The US stock market has changed rapidly since the new president ruled the oval office. In the list of products that have recently emerged as a standout performer in the market, copper holds a significant spot. This product has attracted the attention of investors around the world. By the end of March 2025, US Copper Future had risen 26% to $5.02 per pound, according to the Wall Street Journal. In addition to surpassing global prices, exceptional growth has set unprecedented records in the industry.
The recent implementation of tariffs from the US administration is among the heavy contributors to this surge. EU imports will be charged a 20% tariff tariff, as the US President recently announced a series of increased tariffs and targeted major US trading partners accordingly. Chinese products have the most impact with 34% tariffs. Similarly, all imports around the world will be subject to a minimum of 10% increase. These measures have led to an average tariff rate rising to 23%, the highest in over a century. The WSJ calls it the most important change in the US approach to global trade.
These new tariffs will affect the import and export of various US goods regarding copper. It is noteworthy that they are in a hurry to import goods into the US before the new import tax rate comes into effect. This influx has led to a significant rise in physical labor and a surge in domestic copper prices.
However, investors seeking revenue to the market should look past these immediate market reactions and focus on copper’s long-term outlook. In the long term, copper values remain robust. According to a CNBC article, the world’s leading mining company expects global copper demand to increase by 70% by 2050. The surge is expected to be driven by the adoption of copper-intensive technologies such as renewable energy systems and electric vehicles. With multiple customers moving towards renewable energy-based technology, increasing demand for products is inevitable.
Meanwhile, the industry could face major challenges in meeting this rising demand. Mining, for example, faces constraints such as poor performance in ore and the need for substantial capital investments to develop new projects. These factors could hit the industry’s ability to grow supply and maintain high copper prices in the future.
Still, copper inventory remains attractive, and investors increasingly want to add them to their portfolios and give them a diverse touch. Immediate prices from trade policies position the copper sector as a compelling investment vehicle due to the potential for long-term demand. However, this may make investors wonder what the best copper material is to buy today.
We followed several criteria when compiling a list of the best copper stocks for investors. We mainly looked at copper stocks, which have a 10% chance of gains. This standard was placed to present stocks to interested investors to shares and offer a prospect of a significant capital increase. A significant rise in stock prices is often correlated with a substantial profit of investors. Therefore, we ranked the list based on this upside possibility. We also considered only stocks followed by hedge funds listed in the Insider Monkey Q4 2024 database. Guarantees institutional profits on stocks.
Why are hedge funds interested in the stocks they accumulate? The reason is simple. Our research shows that mimic the top stock picks of the best hedge funds can outperform the market. Quarterly Newsletter’s strategy was to select 14 small and large caps per quarter, returning 373.4% since May 2014, surpassing the benchmark by 218 percentage points (For more information, please see here).
Is Rio Tinto Group (Rio) the best copper stock to buy, according to analysts at Wall Street?
Aerial view of an open-pit mine where workers extract minerals.
Number of hedge fund holders: 39
Possibility of upwards: 30.07%
Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RIO), a global mining and metals company operated at its headquarters in London, UK, is engaged in the investigation and processing of critical minerals. In addition to copper, the company’s mineral range includes iron ore, aluminum and lithium. The Rio Tinto Group operates on six continents, with its customer base covering the construction, automotive and energy industries. Despite its large business operations, the company remains competitive with the help of diversified assets and high performance efficiency.
As reported in the fourth quarter results, strong copper and aluminum performance contributed to a 3% increase in net operating cash flow. Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RIO) has won stakeholder support by maintaining a 60% payment for the ninth consecutive year. Copper production is expected to increase to 780,000-850,000 tonnes, so the company expects capital expenditures to rise to $11 billion. The Argentina Rincon project and the African Simandou project are expected to generate returns in 2025 and increase shareholder value.
As one of the best copper stocks to invest in, Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RIO) attracted 39 hedge fund holders from its insider monkey database in the fourth quarter of 2024. Hedge funds reflect stable institutional involvement. The 30.07% chance of a rise is placing the stock as a potentially undervalued large copper stock for investors to buy.
Overall, Rio 7th place According to Wall Street analysts, it’s on the list of the best copper stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of Rio as an investment, our belief lies in the belief that AI stocks provide higher returns and hold a greater commitment to doing so within a shorter time frame. There have been AI stocks that have risen since the beginning of 2025, and the popular AI stocks have lost around 25%. If you’re looking for AI stocks that are more promising than Rio, but are trading at less than five times the revenues, Cheapest AI stocks.
