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Rio's mooted SQM acquisition makes sense

The digital news sphere is awash with stories about pending major shifts in the lithium oligarchy, with US chemical company FMC (US:FMC) supposedly spinning out its lithium business and Rio Tinto (LN:RIO) mulling the 32% stake in Chile’s Sociedad Quimica Y Minera (SQM) from Canada’s Potash Corp of Saskatchewan.

Rio's mooted SQM acquisition makes sense Rio's mooted SQM acquisition makes sense Rio's mooted SQM acquisition makes sense Rio's mooted SQM acquisition makes sense Rio's mooted SQM acquisition makes sense

Rio could get a lot more than access to the SQM data room with its mooted acquisition

Most articles about this latter idea have focused on Rio's dismal record of acquiring at the top of the market and then having to make substantial writedowns as markets normalise.