Copper Stocks Rally on Prospects of U.S.-Iran Deal
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jun 12 2026
0mins
Source: seekingalpha
- Market Response: Copper and copper mining stocks rallied pre-market on Friday due to the prospect of a U.S.-Iran agreement, with Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) up 1.6%, Southern Copper (SCCO) up 1.2%, and Teck Resources (TECK) up 1.7%, indicating market expectations for a more stable macroeconomic environment.
- Price Recovery Expectations: Benchmark copper futures traded up 1.5% to $13,690 per ton on the London Metal Exchange, while zinc and nickel also saw increases of 1.6% and 0.8%, respectively, reflecting optimism for copper prices to rebound to earlier levels this year, particularly as China's domestic copper inventories continue to decline.
- Optimistic Demand Outlook: Jefferies analysts highlighted in a report that long-term demand prospects for copper are driving market optimism, especially with China's plan to invest approximately 2 trillion yuan ($295 billion) over the next five years in nationwide computing networks, which will further boost copper demand.
- Industry Dynamics: On Thursday, BHP, Rio Tinto, and Vale saw stock increases of 6.1%, 4.6%, and 2.9%, respectively, showcasing a positive trend in the global copper mining sector, as investor confidence in the copper market continues to strengthen.
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Analyst Views on FCX
Wall Street analysts forecast FCX stock price to fall
15 Analyst Rating
13 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 69.060
Low
46.00
Averages
58.79
High
70.00
Current: 69.060
Low
46.00
Averages
58.79
High
70.00
About FCX
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. is a metals company. The Company operates assets with reserves of copper, gold and molybdenum. Its portfolio of assets includes the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia, which is a copper and gold deposit; and operations in the United States, including the large-scale Morenci minerals district in North America and the Cerro Verde operation in South America. Its segments include Cerro Verde copper mine, Indonesia operations and United States Rod & Refining operations. It produces copper concentrate, cathode and continuous cast copper rod. Its copper ore from mines is processed by smelting and refining or by solution extraction and electrowinning (SX/EW). It produces copper cathodes at an electrolytic refinery located in El Paso, Texas. The SX/EW cathode is produced from the Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita, Miami, Chino and Tyrone mines in the United States, and from the Cerro Verde and El Abra mines in South America.
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.
Surging Global Copper Demand Drives Prices Higher
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- Investment Trends: Cloud computing giants like Meta, Amazon, and Alphabet plan to invest $765 billion in AI infrastructure over the next decade, with expectations to exceed $1.6 trillion by 2031, further intensifying copper demand and impacting market supply-demand dynamics.
- Supply Shortage Warning: S&P Global predicts that by 2040, global copper supply will fall 24% short of demand, which has contributed to a 57% price increase over the past five years and a 35% rise in the last 52 weeks, highlighting the potential for long-term copper investments.
- Major Company Performance: Copper mining companies like Freeport-McMoRan and Southern Copper have seen their stock prices double over the past year, with Freeport-McMoRan's stock up 70%, reflecting strong growth and investment appeal in the copper sector.
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- Surge in Copper Demand: According to the Copper Development Association, traditional data centers require between 5,000 and 15,000 tons of copper, while AI data centers can demand up to 50,000 tons, indicating a massive need for copper in AI infrastructure, with projections showing AI data centers could consume half a million tons annually by 2030, driving copper prices higher.
- Investment Trends: Goldman Sachs estimates that cloud computing providers will invest $765 billion in AI infrastructure over the next decade, with expectations to exceed $1.6 trillion by 2031, further intensifying copper demand and impacting the global market.
- Widening Supply Gap: A study by S&P Global indicates that global copper supply will be 24% short of demand by 2040, which has contributed to a 57% increase in copper prices over the past five years, suggesting that investing in copper is a smart move for the future.
- Performance of Major Copper Producers: Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Southern Copper (SCCO), as the world's largest copper producers, have seen their stock prices rise by 70% and more than double respectively over the past year, highlighting the significance and potential returns of the copper industry in the context of AI data center construction.
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- Weak Housing Data: US May housing starts fell by 15.4% month-over-month to a six-year low of 1.177 million, significantly below the expected 1.430 million, while building permits also declined slightly, reflecting weakness in the real estate market that could negatively impact overall economic growth.
