Copper Stocks

Copper is the backbone of the energy transition — the essential conductor in EVs, grid infrastructure, renewables and data centres — with global demand running ahead of new mine supply and structural concentrate scarcity driving treatment and refining charges to record-low levels through 2024–2025. This list covers the full investment universe of publicly traded copper companies on major exchanges, from diversified majors like BHP, Rio Tinto and Glencore, through pure-play producers like Antofagasta and Southern Copper, to mid-tier operators, pre-production developers and exploration plays in the emerging Vicuña District. Each company entry is grounded in detailed source documents and includes structured fields — sector segment, value chain position, jurisdictional exposure, key assets — so you can filter and compare by market cap, country, project phase and other criteria.

Market caps are updated monthly. Click any row to expand a full company overview.

Updated: May 2026
FX rates — May 2026: 🇦🇺 USDAUD 1.398  ·  🇨🇦 USDCAD 1.375  ·  🇬🇧 GBPUSD 1.333  ·  🇯🇵 USDJPY 158.9  ·  🇸🇪 USDSEK 9.435
Company Ticker Mkt Cap ▼ Domicile Resource Country Project Phase Listing
BHP Group
BHP.AX $219.73B 🇦🇺 Australia 🇨🇱 Chile 🇦🇺 Australia 🇵🇪 Peru 🇺🇸 United States 🇦🇷 Argentina Production 🇦🇺 ASX

BHP Group

Domicile: 🇦🇺 Australia Segment: Diversified Major Phase: Production Type: Porphyry IOCG Country: 🇨🇱 Chile 🇦🇺 Australia 🇵🇪 Peru 🇺🇸 United States 🇦🇷 Argentina

BHP Group is a London- and ASX-listed (also NYSE) diversified global mining major headquartered in Melbourne, and the world's largest copper producer. The Group's portfolio also includes iron ore, metallurgical coal and the Jansen potash project under construction in Canada. In H1 FY26 (six months ended 31 December 2025), copper contributed 51% of underlying EBITDA for the first time in BHP's history, reflecting both record production and stronger prices; copper EBITDA for the half rose 59% year-on-year to $8 billion.

BHP's producing copper assets span Chile, South Australia and Peru. In Chile, BHP operates the 57.5%-owned Escondida — the world's largest copper mine — and 100%-owned Spence (Pampa Norte). In South Australia, the Copper SA segment comprises Olympic Dam, Carrapateena and Prominent Hill, all 100%-owned. BHP also holds a 33.75% non-operated interest in Antamina in Peru and equity-accounted stakes in Resolution Copper in Arizona (with Rio Tinto) and the Vicuña Corp joint venture in Argentina with Lundin Mining, consolidating the Filo del Sol and Josemaria deposits.

FY25 group copper production was a record >2.0 million tonnes, with FY26 guidance raised to 1.9–2.0 Mt. Growth optionality includes Escondida brownfield expansions, an Olympic Dam smelter modernisation, the Vicuña district development, and Resolution Copper in Arizona.

🇦🇺 ASX

$219.73B

Diversified Major

Escondida 57.5% (Chile)|Olympic Dam 100% (Australia)|Spence/Pampa Norte 100% (Chile)|Carrapateena 100% (Australia)|Prominent Hill 100% (Australia)|Antamina 33.75% (Peru)|Vicuña JV 50% (Argentina/Chile)|Resolution Copper 45% (USA)
Southern Copper
SCCO $170.20B 🇺🇸 United States 🇵🇪 Peru 🇲🇽 Mexico Production 🇺🇸 NYSE / BVL

Southern Copper

Domicile: 🇺🇸 United States Segment: Pure-Play Major Phase: Production Type: Porphyry Country: 🇵🇪 Peru 🇲🇽 Mexico

Southern Copper Corporation is a NYSE/BVL-listed integrated copper producer headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, and an 88.9%-owned indirect subsidiary of Mexico's Grupo México. It is one of the world's largest and lowest-cost integrated copper producers, with full backward integration into smelting, refining and rod production. Producing mines comprise Toquepala and Cuajone in Peru's Tacna and Moquegua regions, and Buenavista del Cobre and La Caridad in Mexico's Sonora state, plus the IMMSA underground polymetallic mines in Mexico.

FY2025 mined copper production was 956,000 tonnes (2,108 million pounds), ranking SCC as the world's #5 copper producer per Wood Mackenzie, at a record-low operating cash cost net of by-product credits of $0.58/lb (down from $0.89/lb in 2024). Net sales reached a record $13.4 billion (+17.4% YoY) and net income $4.3 billion (+28.4% YoY), with Wood Mackenzie crediting SCC with the largest copper reserves of any listed company (109 billion pounds P+P at year-end 2025).

