Copper can be found in low concentrations in the earth’s crust. It has an abundance of uses — from our homes to industrial machinery. But it’s difficult and expensive to mine. Here’s what you should know about copper stocks.
What is copper and how is it used?
Copper is a reddish-orange metal that is corrosion-resistant and an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. In its natural state, copper is soft, solid and can be molded into different shapes and thicknesses. It is naturally found in ore deposits that are mined or leached. Mining crushes and grinds the ore into powder, where the unwanted materials and other impurities are removed. Leaching uses sulphuric acid to remove the copper from the other ore minerals. Copper has a plethora of uses across five main markets:
Construction. Wiring, heating, refrigeration and plumbing all use copper materials.
Electrical and electronics. Utilities and electronics need copper wiring and parts.
Consumer products. Cookware and household appliances use their fair share of this raw material.
Transportation. Vehicles, including airplanes, cars and trucks, are manufactured with copper.
Industrial equipment. Machinery consumes millions of pounds of copper every year.
Copper stocks generally refer to companies that explore, develop, produce and sell copper all over the world.
Why invest in copper stocks?
Copper has an expansive range of industrial and consumer applications — from factories and transmission lines to homes and electronics. And the recent push for electric vehicles is likely to increase demand for this essential metal. Electric vehicles have five times more copper than traditional cars. And this new driving technology will also require large amounts of copper to support its electric charging infrastructure. Copper’s strong ties to many sectors of the economy likely mean that the demand isn’t going anywhere.
Risks of investing in copper
While copper is one of the most abundant metals on earth, only a small portion is economically viable to extract at today’s prices using current technologies. So mining companies are vulnerable to copper price fluctuations, which are easily impacted by geopolitics. For example, global copper prices fell to its two-year all-time low in 2019. It was collateral damage amid the escalating trade war between the United States and China — a country consumes over 50% of the world’s metal. An additional risk is that there are other practical substitutes for copper. For example, manufacturers can use aluminum instead of copper in automobile radiators, optical fiber in telecommunications equipment and plastics for pipes and plumbing fixtures. These substitutions can lower demand and cause copper and its stock prices to fall.
Copper stocks
Interested in copper stocks? In addition to the New York Stock Exchange, many copper stocks trade on international exchanges, such as the London and Toronto stock exchanges.
See how the following stocks are performing, and view details like market capitalization, the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio and dividend yield.
Company summary
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. engages in the mining of mineral properties in North America, South America, and Indonesia. It primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and other metals. The company's assets include the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona; Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax in Colorado, North America, as well as Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile. The company was formerly known as Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. and changed its name to Freeport-McMoRan Inc. in July 2014. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.
Southern Copper Corporation engages in mining, exploring, smelting, and refining copper and other minerals in Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile. The company is involved in the mining, milling, and flotation of copper ore to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates; smelting of copper concentrates to produce blister and anode copper; refining of anode copper to produce copper cathodes; production of molybdenum concentrate and sulfuric acid; production of refined silver, gold, and other materials; and mining and processing of zinc, copper, molybdenum, silver, gold, and lead. It operates the Toquepala and Cuajone open-pit mines, and a smelter and refinery in Peru; and La Caridad, an open-pit copper mine, as well as a copper ore concentrator, a SX-EW plant, a smelter, refinery, and a rod plant in Mexico. The company also operates Buenavista, an open-pit copper mine, as well as two copper concentrators and two operating SX-EW plants in Mexico. In addition, it operates underground mines that produce zinc, lead, copper, silver, and gold; a coal mine; and a zinc refinery. The company has interests in 156,818 hectares and 502,688 hectares of concessions in Peru and Mexico; and 168,200 hectares and 28,453 hectares of exploration concessions in Argentina and Chile. Southern Copper Corporation was incorporated in 1952 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona. Southern Copper Corporation is a subsidiary of Americas Mining Corporation.
Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a mining company. The company primarily explores for copper, gold, and silver deposits. It engages in the operation and development of the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine located in Southern Mongolia. The company was formerly known as Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. and changed its name to Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. in August 2012. Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. operates as a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Group.
KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.
Historical performance
Stock information
Market capitalization: $5447838720
P/E ratio: 8.938
Dividend yield: 0.007%
Company summary
BHP Group Limited operates as a resources company in Australia, Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, the rest of Asia, North America, South America, and internationally. The company operates through Copper, Iron Ore, and Coal segments. It engages in the mining of copper, uranium, gold, zinc, lead, molybdenum, silver, iron ore, cobalt, and metallurgical and energy coal. The company is also involved in the mining, smelting, and refining of nickel, as well as potash development activities. In addition, it provides towing, freight, marketing and trading, marketing support, finance, administrative, and other services. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
Glencore plc engages in the production, refinement, processing, storage, transport, and marketing of metals and minerals, and energy products in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. It operates through two segments: Marketing Activities and Industrial Activities. The company engages in production and marketing copper, cobalt, lead, nickel, zinc, chrome ore, ferrochrome, vanadium, aluminum, alumina, and iron ore; and coal, crude oil, refined products, and natural gas, as well as oil exploration/production and refining/distribution. It also operates marketing and distribution of physical commodities sourced from third party producers and company's production to industrial consumers, including the battery, electronic, construction, automotive, steel, energy, and oil industries. In addition, the company provides financing, logistics, and other services to producers and consumers of commodities. Glencore plc was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland.