- Oil Price Impact on Sentiment: WTI crude oil prices dropped over 3% to a 3.25-month low due to the US-Iran agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has eased inflation expectations; while this provides short-term support for stocks, the long-term effects remain to be seen.
- Fed Meeting Focus: The market is turning its attention to the two-day FOMC meeting, where rates are expected to remain unchanged, but the press conference led by new Chair Kevin Warsh will be crucial, as investors will look for insights on future inflation outlook and policy direction.
See More
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- Oil Price Impact: WTI crude oil prices dropped over 3% to a 3.25-month low, easing inflation expectations and providing support for stocks and bonds, reflecting a cautious market outlook on future economic growth.
- Weak Housing Data: US May housing starts fell by 15.4% month-over-month to a six-year low of 1.177 million, below the expected 1.430 million, indicating potential challenges for economic recovery stemming from a sluggish real estate market.
- FOMC Meeting Focus: Market attention shifts to the two-day FOMC meeting, where rates are expected to remain unchanged, but the press conference led by new Chair Kevin Warsh will be pivotal in shaping future monetary policy directions.
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- Strong Market Performance: The S&P 500 rose by 1.65%, the Nasdaq 100 surged by 3.06%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a new record high, reflecting investor optimism about market prospects, particularly driven by gains in technology stocks.
- Crude Oil Price Plunge: WTI crude oil prices fell over 4% to a three-month low due to the US-Iran peace agreement and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, easing inflation expectations and boosting risk appetite in the equity markets.
- Weak Economic Data: The US June Empire Manufacturing Survey index dropped to 5.7, below the expected 13.7, indicating weakness in manufacturing that could pressure stocks, yet simultaneously supported gains in Treasury bonds.
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Surge in Freeport-McMoran Options Trading Volume
- Surge in Options Volume: Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold (FCX) experienced an options trading volume of 63,742 contracts today, equivalent to approximately 6.4 million shares, representing about 49.6% of its average daily trading volume of 12.9 million shares over the past month, indicating strong market interest.
- High Demand for Call Options: Notably, the $80 strike call option for FCX saw a significant volume of 12,504 contracts traded today, representing around 1.3 million underlying shares, suggesting a heightened investor expectation for future price increases.
- GE Vernova Options Activity: Concurrently, GE Vernova Inc (GEV) also showed robust options trading with 12,447 contracts traded today, approximately 1.2 million shares, accounting for 44.3% of its average daily trading volume of 2.8 million shares over the past month, reflecting market interest in the company.
- Put Options Trading Insight: For GEV, the $790 strike put option recorded a trading volume of 1,357 contracts, representing about 135,700 underlying shares, indicating that investors are increasingly cautious about potential price declines, which may influence their market strategies.
See More
Surging Global Copper Demand Drives Prices Higher
- Surging Copper Demand: According to the Copper Development Association, traditional data centers require between 5,000 and 15,000 tons of copper per facility, while AI data centers can need up to 50,000 tons, indicating a rapid increase in copper demand, with AI data centers projected to consume half a million tons annually by 2030, driving prices higher.
- Investment Trends: Cloud computing giants like Meta, Amazon, and Alphabet plan to invest $765 billion in AI infrastructure over the next decade, with expectations to exceed $1.6 trillion by 2031, further intensifying copper demand and impacting market supply-demand dynamics.
- Supply Shortage Warning: S&P Global predicts that by 2040, global copper supply will fall 24% short of demand, which has contributed to a 57% price increase over the past five years and a 35% rise in the last 52 weeks, highlighting the potential for long-term copper investments.
- Major Company Performance: Copper mining companies like Freeport-McMoRan and Southern Copper have seen their stock prices double over the past year, with Freeport-McMoRan's stock up 70%, reflecting strong growth and investment appeal in the copper sector.
See More
AI Data Center Construction Drives Surge in Copper Demand
- Surge in Copper Demand: According to the Copper Development Association, traditional data centers require between 5,000 and 15,000 tons of copper, while AI data centers can demand up to 50,000 tons, indicating a massive need for copper in AI infrastructure, with projections showing AI data centers could consume half a million tons annually by 2030, driving copper prices higher.
- Investment Trends: Goldman Sachs estimates that cloud computing providers will invest $765 billion in AI infrastructure over the next decade, with expectations to exceed $1.6 trillion by 2031, further intensifying copper demand and impacting the global market.