The development pipeline targets growth to 1.6 million tonnes of annual copper production by 2033–2035 under a 2025–2035 capex program of approximately $21 billion, peaking at $3.6 billion in 2030. Tía María in Peru — a $1.8 billion, 120 ktpa SX-EW cathode project — was 24% complete at year-end 2025, with production targeted from 2027. The longer-dated pipeline includes Los Chancas in Apurímac (130 ktpa, currently blocked by illegal miners within the project area), Michiquillay in Cajamarca (225 ktpa, 25+ year mine life, targeted from 2032), and the El Pilar (Mexico, 36 ktpa, ~2028 start) and El Arco (Mexico, large-scale greenfield) projects.

🇺🇸 NYSE / BVL

$170.20B

Pure-Play Major

Buenavista del Cobre 100% (Mexico)|Toquepala 100% (Peru)|Cuajone 100% (Peru)|La Caridad 100% (Mexico)|Tía María — under construction (Peru)|El Arco — development (Mexico)|Michiquillay — exploration (Peru)
Rio Tinto
RIO.L $157.10B 🇦🇺 Australia 🇲🇳 Mongolia 🇨🇱 Chile 🇺🇸 United States 🇦🇺 Australia Production 🇬🇧 LSE

Rio Tinto

Domicile: 🇦🇺 Australia Segment: Diversified Major Phase: Production Type: Porphyry Country: 🇲🇳 Mongolia 🇨🇱 Chile 🇺🇸 United States 🇦🇺 Australia

Rio Tinto Group is an LSE, ASX and NYSE-listed diversified global mining major with dual headquarters in London and Melbourne, and a portfolio spanning iron ore, aluminium, copper, lithium and borates. Copper is one of the Group's highest-priority growth pillars, leveraged to electrification, EVs and grid build-out, and supported by long-life Tier-1 assets and a significant development pipeline. In 2025, Rio Tinto's copper segment delivered 883 thousand tonnes of mined copper (consolidated basis: Oyu Tolgoi and Kennecott at 100%; Escondida at equity share), up 11% year-on-year, driving copper segment underlying EBITDA of $7.4 billion (+114% YoY) on segmental revenue of $13.7 billion (+48%).

Key copper assets are the 66%-operated Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia — one of the world's most significant copper growth projects, where full-year 2025 production rose 61% as the underground ramp-up accelerated, with a target of approximately 500,000 tonnes per year of recoverable copper from 2028 to 2036 (100% basis); a 30% non-operated interest in Escondida in Chile (operated by BHP, the world's largest copper mine); and the wholly-owned Kennecott operations in Utah, an integrated open-pit, smelter and refinery complex.

Resolution Copper in Arizona — a joint venture with BHP (Rio Tinto 55%, operator) — is one of the largest undeveloped copper deposits globally. A long-contested federal land exchange was completed in March 2026 following the US Court of Appeals' ruling, unlocking the next phase of technical work. Copper sits alongside iron ore (the Group's dominant earnings driver) and growing lithium exposure (following the 2025 Arcadium acquisition) within Rio Tinto's energy-transition portfolio.

🇬🇧 LSE

$157.10B

Diversified Major

Oyu Tolgoi 66% (Mongolia)|Escondida 30% (Chile)|Kennecott 100% (USA)|Resolution Copper 55% — development (USA)|Winu 70% — development (Australia)
Zijin Mining
2899.HK $146.30B 🇨🇳 China 🇨🇳 China 🇨🇩 DRC 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇪🇷 Eritrea Production HKEX

Zijin Mining

Domicile: 🇨🇳 China Segment: Diversified Major Phase: Production Type: Porphyry Sediment-hosted VMS Country: 🇨🇳 China 🇨🇩 DRC 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇪🇷 Eritrea

Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. is a Chinese multinational mining group dual-listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (2899.HK) and the Shanghai Stock Exchange (601899.SS), headquartered in Shanghang County, Fujian Province. As of year-end 2025, Zijin operated more than 30 large and ultra-large mineral resource development bases across 18 countries, employed 66,708 people, and reported RMB 512 billion in total assets. The Company ranks as the world's #4 producer of mine-produced copper, #5 in mine-produced gold and #4 in mine-produced zinc, with mine-produced copper output of approximately 1.085 million tonnes (100% basis) in FY2025 — driven by an industry-leading C1 cost position and a five-year copper output CAGR of approximately 17%.

Key copper assets span four continents. Julong Copper in Tibet (58.16%) is the single most important growth asset — Phase 1 produced 194 kt in FY2025; Phase 2 (completed January 23, 2026) is ramping up toward a Phase 1+2 capacity of 300–350 ktpa, with a 2026 production target of 300 kt and a potential Phase 3 of ~600 ktpa. The Čukaru Peki copper-gold mine (100%) and adjacent Bor Complex (63%) in Serbia together produced 296 kt of copper in FY2025 and form Europe's second-largest copper production base, with an expansion programme targeting 450 ktpa to make it Europe's largest. Kamoa-Kakula in the DRC (44.20% via joint venture with Ivanhoe Mines) added 173 kt attributable in FY2025, with a 500 kt/year on-site smelter producing first anode copper in January 2026. The Kolwezi copper-cobalt mine in the DRC (67%) contributed 79 kt attributable.

