(Yicai Global) March 10 -- Shares of Contemporary Amperex Technology, Eve Energy, and Gotion High-Tech jumped after the Chinese battery makers denied rumors that they are not accepting orders because the firms have stopped buying battery-grade lithium carbonate following a surge in its price.

Eve [SHE: 300014] led the gains, closing 6.6 percent higher today at CNY75.15 (USD11.89). Gotion [SHE: 002074] ended 5.7 percent up at CNY35.92, and CATL [SHE: 300750] rose 3.7 percent to CNY490.81 (USD77.63).

CATL said the rumors are untrue and it is operating normally, China Securities Journal reported yesterday. Eve and Gotion also said their production is running as usual and they guaranteed the normal operation of the downstream supply chain.

Online rumors have claimed that a large number of Chinese battery manufacturers have been refusing to accept purchase orders and buy raw materials, as the price of lithium carbonate has surged 900 percent to CNY500,000 (USD79,150) a metric ton since the start of the year due to soaring demand for the material used in batteries to power electric vehicles.

An executive at lithium producer Ganfeng Lithium also dismissed the rumors as untrue, saying battery plants are buying raw materials and production lines are running at full capacity.

Chinese auto giant and battery maker BYD has not yet responded to the rumors. But it shares [HKG: 1211] also jumped today, closing up 5.4 percent at HKD200.20 (USD25.60).

Editor: Futura Costaglione