- Widening Supply Gap: A study by S&P Global indicates that global copper supply will be 24% short of demand by 2040, which has contributed to a 57% increase in copper prices over the past five years, suggesting that investing in copper is a smart move for the future.
- Performance of Major Copper Producers: Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Southern Copper (SCCO), as the world's largest copper producers, have seen their stock prices rise by 70% and more than double respectively over the past year, highlighting the significance and potential returns of the copper industry in the context of AI data center construction.
See More
Mixed US Stock Market with Energy Stocks Under Pressure
- Market Divergence: The S&P 500 Index fell by 0.18% and the Nasdaq 100 Index dropped by 0.83%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.69% to a new all-time high, indicating a divergence in market performance, particularly as energy stocks are pressured by plunging crude oil prices.
- Weak Housing Data: US May housing starts fell by 15.4% month-over-month to a six-year low of 1.177 million, significantly below the expected 1.430 million, while building permits also declined slightly, reflecting weakness in the real estate market that could negatively impact overall economic growth.
- Oil Price Impact on Sentiment: WTI crude oil prices dropped over 3% to a 3.25-month low due to the US-Iran agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has eased inflation expectations; while this provides short-term support for stocks, the long-term effects remain to be seen.
- Fed Meeting Focus: The market is turning its attention to the two-day FOMC meeting, where rates are expected to remain unchanged, but the press conference led by new Chair Kevin Warsh will be crucial, as investors will look for insights on future inflation outlook and policy direction.
See More
Mixed Performance in US Stock Indices Amid Energy Sector Pressure
- Mixed Market Performance: The S&P 500 Index rose by 0.11%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.57%, while the Nasdaq 100 Index fell by 0.18%, indicating a complex market sentiment particularly influenced by the pressure on energy stocks due to declining oil prices.
- Oil Price Impact: WTI crude oil prices dropped over 3% to a 3.25-month low, easing inflation expectations and providing support for stocks and bonds, reflecting a cautious market outlook on future economic growth.
- Weak Housing Data: US May housing starts fell by 15.4% month-over-month to a six-year low of 1.177 million, below the expected 1.430 million, indicating potential challenges for economic recovery stemming from a sluggish real estate market.
- FOMC Meeting Focus: Market attention shifts to the two-day FOMC meeting, where rates are expected to remain unchanged, but the press conference led by new Chair Kevin Warsh will be pivotal in shaping future monetary policy directions.
See More
US Stocks Surge as Tech Leads Gains Amid Peace Deal
- Strong Market Performance: The S&P 500 rose by 1.65%, the Nasdaq 100 surged by 3.06%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a new record high, reflecting investor optimism about market prospects, particularly driven by gains in technology stocks.
- Crude Oil Price Plunge: WTI crude oil prices fell over 4% to a three-month low due to the US-Iran peace agreement and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, easing inflation expectations and boosting risk appetite in the equity markets.
- Weak Economic Data: The US June Empire Manufacturing Survey index dropped to 5.7, below the expected 13.7, indicating weakness in manufacturing that could pressure stocks, yet simultaneously supported gains in Treasury bonds.
- Tech Stocks Lead Gains: Chipmakers and AI infrastructure stocks performed strongly, with the iShares Semiconductor ETF rising over 5% and Western Digital up more than 15%, demonstrating strong market confidence in the technology sector.
See More
Surge in Freeport-McMoran Options Trading Volume
- Surge in Options Volume: Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold (FCX) experienced an options trading volume of 63,742 contracts today, equivalent to approximately 6.4 million shares, representing about 49.6% of its average daily trading volume of 12.9 million shares over the past month, indicating strong market interest.
- High Demand for Call Options: Notably, the $80 strike call option for FCX saw a significant volume of 12,504 contracts traded today, representing around 1.3 million underlying shares, suggesting a heightened investor expectation for future price increases.
- GE Vernova Options Activity: Concurrently, GE Vernova Inc (GEV) also showed robust options trading with 12,447 contracts traded today, approximately 1.2 million shares, accounting for 44.3% of its average daily trading volume of 2.8 million shares over the past month, reflecting market interest in the company.
- Put Options Trading Insight: For GEV, the $790 strike put option recorded a trading volume of 1,357 contracts, representing about 135,700 underlying shares, indicating that investors are increasingly cautious about potential price declines, which may influence their market strategies.
See More
