Can the Pilbara Minerals share price really deliver 60% upside?

On top of recent gains, some analysts believe the lithium miners' shares could keep climbing higher.

| More on:

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

Key points
  • Pilbara Minerals shares could still have another 60% upside, according to one broker
  • The Pilbara Minerals share price has soared more than 100% in a year
  • Pilbara shares are up almost 4% so far in Wednesday trading

The Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) share price has soared more than 100% in a year, but can it go even higher?

Pilbara shares have soared 127% in 12 months and are currently fetching $4.92 apiece. For perspective, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has returned 7% in a year.

In today's trade, Pilbara shares are up 3.9%.

Let's take a look at the outlook for this ASX 200 lithium share.

A cool young man walking in a laneway holding a takeaway coffee in one hand and his phone in the other reacts with surprise as he reads the latest news on his mobile phone

Image source: Getty Images

What's the outlook?

Pilbara Minerals is exploring the Pilgangoora lithium hard rock project, 120km from Port Hedland in Western Australia.

Analysts at Macquarie have placed an "outperform" rating on Pilbara Minerals with a $7.70 price target.

This implies a 56.8% upside based on Pilbara's current share price.

Macquarie is positive on Pilbara due to the company's expansion plans, downstream activities, and potential to continue to deliver "bumper profits".

On the flip side, Red Leaf Securities CEO John Athanasiou recommends investors sell Pilbara Minerals shares.

Athanasiou suggested investors "consider taking profit", given the share price doubled to 8 June 2023.

Commenting on Pilbara Minerals on The Bull, he said:

The company produced 148,131 dry metric tonnes of spodumene concentrate in the March quarter, down 9 per cent on the previous quarter. The average estimated realised spodumene concentrate sales price was down 15 per cent on the December quarter. 

Meanwhile, Morgans has recently retained its add rating on Pilbara shares with a $5 price target. Analysts are optimistic Pilbara is still well-positioned to deliver profit in the future. Morgans also believes a share buyback could be on the way.

Share price snapshot

The Pilbara share price has gained 35.6% in the year to date and climbed 3.8% in the past month.

Pilbara Minerals has a market capitalisation of about $14.7 billion based on the latest share price.

Motley Fool contributor Monica O'Shea has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

More on Materials Shares

A man wearing a suit holds his arms aloft, attached to a large lithium battery with green charging symbols on it.
Materials Shares

Is the PLS Group share price a buy in August?

Is this lithium miner a good buy?

Read more »

Two miners standing together with a smile on their faces.
Materials Shares

Fortescue posts record FY26 shipments and eyes green future

Total iron ore shipments of 52.7 Mt in Q4 contributed to record shipments of 201.3Mt in FY 2026.

Read more »

a man in a hard hat and high visibility vest smiles as he stands in the foreground of heavy mining equipment on a mine site.
Materials Shares

Capstone Copper posts record Q2 2026 earnings and maintains full-year outlook

This copper miner revealed adjusted EBITDA at a record of US$354 million.

Read more »

A man in a hard hat and high visibility vest speaks on his mobile phone in front of a digging machine with a heavy dump truck vehicle also visible in the background.
Materials Shares

IperionX grows titanium powder capacity and critical minerals platform in June quarter

IperionX grew titanium production capacity and advanced its Titan-Atlas resources, bolstered by strong government and customer support.

Read more »

Man sitting in front of a laptop and analysing an earnings report.
Materials Shares

Champion Iron share price in focus after net loss as DRPF ramps up and Rana Gruber acquisition completes

This iron ore miner posted a loss for the first quarter.

Read more »

A woman smiles as she checks her phone in one hand with a takeaway coffee in the other as she charges her electric vehicle at a charging station.
Materials Shares

Pilbara Minerals posts record sales and robust growth guidance

This lithium miner finished the financial year with a strong operational performance.

Read more »

Two brokers analysing stocks.
Materials Shares

Vulcan Energy Resources quarterly update: Lionheart milestone reached

Momentum is building for the lithium developer's Lionheart Project.

Read more »

A man wearing a shirt, tie and hard hat sits in an office and marks dates in his diary.
Earnings Results

Rio Tinto posts strong H1 2026 earnings, boosts dividend as copper and lithium shine

Shareholders will be receiving a much larger interim dividend compared to last year.

Read more »