TLDR
- Lithium Americas Argentina (LAR) hit a new 52-week high of C$13.25 on Monday, closing at C$13.01, up 5.5%
- The stock trades well above its 50-day (C$10.13) and 200-day (C$8.67) moving averages
- Consensus rating is Strong Buy with a target price of C$13.38 from analysts including Canaccord, Scotiabank, HSBC, and TD Securities
- Two insiders sold a combined C$837,500 worth of stock in January
- On the NYSE-listed LAC side, Scotiabank and BMO both cut price targets due to rising capex at Thacker Pass
Lithium Americas Argentina (TSE: LAR) hit a new 52-week high on Monday, touching C$13.25 intraday before closing at C$13.01. That’s a 5.5% gain from the previous close of C$12.69.
The move puts the stock well clear of both its 50-day moving average of C$10.13 and its 200-day moving average of C$8.67. Market cap sits at roughly C$2.17 billion.
The stock carries a price-to-earnings ratio of -28.49 and a beta of 1.75, reflecting its pre-profit stage and higher volatility relative to the broader market.
Volume on the day came in at 60,063 — a relatively light session, but enough to push the stock to fresh highs.
Analyst Upgrades Piling Up
Analyst sentiment has been firmly in the bull camp. Scotiabank upgraded LAR from Hold to Strong Buy back in January. HSBC followed with its own Strong Buy upgrade shortly after.
Canaccord Genuity raised its price target from C$17.50 to C$17.75 in March, keeping a Buy rating. TD Securities also moved its target from C$7.00 to C$9.00 in the same session.
Three analysts currently rate the stock Strong Buy, two rate it Buy. The consensus target sits at C$13.38 — just above where it’s trading now.
On the earnings front, the company posted C$0.01 EPS for its most recent quarter, reported on March 23.
Insider Selling Worth Watching
Not everyone is holding. Two insiders trimmed their positions in late January.
Daniel Cherniak sold 30,977 LAR shares on January 28 at an average of C$10.57, totalling C$327,427. That cut his ownership by 55.6%, leaving him with 24,754 shares.
Ignacio Celorrio sold 50,453 shares the following day at C$10.11, totalling C$510,080 — a 13.5% reduction in his stake.
Combined, the two insiders offloaded roughly C$837,500 in stock.
Thacker Pass Headwinds Hit LAC
The US-listed entity, Lithium Americas Corp. (NYSE: LAC), is facing some separate pressure points.
Scotiabank reaffirmed its Sector Perform rating on April 6 but cut its price target from $7 to $5. BMO Capital also trimmed its target from $6 to $4.50 in March, maintaining a Market Perform rating.
Both firms pointed to higher-than-expected capital expenditure inflation at the Thacker Pass project in Nevada — now running at 15%, up from a prior 10% estimate. Dilution from at-the-market equity offerings also weighed on valuations.
Despite the cuts, the broader analyst consensus still sees upside. Based on a $5.80 consensus target as of April 24, LAC offers more than 25% upside potential from current levels.
As of Monday’s close on TSX, LAR is trading at C$13.01.
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