The price of lithium has experienced a resurgence in recent months, with demand growth, inventory reduction, and regulatory tightening helping to fuel the rally.
And some leading ASX 200 mining stocks have been riding the wave.
For example, shares in Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) have rocketed by 200% in the past six months.
Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) shares have also more than doubled across the same timeframe.
And fellow Western Australian lithium miner Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) has delivered a 104% return for its shareholders.
Looking ahead, this upbeat sentiment in the lithium sector could be set to continue, according to financial services firm Bell Potter.
The broker stated:
Lithium market supply-demand fundamentals are improving into 2026, supporting higher prices. Demand from Electric Vehicle take-up and Energy Stationary Storage continues to experience high rates of growth. While there is idled capacity on the lithium supply-side, we expect sustained higher prices will be required to support any production restarts.
And one ASX lithium stock could be set to benefit from this positive outlook.
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Strategically important ASX lithium stock
Ioneer Ltd (ASX: INR) is advancing its wholly owned Rhyolite Ridge lithium and boron project in the US state of Nevada.
A recent economic evaluation pointed to annual production totalling more than 24,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, alongside 135,000 tonnes of boric acid.
And according to Bell Potter, the project represents a strategically important source of future lithium supply in the US.
It noted:
In January 2025, Rhyolite Ridge received funding support from the US Department of Energy through a US$996m, 20-year loan. The company is currently running a project sell-down process, which we expect to materially de-risk the development's remaining funding requirements. Project development should commence in 2026 to enable first production in 2029.
Not only that, but the prospect of boron production also appears to have caught the eye of Bell Potter analysts.
Critical mineral
Bell Potter noted that boron recently joined lithium on the US list of critical minerals.
In essence, boron is a rare mineral that plays a vital role in a wide range of sectors such as energy, defence, aerospace, and agriculture.
It also boasts everyday applications, including in cookware, consumer electronics, and medicine.
According to Ioneer, Turkey and the US account for about 80% of global boron production, including 30% supply coming from just the one mine in California.
It believes that Rhyolite Ridge could be the only construction-ready and fully permitted boron deposit in the US, and possibly the world.
Overall, boron is forecast to account for about 25% of the project's future revenue.
Share price in focus for this ASX lithium stock
Ioneer shares have already jumped by 50% over the past six months, rising to $0.17 per share at the time of writing.
However, Bell Potter believes that this powerful rally could continue into 2026.
The broker has placed a speculative buy rating on the company, with a price target of $0.36 per share.
This equates to 112% upside potential for investors in this ASX mining stock.