Historical performance
Stock information
Market capitalization: $58304061440
PEG ratio: 0.409
Dividend yield: 0.0275%
Company summary
Zijin Mining Group Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, a mining company, engages in the exploration, mining, processing, refining, and sale of gold, non-ferrous metals, and other mineral resources in Mainland China and internationally. It operates through Environmental Protection, Trading, and Others segments. The company primarily produces gold bullion; copper, gold, zinc, lithium, lead, silver, and molybdenum; iron ore concentrate, cobalt, tungsten, and sulphuric acid and copper cathodes, and zinc bullion, as well as cobalt, tin, coal, lithium, platinum, and palladium. In addition, the company is involved in the trading, investment, and asset management activities; jewelry and jade products; trading of copper cathodes; wholesale of metals and ores; metallurgical engineering technology research services; import and export of goods or technologies; mining technology development, consultation, transfer, etc.; mine geological and technical services; and import and export agent services. Further, it is involved in the production of dust removing and auxiliary equipment, desulphurisation and denitrification engineering projects, soil restoration, and other products; air pollution control; industrial waste water treatment and refuse disposal; and flue gas treatment businesses. The company was formerly known as Fujian Zijin Mining Industry Company Limited and changed its name to Zijin Mining Group Company Limited in June 2004. Zijin Mining Group Company Limited was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Longyan, the People's Republic of China.
Historical performance
Stock information
Market capitalization: $434465210368
P/E ratio: 12.3193
Dividend yield: 0.022%
Company summary
Capstone Copper Corp. operates as a copper mining company in the United States, Chile, and Mexico. It primarily explores for copper, silver, zinc, and other metals. The company owns 100% interests in Pinto Valley copper mine located in the Arizona, the United States; Mantos Blancos copper-silver mine located in the Region of Antofagasta, Chile; Santo Domingo copper-iron-gold-cobalt project located in the Atacama region, Chile; and Cozamin copper-silver mine located in the Zacatecas, Mexico. It holds 70% interest in the Mantoverde copper"gold mine located in the Region of Atacama, Chile; and a portfolio of exploration properties in Mexico. Capstone Copper Corp. is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
Historical performance
Stock information
Market capitalization: $7194209280
PEG ratio: -0.16
Dividend yield: N/A%
Company summary
Lundin Mining Corporation, a diversified base metals mining company, engages in the exploration, development, and mining of mineral properties in Chile, Brazil, the United States, Portugal, Sweden, and Argentina. It primarily produces copper, zinc, gold, nickel, and molybdenum, as well as lead, silver, and other metals. The company holds 100% interests in the Chapada mine located in Brazil; the Eagle mine located in the United States; the Neves-Corvo mine located in Portugal; and the Zinkgruvan mine located in Sweden. It also holds 80% interests in the Candelaria and Ojos del Salado mining complex; and 51% interest in the Caserones copper-molybdenum mine located in Chile, as well as owns the copper gold Josemaria project located in Argentina. The company was formerly known as South Atlantic Ventures Ltd. and changed its name to Lundin Mining Corporation in August 2004. Lundin Mining Corporation was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
Historical performance
Stock information
Market capitalization: $10441226240
P/E ratio: 27.4286
PEG ratio: 0.47
Dividend yield: 0.0268%
Company summary
First Quantum Minerals Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties. It primarily explores for copper, nickel, pyrite, silver, gold, and zinc ores, as well as produces acid. The company has operating mines located in Zambia, Panama, Finland, Turkey, Spain, Australia, and Mauritania, as well as a development project in Zambia. It is exploring the Taca Taca copper-gold-molybdenum project in Argentina, as well as the Haquira copper deposit in Peru. The company was formerly known as First Quantum Ventures Ltd. and changed its name to First Quantum Minerals Ltd. in July 1996. The company is based in Vancouver, Canada.
Historical performance
Stock information
Market capitalization: $15007366144
PEG ratio: -9.8
Dividend yield: N/A%
Company summary
Ero Copper Corp. engages in the exploration, development, and production of mining projects in Brazil. The company is involved in the production and sale of copper concentrate from the Caraíba operations located in the Curaçá Valley, northeastern Bahia state, Brazil, as well as gold and silver by-products. It also holds 100% interests in the Tucumã project, a copper development project located within southeastern Pará state; and the Xavantina Operations located in Mato Grosso state. Ero Copper Corp. was incorporated in 2016 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
Historical performance
Stock information
Market capitalization: $2262375424
P/E ratio: 83.4231
Dividend yield: N/A%
What ETFs track the copper category?
These exchange-traded funds (ETFs) track the price of copper:
Global X Copper Miners ETF (COPX)
United States Copper Index Fund (CPER)
iPath Series B Bloomberg Copper Subindex Total Return ETN (JJC)
Compare trading platforms
One of the simplest ways to invest in copper is with a domestic brokerage account, which allows you to buy stocks on the NYSE and NASDAQ. But if you want to invest in international copper stocks, you’ll need an international brokerage account. Use the table below to compare domestic brokerage accounts.
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Bottom line
Copper is involved in a lot of economic sectors. While its consumer and industrial applications keep copper in demand, you’ll need to keep a pulse on global trade wars. Consider a few different trading platforms that offer international brokerage accounts to add copper to your investment portfolio.
Frequently asked questions
Chile, China and Peru are the top three copper suppliers in the world.
You can find about 400 pounds of copper in the average single-family home.
In the last five years, copper ranged from approximately $2 to $3 per pound.
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Kimberly Ellis is a personal finance writer at Finder, specializing in banking and financial literacy. After teaching in public and private schools, Kimberly zeroed in on personal financial education to help families and kids develop lifelong money skills. She hails from New York City, graduating summa cum laude from Queens College with a BA in elementary education and mathematics, as well as a New York State teaching certificate. She’s also an aspiring polyglot, always in a book and forever on the hunt for the perfect classic red lipstick. See full bio
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