May 6 (Reuters) - Albemarle, the world's largest producer of lithium, said on Wednesday its quarterly profit jumped more than six fold due to rising prices and sales of the battery metal.

The Charlotte, North Carolina-based company posted a first-quarter net income of $319.1 million, or $2.34 per share, compared to $49.3 million, or break-even per share, in the year-ago quarter.