Patriot Battery Metals hits back at short-seller report

Canadian lithium explorer Patriot Battery Metals (TSX-V: PMET; ASX: PMT) refuted on Monday claims published in a short-seller report, stating the assertions made by Night Market Research were “factually inaccurate and misleading.”

The short-seller said on July 6 it attributed Patriot’s stock price rally to promotion efforts with unnamed marketing outlets that other “Tier-1” developers would avoid.

“Patriot Battery Metals is a rare mining ‘unicorn’ – a lithium explorer ascending to a $2-billion valuation despite having acquired its core asset for $8-million only 16 months ago and lacking an established maiden resource,” the report said.

The North American firm also suggested that Patriot had used “curiously timed buyout rumours” to inflate its share price, and that lithium reserves at its flagship Corvette lithium project in Quebec, Canada, were 40% lower than what the explorer has said.

Shares in Patriot were halted on Monday in Australia after the Vancouver-based lithium junior was asked to respond to the bruising report, in line with Australian Securities and Investments Commission regulations. 

“I wouldn’t normally be so direct and that’s not really my style,” chairman Ken Brinsden told The Australian Financial Review. “I just think some of what they have said is pretty frustrating, a bit outrageous and inconsistent with the facts we have presented to our investors.”

Brinsden, who left the top job at Pilbara Minerals in July 2022 and emerged as chairman of Patriot a month later, added the company had enlisted the help of lawyers to deal with Night Market Research’s claims.

“[Our Corvette lithium project in Quebec] is a really significant discovery in which I have deliberately chosen to get involved,” he told AFR. The executive added he wouldn’t have gotten involved if the lithium project didn’t have all the key elements including opportunity and development potential.

Short-sellers make money as share prices fall. Night Market Research has targeted several companies in the past four years, including New York-listed medical device manufacturer Zynex and Toronto-listed Cielo Waste Solutions.

Meanwhile, Patriot’s share price in Toronto rose by 6% to $15.33 apiece in Toronto on Monday morning, valuing the company at $1.4 billion. Its shares traded in a 52-week window of $1.98 and $17.74. 

Aussie majors circling

Rumours of Australian players eyeing Patriot as a potential acquisition target have circulated in Australian media on and off this year. In February, it was said that Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN), Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS) and  Wesfarmers (ASX: WES) were all interested in buying the Canadian junior or, at least, a stake in it.

Australian lithium miners, such as Pilbara, Orocobre (TSX: ORL; ASX: ORE) and Galaxy Resources (ASX: GXY), are seeking to expand their global footprint and diversify their supply sources amid rising demand for battery metals. Analysts say they see Patriot Battery Metals as an attractive opportunity to gain access to the North American market and secure long-term supply contracts with leading battery manufacturers.

Quebec has become a hard rock lithium hotspot as companies vie to supply the surging electric vehicle market. The federal government approved the James Bay open-pit project by Galaxy Resources, a part of Allkem (TSX: AKE; ASX: AKE), in January.

Azimut Exploration (TSXV: AZM) has its own James Bay project and Sayona Mining (ASX: SYA) expects the first spodumene shipment from its North American Lithium operation to take place this month.