The incoming chief executive of lithium major Pilbara Minerals has shrugged off a handful of bearish broker notes on the hot sector, labelling it a “bold” move to call the peak for battery metals given strong demand for electric vehicles and the time it takes to bring on new supply.

Last weekend, Goldman Sachs’ UK-based analysts warned the battery metals bull market was “over for now”, while Credit Suisse’s Australian team told clients lithium prices may peak in the “next few months” as markets price in a balancing of supply and demand in coming years.