ETF’s top holding supplies key commodities

Article Excerpt

Sociedad Quimica Y Minera(SQM) is currently the largest holding in the iShares MSCI Chile ETF, making up a big 26% of its total assets. The company is a major global producer of lithium, iodine, and fertilizers. SQM’s share price tends to follow a cyclical pattern over time as the prices of its main products fluctuate. For instance, over the past year, the share price has almost doubled along with strong commodity prices. In 2021, the company generated $2.9 billion U.S. in revenue, along with earnings of $586 million U.S. The lithium segment was the largest contributor to revenue at 32%, followed by specialty plant nutrients (31%), iodine (15%), and potassium (14%). Lithium is used in lithium-ion batteries. It can be produced from the evaporation of brine or through hard-rock mining. SQM has a cost advantage in lithium production due to its high-concentration brine assets in the Salar de Atacama in Chile and the very dry conditions which hels with the evaporation process. The…