20 Best Performing Dividend Stocks in 2025

13. Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB)

YTD Return as of December 30: 67.9%

Dividend Yield as of December 30: 1.14%

Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) is among the best-performing stocks in 2025.

On December 18, RBC Capital raised its price target on Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) to $159 from $120 and kept an Outperform rating. The change came as part of a broader 2026 outlook for Chemicals and Packaging. In a research note, the analyst said lithium markets are starting to stand out, with demand growth tied to energy storage systems, suggesting global supply and demand could balance sooner than many investors expected.

That view has been gaining traction. Earlier this month, Morgan Stanley upgraded Albemarle to an Equal-Weight rating. UBS also moved more aggressively, raising the stock to a Buy and pointing to rising energy storage demand and several years of slower capacity growth in Western markets, a mix it believes could push lithium into a deficit by 2026.

“We expect lithium prices to move up through the year which should be a positive driver for ALB stock,” UBS analyst Joshua Spector wrote. His $185 price target implies about 28% upside from Albemarle’s December 29 close. That stands in sharp contrast to his earlier $107 target, which had implied 26% downside.

Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) operates as a global specialty chemicals company. It is best known as the world’s largest lithium producer, supplying a critical material for electric vehicle batteries. Beyond lithium, the company also has meaningful exposure to bromine and catalyst markets, adding some diversification to its earnings profile.