USA Rare Earth vs. MP Materials: A New Opportunity in Heavy Rare Earth Mining
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 25 2026
0mins
Should l Buy USAR?
Source: Fool
- Market Potential Comparison: While MP Materials secured a landmark $400 million deal with the Department of Defense, USA Rare Earth focuses on developing heavy rare earth elements, potentially filling a critical gap in the rare earth supply chain and showcasing greater growth potential.
- Resource Advantage: USA Rare Earth controls the Round Top deposit, rich in heavy rare earths like terbium and dysprosium, with mining expected to start in 2028, enhancing its ability to meet market demand and strengthen its competitive position in the rare earth market.
- Development Stage Challenges: As an early-stage development company, USA Rare Earth currently generates no significant revenue, with its first magnet factory projected to be completed by 2026, requiring investors to carefully assess risks during its scaling of mining and manufacturing capabilities.
- Investment Risks and Opportunities: Despite a market cap of $2.5 billion without revenue, investors must weigh risks, yet the importance of high-performance magnets in U.S. electronics suggests significant future growth potential if the company can successfully scale its production.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy USAR?" 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 USAR
Wall Street analysts forecast USAR stock price to rise
5 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 14.800
Low
15.00
Averages
22.75
High
28.00
Current: 14.800
Low
15.00
Averages
22.75
High
28.00
About USAR
USA Rare Earth, Inc. is a supplier of sintered neo magnets and other rare earth metals. The Company is engaged in developing a NdFeB magnet manufacturing plant in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and intends to establish domestic rare earth and critical minerals supply, extraction, and processing capabilities to both supply its magnet manufacturing plant and market surplus materials to third parties. It is focused on developing domestic rare earth production that offers sustainable and secure domestic supply of materials critical to key industries. Its vertically integrated approach consists of sourcing rare earth elements (REEs), in addition to other critical minerals such as gallium, to producing finished NdFeB magnets. The Company serve a variety of industries, such as defense, robotics, electric vehicles, wind power, appliances, cordless tools and computing and semiconductors. The Company owns, Less Common Metals Ltd., which is a scaled ex-China rare earth metal and alloy manufacturer.
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.
USA Rare Earth Reports First Sales and Funding Progress
- First Sales Achievement: USA Rare Earth reported $1.64 million in revenue for Q4 2025, marking its first-ever sales, which indicates significant progress in establishing a domestic supply chain for rare earth materials and magnets in a market dominated by China.
- Government Funding Support: The company is finalizing a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce that could provide $1.6 billion in funding, significantly enhancing its competitiveness in the rare earth industry and facilitating the establishment of a domestic supply chain.
- Production Capacity Expansion: USA Rare Earth has commissioned Phase 1A of its magnet facility, expected to start fulfilling customer orders in Q2 2023, ramping up to 600 metric tons per year, with plans to reach 1,200 metric tons by Q1 2027, showcasing rapid growth in production capacity.
- Strong Financial Position: The company currently holds approximately $1.75 billion in cash with no debt and a market cap of $2 billion, indicating that despite nearly zero revenue now, projected revenue growth over the next two years could attract speculative investors.
See More
REalloys Appoints Defense Executive to Drive Rare Earth Strategy
- Executive Appointment: REalloys has appointed Joe Kasper, former Chief of Staff to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, as chair of its advisory board, aiming to strengthen its strategic positioning in the rare earth metals sector to meet the urgent requirement of eliminating Chinese-sourced materials by 2027 for U.S. defense systems.
- Supply Chain Challenges: The U.S. still faces significant bottlenecks in its capacity to produce rare earth metals, and Kasper's involvement is expected to help address the critical step of converting rare earth oxides into metals and alloys, ensuring the security and stability of defense supply chains.
- Market Dynamics: With rising demand from electrification and defense procurement, the need for rare earth materials is projected to double or triple by 2030, while China's export volumes are decreasing due to increased domestic consumption, leading to a tightening global market and rising prices.
- Production Capacity Expansion: REalloys plans to produce 525 tonnes of NdPr metal annually starting in 2027, with subsequent phases expanding to 3,500 tonnes, ensuring a qualified supply of rare earth metals for U.S. defense and industrial systems to meet the growing market demand.
See More
REalloys Appoints Defense Executive to Drive Rare Earth Strategy
- Executive Appointment: REalloys has appointed Joe Kasper, former Chief of Staff to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, as chair of its advisory board, aiming to strengthen the company's strategic positioning in rare earth metals amid the urgent requirement for U.S. defense systems to eliminate Chinese-sourced materials by 2027.
- Supply Chain Challenges: Starting in 2027, U.S. defense procurement rules will mandate contractors to eliminate Chinese rare earth materials, prompting REalloys to address the critical shortage of domestic production capacity for rare earth metals, ensuring supply security for defense and advanced manufacturing.
