BHP Group Sounds Alarm on Copper Supply, AI and EV Growth Could Drive Prices Soaring: Report
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Sep 16 2024
0mins
Source: Benzinga
Copper Demand Surge: BHP Group Ltd has indicated a significant increase in global copper demand, projecting it to reach 52.5 million tonnes annually by 2050, driven largely by the growth of data centers and artificial intelligence technologies from major companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.
Production and Market Outlook: Despite a recent rise in copper production and prices, analysts predict a potential copper deficit of four million metric tonnes by 2030 due to rising demands from electric vehicles and renewable energy, compounded by weak demand from China.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy GOOGL?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on GOOGL
Wall Street analysts forecast GOOGL stock price to fall
33 Analyst Rating
26 Buy
7 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 388.880
Low
305.00
Averages
374.25
High
400.00
Current: 388.880
Low
305.00
Averages
374.25
High
400.00
About GOOGL
Alphabet Inc. is a holding company. The Company's segments include Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets. The Google Services segment includes products and services such as ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Google Maps, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. The Google Cloud segment includes infrastructure and platform services, collaboration tools, and other services for enterprise customers. Its Other Bets segment is engaged in the sale of healthcare-related services and Internet services. Its Google Cloud provides enterprise-ready cloud services, including Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace. Google Cloud Platform provides access to solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI) offerings, including its AI infrastructure, Vertex AI platform, and Gemini for Google Cloud; cybersecurity, and data and analytics. Google Workspace includes cloud-based communication and collaboration tools for enterprises, such as Calendar, Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Meet.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Market Volatility: The escalation of U.S. military strikes against Iran has led to significant volatility in Asian stocks and oil prices, reflecting the market's heightened sensitivity to Middle Eastern tensions, which could destabilize investor sentiment and impact global economic recovery.
- Rising Oil Prices: U.S. military actions have driven oil prices higher, raising concerns over the safety of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which may further increase global energy costs and affect national economies.
- Fed Officials' Insights: Federal Reserve officials have indicated that while the labor market remains strong, the energy inflation stemming from the Middle East conflict could create a
See More
- AI Infrastructure Contracts: Lumen has secured nearly $13 billion in contracts with hyperscalers like Microsoft and Anthropic, highlighting its strategic importance and growing market demand in the AI sector.
- Network Connectivity Products: AWS and Google Cloud are building connectivity products on Lumen's fiber network, which not only enhances Lumen's market position but also lays a foundation for future revenue growth.
- Acquisition of Alkira: Lumen's $475 million acquisition of cloud-to-cloud connectivity software company Alkira is expected to significantly shorten product development cycles and reduce capital expenditures by $100 million to $200 million, further strengthening its competitive edge in the cloud services market.
- Stock Performance: Despite Lumen's stock rising over 400% in the past three years, its valuation remains low at 0.9 times annual sales, indicating market caution regarding its future growth potential.
See More
- Oil Price Plunge: Oil prices dropped over 5% on Wednesday after Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that Washington was giving Iran talks 'every chance to succeed,' reflecting market sensitivity to diplomatic efforts and potentially impacting energy sector profitability.
- Escalation of Military Actions: New U.S. airstrikes in Iran targeted a military site deemed a threat to U.S. forces and commercial maritime traffic, adding uncertainty to the ongoing diplomatic negotiations and prompting investors to reassess risk levels in the market.
- Strong Tech Stock Performance: Shares of cloud-based AI and data platform company Snowflake surged 36% following a strong earnings report and a $6 billion investment plan in Amazon Web Services, showcasing investment enthusiasm and market confidence in the tech sector amid rising AI demand.
- Inflation Data Focus: Investors are closely watching the upcoming April inflation reading, which is expected to influence the Fed's future rate decisions, as Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari emphasized that lowering inflation remains a top priority, indicating market sensitivity to economic policy.
See More
- Significant Stock Recovery: Lumen Technologies' stock has surged 416% over the past three years, rebounding from $1 two years ago to its current price of $10.87, reflecting its potential in the AI market and renewed investor confidence.
- Strategic Partnerships: Lumen has secured nearly $13 billion in contracts with tech giants like Amazon AWS and Anthropic, becoming the first network operator for AWS's new Interconnect service, highlighting its critical role in AI data transmission.
- Acquisition of Alkira: Lumen's $475 million acquisition of cloud connectivity software company Alkira aims to accelerate the handling of East-West traffic between data centers and cloud environments, expected to reduce capital expenditures by $100 million to $200 million, enhancing operational efficiency.
- Successful Transformation: By selling its residential fiber business to pay down some debt, Lumen has successfully pivoted to become an enterprise AI infrastructure provider, although it still faces a hefty $17 billion debt load, its valuation remains attractive, drawing interest from value investors.
See More
- Insider Trading Charges: The U.S. Justice Department has charged Google software engineer Michele Spagnuolo with using insider information to manipulate bets on the prediction market Polymarket tied to Google's most-searched list, earning $1.2 million, highlighting serious threats to market integrity.
- High-Risk Bets: Spagnuolo placed a bet on November 27 that indie pop musician D4vd would be the most-searched person on Google, despite the market assigning a near-zero probability to this outcome, reflecting his exploitation of internal data and raising concerns over insider trading practices.
- Policy Violation: Google stated that Spagnuolo's actions constitute a serious breach of company policy, leading to his suspension, which underscores the company's zero-tolerance stance on insider trading while cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation.
- Legal Implications: U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton emphasized the commitment to prosecuting corporate insiders who profit from confidential business information in prediction markets, indicating a strong intent to combat insider trading that could have far-reaching implications for the industry.
See More
- Insider Trading Charges: The U.S. Justice Department has charged Google software engineer Michele Spagnuolo with using insider information to manipulate bets on the prediction market Polymarket, earning $1.2 million in profits, highlighting a serious threat to market integrity.
- High-Risk Bets: Spagnuolo placed a bet on November 27 that indie pop musician D4vd would top Google's most-searched list, despite the market assigning a near-zero probability to this outcome, revealing his misuse of internal information and raising concerns about regulatory oversight in prediction markets.
- Violation of Company Policy: Google stated that Spagnuolo's actions constitute a serious breach of company policy, leading to his suspension, which indicates the company's zero-tolerance stance on insider trading and may impact its reputation among the public and investors.
- Legal Consequences: U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton emphasized the commitment to prosecuting corporate insiders who profit from confidential business information, indicating that the government will continue to intensify its crackdown on insider trading, potentially leading to stricter market regulations.
See More











