After soaring 44% in September, the Core Lithium Ltd (ASX: CXO) share price hit a wall in October.
Shares in the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) lithium stock ended September trading for 13 cents. When the closing bell rang on 31 October, those same shares were changing hands for 11 cents apiece, down 15.4%.
For some context, the All Ords fell 1.4% over the month.
As you can see on the above chart, the Core Lithium share price has gotten smashed over the past two years as global lithium prices remain deeply depressed from their 2022 record highs.
But October wasn't all bad for Core Lithium.
Here's what happened over the month just past.
What moved the Core Lithium share price in October?
Some of the selling pressure on the ASX lithium stock in October may have simply been caused by profit-taking following the strong run higher in September.
On 1 October, for example, the Core Lithium share price tumbled 11.5% despite there being no fresh news (good or bad) from the company.
The lithium stock also appears to have encountered headwinds that have impacted many ASX mining shares over the month. Those arose as traders reassessed the outlook for fresh stimulus measures from China's government.
China's new stimulus announcement in September offered most Aussie miners a big boost in anticipation of greater pending demand from Chinese factories for commodities like iron ore, copper, and lithium. However, further stimulus announcements fell below market expectations, impacting medium-term investor sentiment in stocks like Core Lithium.
On the plus side
Like I said up top, despite the retrace over October, there were some bright days for Core shareholders.
Like on 21 October, when the Core Lithium share price closed the day up 14.3%.
That big lift came after the company reported on some promising drill results from its Mount Shoobridge gold prospect, located in the Northern Territory. With lithium prices remaining in the doldrums while the gold price continues to set new record highs, management believes Shoobridge could be a golden opportunity for the miner.
Commenting on the drill results on the day, Core CEO Paul Brown said:
Our exploration program at Shoobridge has delivered strong results, confirming the presence of shallow, high grade gold mineralisation that remains open along strike. These early successes enhance the project's prospectivity and provide a clear pathway for continued exploration.
October 24 was also a notable day for the ASX lithium stock.
Although the Core Lithium share price closed flat on the day, the miner's quarterly results will have soothed the nerves of some long-term shareholders. Core reported lithium ore reserves at its flagship (and still temporarily mothballed) Finniss project now stand at 9.25 million tonnes at 1.38% Li2O.
Management said this provided "a robust basis" for ongoing restart studies at Finniss.
"This solid foundation underpins our ongoing restart studies and aligns with our strategy to resume operations at Finniss," Brown said.