- Market Dynamics: With rising demand from electrification and defense sectors, rare earth material demand is projected to double or triple by the 2030s, while China's exports are constrained due to increased domestic consumption, leading to a tightening global market.
- Production Capacity Expansion: REalloys plans to initiate Phase 1 in 2027, targeting an annual production of 525 tonnes of NdPr metal, with subsequent phases expanding to 3,500 tonnes, establishing a comprehensive rare earth metal supply chain in the U.S. to meet defense and industrial needs.
See More
REalloys Appoints Defense Executive to Drive Rare Earth Strategy
- Executive Appointment: REalloys has appointed Joe Kasper, former Chief of Staff to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, as chair of its advisory board, aiming to strengthen its strategic positioning in the rare earth metals sector to meet the 2027 requirement for U.S. defense systems to eliminate Chinese-sourced materials.
- Supply Chain Challenges: U.S. defense procurement rules mandate that, starting in 2027, contractors must eliminate Chinese-origin rare earth materials, creating an urgent demand for domestic or allied sources, which REalloys is actively working to address.
- Market Dynamics: With rising demand from electrification and defense procurement, rare earth material demand is projected to double or triple by the 2030s, while China's export supply tightens due to increased domestic consumption, leading to rising market prices, positioning REalloys to capitalize on this shift.
- Production Capacity Expansion: REalloys plans to initiate Phase 1 in 2027, targeting an annual production of 525 tonnes of NdPr metal, with subsequent phases expanding to 3,500 tonnes, ensuring its critical role in rare earth metal and alloy production to meet the growing market demand.
See More
USA Rare Earth Reports Disappointing Q4 2026 Financial Results
- Disappointing Earnings: USA Rare Earth reported an adjusted diluted loss per share of $0.19 for Q4 2025, failing to meet analysts' expectations of a $0.14 loss, indicating a continued decline in profitability that could undermine investor confidence.
- Stock Price Decline: Following a more than 5% drop last week, USA Rare Earth’s stock plummeted 7% today, reflecting market disappointment over its financial performance and outlook, potentially prompting further sell-offs by investors.
- Price Target Reduction: Roth Capital lowered its price target for USA Rare Earth from $35 to $25 while maintaining a buy rating, indicating a cautious market sentiment based on updated valuations rather than the company's reported metrics.
- Future Outlook: The company anticipates commissioning its hydrometallurgical demonstration facility in Colorado in Q2 2026 and completing the Round Top Preliminary Feasibility Study by Q3 2026; failure to meet these timelines could jeopardize its expectation of starting commercial production by late 2028, raising significant concerns for investors in mining stocks.
See More
USA Rare Earth Stock Plummets 7% Following Disappointing Earnings Report
- Earnings Miss: USA Rare Earth reported a disappointing adjusted diluted loss per share of $0.19 for Q4 2025, failing to meet analysts' expectations of a $0.14 loss, which contributed to a 7% drop in stock price.
- Market Reaction: The company’s adjusted diluted EPS for 2025 was reported at negative $0.82, significantly worse than the negative $0.40 reported in 2024, leading to investor disappointment and further sell-offs.
- Price Target Downgrade: Roth Capital lowered its price target for USA Rare Earth from $35 to $25 while maintaining a buy rating, reflecting a pessimistic sentiment in the market regarding rare-earth stocks, which may impact investor confidence.
- Future Outlook: The company anticipates commissioning its hydrometallurgical demonstration facility in Colorado in Q2 2026 and completing the Round Top Preliminary Feasibility Study by Q3 2026; failure to meet these targets could jeopardize expectations for starting commercial production in late 2028.
See More
USA Rare Earth Reports First Sales and Funding Progress
- First Sales Achievement: USA Rare Earth reported $1.64 million in revenue for Q4 2025, marking its first-ever sales, which indicates significant progress in establishing a domestic supply chain for rare earth materials and magnets in a market dominated by China.
- Government Funding Support: The company is finalizing a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce that could provide $1.6 billion in funding, significantly enhancing its competitiveness in the rare earth industry and facilitating the establishment of a domestic supply chain.
- Production Capacity Expansion: USA Rare Earth has commissioned Phase 1A of its magnet facility, expected to start fulfilling customer orders in Q2 2023, ramping up to 600 metric tons per year, with plans to reach 1,200 metric tons by Q1 2027, showcasing rapid growth in production capacity.
- Strong Financial Position: The company currently holds approximately $1.75 billion in cash with no debt and a market cap of $2 billion, indicating that despite nearly zero revenue now, projected revenue growth over the next two years could attract speculative investors.
See More
REalloys Appoints Defense Executive to Drive Rare Earth Strategy
- Executive Appointment: REalloys has appointed Joe Kasper, former Chief of Staff to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, as chair of its advisory board, aiming to strengthen its strategic positioning in the rare earth metals sector to meet the urgent requirement of eliminating Chinese-sourced materials by 2027 for U.S. defense systems.
