Up 117% in six months! Pilbara Minerals shares lead the charge as ASX lithium stocks rally

Better pricing environment?

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Key points

  • Shares in Pilbara Minerals have rocketed higher in the past few months.
  • The company's quarterly update on Friday suggests an improved lithium pricing environment.
  • Other ASX 200 lithium stocks have also been booming in recent times.

Renowned lithium miner Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) ended the week in style with its shares jumping by 9% on Friday to $3.23 apiece.

The driving force behind this rally appears to be a production update for the first quarter of FY26.

In essence, the ASX 200 mining stock delivered a robust performance headlined by a 30% jump in revenue from prior quarter.

And digging deeper into the numbers in more detail points to a welcome development for Pilbara Minerals shares.

In a nutshell, the company reported a 24% increase in the average realised selling price for its lithium product from three months prior.

This suggests that the lithium pricing environment has improved over the past few months.

And stronger prices help drive revenue and margins for lithium miners, which can potentially lead to significant share price gains.

For instance, Pilbara Minerals shares have now rocketed by 117% in just the past six months.

This compares with a 14% increase in the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) across the same period.

However, Pilbara Minerals isn't the only lithium stock storming higher.

Below we present three other surging ASX 200 mining stocks with lithium central to their operations.

Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN)

Mineral Resources is a diversified mining company operating in Western Australia's lithium, iron ore, energy, and mining services sectors.

The group produces lithium from its 50% owned Mt Marion and Wodgina mines in the Pilbara region of the state.

It also owns the Bald Hill lithium mine which was placed on care-and-maintenance in late 2024. 

Shares in this ASX 200 lithium stock have ballooned by 147% in the past six months, reaching $44.94 per share at yesterday's close.

Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR)

Liontown is a rookie in the lithium mining space with production at its Kathleen Valley project in Western Australia only commencing last year.

So far, the company has focused its operations on extracting shallow ore through open-pit mining.

However, the group is in the process of scaling as it looks to produce lithium from deeper ore bodies and develop Australia's first underground lithium mine.

Liontown shares have bolted by 118% in the past six months to $1.22 per share at Friday's close.

IGO Ltd (ASX: IGO)

IGO is another diversified ASX 200 mining stock operating in Western Australia.

It produces lithium, nickel, copper, and cobalt from its mining assets in the state.

The company mines lithium through its 49% interest in a TLEA joint venture, which holds a controlling interest in the globally renowned Greenbushes lithium mine.

IGO shares have risen by 60% since mid-April to $5.82 per share.

Motley Fool contributor Bart Bogacz 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.

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