Lithium stocks’ returns in the first quarter of 2017 continued to be powerful. The three largest lithium players listed on a major U.S. stock exchange — Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM), or SQM, and FMC Corp. (NYSE: FMC) — returned an average of 22.2% in the quarter, which is equivalent to a scorching annual return of nearly 89%.