- Supply Chain Challenges: The U.S. still faces significant bottlenecks in its capacity to produce rare earth metals, and Kasper's involvement is expected to help address the critical step of converting rare earth oxides into metals and alloys, ensuring the security and stability of defense supply chains.
- Market Dynamics: With rising demand from electrification and defense procurement, the need for rare earth materials is projected to double or triple by 2030, while China's export volumes are decreasing due to increased domestic consumption, leading to a tightening global market and rising prices.
- Production Capacity Expansion: REalloys plans to produce 525 tonnes of NdPr metal annually starting in 2027, with subsequent phases expanding to 3,500 tonnes, ensuring a qualified supply of rare earth metals for U.S. defense and industrial systems to meet the growing market demand.
See More
REalloys Appoints Defense Executive to Drive Rare Earth Strategy
- Executive Appointment: REalloys has appointed Joe Kasper, former Chief of Staff to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, as chair of its advisory board, aiming to strengthen the company's strategic positioning in rare earth metals amid the urgent requirement for U.S. defense systems to eliminate Chinese-sourced materials by 2027.
- Supply Chain Challenges: Starting in 2027, U.S. defense procurement rules will mandate contractors to eliminate Chinese rare earth materials, prompting REalloys to address the critical shortage of domestic production capacity for rare earth metals, ensuring supply security for defense and advanced manufacturing.
- Market Dynamics: With rising demand from electrification and defense sectors, rare earth material demand is projected to double or triple by the 2030s, while China's exports are constrained due to increased domestic consumption, leading to a tightening global market.
- Production Capacity Expansion: REalloys plans to initiate Phase 1 in 2027, targeting an annual production of 525 tonnes of NdPr metal, with subsequent phases expanding to 3,500 tonnes, establishing a comprehensive rare earth metal supply chain in the U.S. to meet defense and industrial needs.
See More
REalloys Appoints Defense Executive to Drive Rare Earth Strategy
- Executive Appointment: REalloys has appointed Joe Kasper, former Chief of Staff to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, as chair of its advisory board, aiming to strengthen its strategic positioning in the rare earth metals sector to meet the 2027 requirement for U.S. defense systems to eliminate Chinese-sourced materials.
- Supply Chain Challenges: U.S. defense procurement rules mandate that, starting in 2027, contractors must eliminate Chinese-origin rare earth materials, creating an urgent demand for domestic or allied sources, which REalloys is actively working to address.
- Market Dynamics: With rising demand from electrification and defense procurement, rare earth material demand is projected to double or triple by the 2030s, while China's export supply tightens due to increased domestic consumption, leading to rising market prices, positioning REalloys to capitalize on this shift.
- Production Capacity Expansion: REalloys plans to initiate Phase 1 in 2027, targeting an annual production of 525 tonnes of NdPr metal, with subsequent phases expanding to 3,500 tonnes, ensuring its critical role in rare earth metal and alloy production to meet the growing market demand.
See More
USA Rare Earth Reports Disappointing Q4 2026 Financial Results
- Disappointing Earnings: USA Rare Earth reported an adjusted diluted loss per share of $0.19 for Q4 2025, failing to meet analysts' expectations of a $0.14 loss, indicating a continued decline in profitability that could undermine investor confidence.
- Stock Price Decline: Following a more than 5% drop last week, USA Rare Earth’s stock plummeted 7% today, reflecting market disappointment over its financial performance and outlook, potentially prompting further sell-offs by investors.
- Price Target Reduction: Roth Capital lowered its price target for USA Rare Earth from $35 to $25 while maintaining a buy rating, indicating a cautious market sentiment based on updated valuations rather than the company's reported metrics.
- Future Outlook: The company anticipates commissioning its hydrometallurgical demonstration facility in Colorado in Q2 2026 and completing the Round Top Preliminary Feasibility Study by Q3 2026; failure to meet these timelines could jeopardize its expectation of starting commercial production by late 2028, raising significant concerns for investors in mining stocks.
See More
USA Rare Earth Stock Plummets 7% Following Disappointing Earnings Report
- Earnings Miss: USA Rare Earth reported a disappointing adjusted diluted loss per share of $0.19 for Q4 2025, failing to meet analysts' expectations of a $0.14 loss, which contributed to a 7% drop in stock price.
- Market Reaction: The company’s adjusted diluted EPS for 2025 was reported at negative $0.82, significantly worse than the negative $0.40 reported in 2024, leading to investor disappointment and further sell-offs.
- Price Target Downgrade: Roth Capital lowered its price target for USA Rare Earth from $35 to $25 while maintaining a buy rating, reflecting a pessimistic sentiment in the market regarding rare-earth stocks, which may impact investor confidence.
- Future Outlook: The company anticipates commissioning its hydrometallurgical demonstration facility in Colorado in Q2 2026 and completing the Round Top Preliminary Feasibility Study by Q3 2026; failure to meet these targets could jeopardize expectations for starting commercial production in late 2028.
See More
