A basket of prices for lithium - which vary by region and by type - tracked by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence has dropped more than 60% this year. While demand for the ultralight battery metal is still expected to rise this year from 2022 levels, investors' expectations for white-hot industry growth were dampened by sluggish quarterly reports from Albemarle, Pilbara Minerals, Livent and others. In Australia, the world's largest lithium-producing nation, Pilbara Minerals is the most-shorted stock on the Australian Stock Exchange, suggesting investors have a negative view on lithium demand.