How to Play the Global Re-Opening with Copper Stocks

Copper is a bellwether of the global economy. You’ll find this malleable metal everywhere – it’s in our wiring & plumbing, and our consumer electronics. When consumption rises, so does the price of copper.

So as our world emerges from the global pandemic, investing in copper makes sense. But you shouldn’t just choose any company. In this post, we’ll discuss four copper stocks that have captured our attention.

Jiangxi Copper (OTCMKTS:JIAXF)

China is where COVID-19 began. But thanks to their strict measures, they recovered very quickly. As you might expect, their economy has roared back to life. In Q1 2021, GDP shot up 18.3% YoY.

But what does this have to do with copper? As we mentioned above, copper is in many building materials and electronic consumer products. And with growth surging, demand for this mineral has been rising in lockstep.

On the Chinese mainland, there’s no company better positioned to profit than Jiangxi Copper, This firm is this country’s most prominent copper miner, producing 1.64 million tons of cathodes (sheets of pure copper) in 2020.

Back in January of that year, things looked gloomy. At that time, their OTC stock crashed to 0.24 per share as the COVID-19 outbreak peaked. However, as the country recovered, JIAXF rebounded to its present value of 2.17 per share.

But as good as their track record has been, it’s just the beginning. As the world recovers, they’ll increase their orders from China. And as they do, increasing economic activity will pull up copper demand right along with it. We like this stock.

Glencore (OTCMKTS:GLNCY)

If you’re going to adopt a strong copper position, why not go with the best? Swiss-based Glencore is one of the world’s largest producers of copper, digging out 1.26 million tons of ore in 2020. They are also well-diversified, with mines on five continents. And best of all, copper isn’t all they do. They also produce other minerals, like nickel, zinc, and lead, and even oil & gas.

With such a broad base of mineral/energy commodities in its portfolio, GLNCY is well-positioned to ride the post-COVID recovery wave. Already, it has fully recovered from the stock market crash of 2020. But they haven’t stopped there – over the past 15 months, GLNCY has gone from 2.37 to 9.32 per share.

However, the world is only starting to emerge from its economic slumber. As it does, demand for ALL commodities will spike. And Glencore will be there to supply them. While GLNCY is starting to get pricey for an OTC stock, it represents a well-established, well-diversified firm. We recommend buying a few GLNCY shares to rep the blue-chip section of your portfolio.

Taseko Mines Ltd (NYSEAMERICAN: TGB)

America may be the world’s wealthiest nation, but their neighbor to the north isn’t far behind. From sea to sea, Canada possesses mineral wealth that is the envy of the world. And that bounty includes copper – in 2019, its mines produced a half million tons of the shiny metal.

But sadly, the stock price of leading producers (like Teck Resources) are out of reach for many investors. Thankfully, it’s relatively easy to find junior copper miners that are a much better deal. For example, we love the value that Taseko Mines offers. This company owns Gibraltar Mine, an open-pit copper operation in British Columbia. Every year, they dig up 140 million pounds of copper ore, as well as 2.5 million pounds of molybdenum. That’s enough to make this operation the second-largest of its kind in Canada.

However, as of 2021, Gibraltar is the only mine in Taseko’s portfolio. This fact alone makes some investors hesitant to invest. But this situation is set to change soon, as TGB plans to break ground on three additional mines – Harmony, Prosperity, and Aley.

Since last year, many investors have piled into TGB, pushing its price from 0.22 to 2.44. And as the economy continues to improve and Taseko’s plans unfold, that number will likely go higher. Further, TGB is on the NYSE AMERICAN exchange. This stock exchange has more forgiving listing standards than the NYSE, but it still offers superior protection and liquidity compared to the OTC markets.

Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd (NYSE: TRQ

Never heard of Turquoise Hill Resources before? Neither have we, but you might have heard of its predecessor, Ivanhoe Mines. For decades, this Canadian mining major has had shovels in the ground everywhere from Australia to Myanmar, producing minerals like iron, gold… and copper.

Then in 2012, mining mega-corp Rio Tinto acquired them. They renamed their new acquisition Turquoise Hill Resources, leaving them to do what they did best. To this day, Turquoise continues to produce a wide range of minerals all over the world.

However, one project, one that’s been in the works for over 20 years, might be about to turn a corner. And if it does, it could change everything for this firm. In Mongolia, TRQ has been building out the infrastructure of an open-pit copper mine called Oyu Tolgoi. When it hits peak production, company representatives say the mine will produce 430,000 tons of copper – or about 3% of GLOBAL production – every single year.

However, as of June 2021, we feel that TRQ’s stock price hasn’t caught up to this reality. At its 2020 low, you could have bought this equity for less than 4.00 per share. Today, TRQ sits at 17.44 per share – pricey for penny investors, but it’s still less than half TRQ’s price six years ago.

If Oyu Tolgoi fulfills its promise, and copper spikes in the coming months (spoiler alert: it will), then we see TRQ as a solid pickup for your blue-chip portion of your portfolio.