There's no doubting lithium is the future of Albemarle (NYSE: ALB). Heck, lithium is the largest source of revenue and earnings for the business today. But the company's most resilient business segment during the second quarter of 2020 turned out to be bromine, not lithium or catalysts.
The consumption-sapping effects of the coronavirus pandemic slammed the specialty chemicals manufacturer in the first half of the year, although there will be a couple of quarters of lag before the discrepancies in supply and demand are fully accounted for in operating results. That means investors should prepare for relatively poor results in the second half of 2020, too, but the business is well positioned to endure the economic slowdown. Here's what investors need to know about the latest numbers.
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