Business Frame Weekly – A worldwide lithium shortage could come as soon as 2025 / Stocks popped, picking up momentum as new data showed signs of cooling

The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA) – the internal audit profession’s leader in standards, certifications, education, research, and technical guidance worldwide – will host its annual Financial Services Exchange from September 11-12 in Washington, D.C., along with a virtual attendee option.

The world could face a shortage for lithium as demand for the metal ramps up, with some analysts forecasting that it could come as soon as 2025. Others, however, see a longer time frame before that shortfall hits.

Stocks popped on Tuesday, picking up momentum as new data showed signs of cooling in the labor market ahead of Friday's August jobs report.

In this newsletter:

• Institute of Internal Auditors’ to Hold Financial Services Exchange Sept. 11-12 in D.C.
• A worldwide lithium shortage could come as soon as 2025
• Stocks rise after job openings fall to lowest since March 2021: Stock market news today
• Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s brutal message to remote workers refusing to come back to the office: ‘It’s probably not going to work out for you’
• Regional banks face another hit as regulators force them to raise debt levels

August 29, 2023

Institute of Internal Auditors’ to Hold Financial Services Exchange Sept. 11-12 in D.C.

The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA) – the internal audit profession’s leader in standards, certifications, education, research, and technical guidance worldwide – will host its annual Financial Services Exchange from September 11-12 in Washington, D.C., along with a virtual attendee option. The Exchange provides internal auditors in the financial services space with the opportunity to share their greatest takeaways, tools, and techniques with other leaders. Financial services organizations operate in a heavily regulated environment and therefore face unique risks. This year has offered multiple high-profile examples of the fallout from not effectively managing those risks, including the regional banking crisis and the dramatic collapse of FTX. Internal auditors play an important role in protecting their organizations by staying ahead of the curve in this dynamic environment, and the Exchange offers them the perfect opportunity to do so.

A worldwide lithium shortage could come as soon as 2025

The world could face a shortage for lithium as demand for the metal ramps up, with some analysts forecasting that it could come as soon as 2025. Others, however, see a longer time frame before that shortfall hits. BMI, a Fitch Solutions research unit, was among those that predict a lithium supply deficit by 2025. In a recently published report, BMI largely attributed the deficit to China’s lithium demand exceeding that of its supply. “We expect an average of 20.4% year-on-year annual growth for China’s lithium demand for EVs alone over 2023-2032,” the report stated. In contrast, China’s lithium supply will only grow 6% over the same period, BMI said, adding that rate cannot satiate even one third of forecasted demand. China is the world’s third largest producer of lithium, which is an integral element in electric vehicle batteries.

Stocks rise after job openings fall to lowest since March 2021: Stock market news today

Stocks popped on Tuesday, picking up momentum as new data showed signs of cooling in the labor market ahead of Friday's August jobs report. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) ros 1.2% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) added 0.65% after US job openings fell below 9 million for the first time since March 2021 and consumer confidence reversed its summer gains. The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) led gains around 12:30 ET, rising 1.6%.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s brutal message to remote workers refusing to come back to the office: ‘It’s probably not going to work out for you’

The return to office issue has been a problem plaguing some of the biggest businesses in America, with companies from Meta to Disney and Starbucks all wrestling with workers who want to hold onto their pandemic-era flexibility. Unfortunately for Amazon's executives, summoning staff back to the office has been particularly controversial.

Regional banks face another hit as regulators force them to raise debt levels

U.S. regulators on Tuesday unveiled plans to force regional banks to issue debt and bolster their so-called living wills, steps meant to protect the public in the event of more failures.American banks with at least $100 billion in assets would be subject to the new requirements, which makes them hold a layer of long-term debt to absorb losses in the event of a government seizure, according to a joint notice from the Treasury Department, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

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