Yesterday, the cobalt chloride and cobalt sulfate markets overall exhibited a divergent pattern of strong metal, weak salts. Although their prices either edged up in tandem or stabilized, transaction follow-through was weak, and upside potential was constrained by downstream acceptance.Electrolytic cobalt prices jumped in a single day yesterday, with increases reported more than 9%. However, this rally, driven by capital flows and expectations of supply disruptions, attenuated rapidly as it passed downstream. The increases in cobalt chloride and cobalt sulfate were far smaller than that in cobalt metal, while quotes for the further-downstream Co3O4 and lithium cobalt oxide remained completely flat, indicating a clear break in the cost pass-through chain at the downstream cathode materials segment.The main driver of this market move was supply-side expectations of contraction, rather than a substantive recovery in demand.