Clients only and is exempt from the general restrictions in section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 on the communication of invitations or inducements to engage in investment activity on the grounds that it is being distributed in the United Kingdom only to persons of a kind described in Article 19(5) (Investment Professionals) and 49(2) (High Net Worth companies, unincorporated associations etc) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended). It is not intended to be distributed or passed on, directly or indirectly, to any other class of persons. This material is not for distribution in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in Europe to retail clients, as defined under the rules of the Financial Conduct Authority. For Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man Residents: This research is sent to you by Canaccord Genuity Wealth (International) Limited (CGWI) for information purposes and is not to be construed as a solicitation or an offer to purchase or sell investments or related financial instruments. This research has been produced by an affiliate of CGWI for circulation to its institutional clients and also CGWI. Its contents have been approved by CGWI and we are providing it to you on the basis that we believe it to be of interest to you. This statement should be read in conjunction with your client agreement, CGWI's current terms of business and the other disclosures and disclaimers contained within this research. If you are in any doubt, you should consult your financial adviser. CGWI is licensed and regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, the Jersey Financial Services Commission and the Isle of Man Financial Supervision Commission. CGWI is registered in Guernsey and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. For Australian Residents: This research is distributed in Australia by Canaccord Genuity (Australia) Limited ABN 19 075 071 466 holder of AFS Licence No 234666. To the extent that this research contains any advice, this is limited to general advice only. Recipients should take into account their own personal circumstances before making an investment decision. Clients wishing to effect any transactions in any financial products discussed in the research should do so through a qualified representative of Canaccord Genuity (Australia) Limited or its Wealth Management affiliated company, Canaccord Genuity Financial Limited ABN 69 008 896 311 holder of AFS Licence No 239052. This report should be read in conjunction with the Financial Services Guide available here - Financial Services Guide. For Hong Kong Residents: This research is distributed in Hong Kong by Canaccord Genuity (Hong Kong) Limited which is licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission. This research is only intended for persons who fall within the definition of professional investor as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance. It is not intended to be distributed or passed on, directly or indirectly, to any other class of persons. Recipients of this report can contact Canaccord Genuity (Hong Kong) Limited. (Contact Tel: +852 3919 2561) in respect of any matters arising from, or in connection with, this research. Additional information is available on request. Copyright © Canaccord Genuity Corp. 2024 – Member CIRO/Canadian Investor Protection Fund Copyright © Canaccord Genuity Limited. 2024 – Member LSE, authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Copyright © Canaccord Genuity LLC 2024 – Member FINRA/SIPC Copyright © Canaccord Genuity (Australia) Limited. 2024 – Participant of ASX Group, Cboe Australia and of the NSX. Authorized and regulated by ASIC. All rights reserved. All material presented in this document, unless specifically indicated otherwise, is under copyright to Canaccord Genuity Corp., Canaccord Genuity Limited, Canaccord Genuity LLC or Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. None of the material, nor its content, nor any copy of it, may be altered in any way, or transmitted to or distributed to any other party, without the prior express written permission of the entities listed above. None of the material, nor its content, nor any copy of it, may be altered in any way, reproduced, or distributed to any other party including by way of any form of social media, without the prior express written permission of the entities listed above.
