Lithium Recap 2025, 2026 Watchlist, Ford EV Write-Down, Argentine Brines, Supply Outlook

In this Rock Stock Recap episode, Howard, Matt, and Rodney sit down with Ernie Ortiz (CEO, Lithium Royalty Corp) and Ofer Amir (Clean Elements family office) to discuss why sentiment and pricing changed so sharply in 2025, and why the next leg of the lithium cycle may be driven less by EV headlines and more by battery energy storage systems (BESS). Chapters (00:00) Intro(04:26) Why Argentine Brines(08:18) Galan Brine Case(16:06) DLE vs Traditional Projects(18:01) Winsome & Power Metals Updates(23:26) Quebec Outlook & M&A(28:09) Lithium Pricing Setup(30:24) US Minerals Policy(33:02) Middle East Storage(36:23) 2026 Watchlist(40:26) Risks, Upside & Wrap We cover: - Why energy storage demand is becoming a primary driver for lithium (and why carbonate/LFP matters)- How major banks and industry players are framing the 2026 lithium outlook- Why Argentine brines are viewed as strategic — including valuation comparisons and past takeout benchmarks- What to watch in Argentina’s policy and investment environment, and why it may matter for project development- Brines vs hard rock vs DLE: how institutional investors and royalty companies think about risk, cost, and timelines- Key royalty and deal updates (including Winsome/Li-FT and Power Metals/Albemarle)- The Quebec lithium pipeline and what consolidation could look like in North America- Macro watchpoints: US critical minerals policy, supply chain buildout, and the pace of ex-China conversion capacity Sponsors - Lithium Royalty Corp (TSX: LIRC) - diversified lithium royalty portfolio.(Website: https://www.lithiumroyaltycorp.com/ | X: https://x.com/Lithium_Royalty) - USCF Investments - commodity-focused ETFs (e.g., CPER copper, ZSB battery metals, USG gold, SDCI diversified commodities).(Website: https://www.uscfinvestments.com/ | X: https://x.com/USCFInvestments) Links - Strategic Lithium Reserve (SLR) White Paper: https://blog.rkequity.com/2025/12/08/strategic-lithium-reserve/- Read Matt's research blog: https://blog.rkequity.com/- Sign up for the Lithium-Ion Bull newsletter/Matt's Blogs: https://rkequity.com/ Have a question? Drop us an email: rockstockchannel@rkequity.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/rockstockchannelPodcast:  Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lithium-ion-rocks/id1457969172  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0KiMIZOPaDg8ENfPJMSINqX (Twitter):  Howard: https://x.com/LithiumIonBull  Rodney: https://x.com/RodneyHooper13  Matt: https://x.com/matt_fernley _________________________________________________ DISCLAIMER NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH Howard, Matt and Rodney are not financial advisors nor broker-dealers, this video is for information purposes only and should not be considered investment or financial advice. Please do your own independent research and read the disclaimer at the end of the video or on RK Equity's website https://www.rkequity.com Intro and outro audio credit: Jamie Klein