** Analysts at Citi cut price target on Australia's Core
Lithium CXO.AX to A$0.40/share from A$0.50/share; keeps 'sell'
rating
** Co on Wednesday announced plans to raise around A$100 mln
($64.18 million) to A$120 mln at a 27% discount
** Brokerage surprised at the timing of equity raising and
questions convictions around performance of co's Finniss lithium
project
** Citi revisits model valuation estimates on co after
flagging that CXO is facing more ramp-up challenges than other
lithium producers
** Estimates EPS dilution in FY24 of 12% and 13% in FY25
** As of last close, stock had fallen 46.8% this year
($1 = 1.5581 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru)
((Rishav.Chatterjee@thomsonreuters.com;))