Group net profit attributable to owners of the parent reached a record RMB 51.8 billion in FY2025 (+62% YoY), supported by record copper and gold prices and surging output across the portfolio.

HKEX

$146.30B

Diversified Major

Julong Copper 58.16% (China)|Čukaru Peki 100% (Serbia)|Bor Complex 63% (Serbia)|Kamoa-Kakula 44.20% JV (DRC)|Kolwezi 67% (DRC)|Duobaoshan/Tongshan 100% (China)|Zijinshan 100% (China)|Bisha 55% (Eritrea)
Freeport-McMoRan
FCX $90.58B 🇺🇸 United States 🇺🇸 United States 🇵🇪 Peru 🇨🇱 Chile 🇮🇩 Indonesia Production 🇺🇸 NYSE

Freeport-McMoRan

Domicile: 🇺🇸 United States Segment: Pure-Play Major Phase: Production Type: Porphyry Skarn Country: 🇺🇸 United States 🇵🇪 Peru 🇨🇱 Chile 🇮🇩 Indonesia

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. is a NYSE-listed, Phoenix-based diversified mining company and one of the world's largest publicly traded copper producers, with long-lived, low-cost operations across the United States, Peru, Chile and Indonesia. In 2025, FCX produced 3.38 billion pounds of copper, 956 thousand ounces of gold and 92 million pounds of molybdenum, generating approximately $25.5 billion in revenue. Copper accounts for roughly 80% of revenues, gold ~15% and molybdenum ~5%.

Seven copper mines in North America — Morenci (72% interest), Bagdad, Safford/Lone Star, Sierrita, Miami, Chino and Tyrone — underpin FCX's position as the largest U.S. copper producer. Morenci is the centrepiece of FCX's proprietary leach innovation programme, which achieved a 240 Mlb annual run-rate in late 2025 and targets 300 Mlb in 2026, scaling to 800 Mlb per year from existing stockpiles by approximately 2030. In South America, Cerro Verde in Peru (55.08%) and El Abra in Chile (51%, partnered with Codelco) added a combined ~1.06 billion pounds of FCX-share copper in 2025.

The Grasberg minerals district in Central Papua, Indonesia — held via PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI, 48.76% FCX, fully operated) — is one of the world's largest copper and gold deposits. A September 2025 mud rush suspended underground operations; a phased restart commenced March 2026 in unaffected production blocks. In February 2026, FCX signed an MoU with the Indonesian government for a life-of-resource extension of PTFI's mining rights beyond the current 2041 IUPK expiry, with FCX retaining 48.76% through 2041 and ~37% thereafter. Major brownfield growth options include Bagdad 2X (potential FID 2H 2026, ~$3.5 billion capex, +200–250 Mlb p.a. Cu) and an El Abra sulfide expansion (>700 Mlb p.a. potential).

🇺🇸 NYSE

$90.58B

Pure-Play Major

Grasberg 48.76% (Indonesia)|Morenci 72% (USA)|Cerro Verde 55.08% (Peru)|El Abra 51% (Chile)|Bagdad 100% (USA)|Safford/Lone Star 100% (USA)
Glencore
GLEN.L $89.66B 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇨🇩 DRC 🇨🇱 Chile 🇵🇪 Peru 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇦🇺 Australia Production 🇬🇧 LSE

Glencore

Domicile: 🇨🇭 Switzerland Segment: Diversified Major Phase: Production Type: Porphyry Sediment-hosted Skarn VMS Country: 🇨🇩 DRC 🇨🇱 Chile 🇵🇪 Peru 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇦🇺 Australia

Glencore plc is an LSE-listed, Switzerland-headquartered diversified natural resource company with around 40 industrial assets across six continents and a substantial commodity marketing franchise covering more than 60 commodities. Its industrial segment spans copper, zinc/lead/nickel, ferroalloys, aluminium, energy and steelmaking coal, while the marketing segment generated $2.92 billion adjusted EBIT in FY2025 and is guided to $2.3–3.5 billion through-the-cycle — a structural differentiator versus pure-play mining peers.

Core copper mining assets are Kamoto Copper Company (KCC, 75% — Democratic Republic of Congo), Mutanda (100% — DRC), Collahuasi (44% — Chile, JV with Anglo American and Mitsui), Antamina (33.75% — Peru, JV with BHP and Teck), Antapaccay (100% — Peru), and Lomas Bayas (100% — Chile, heap leach cathode). FY2025 own-sourced copper production was 851.6 kt, down 10% year-on-year due to mine sequencing at KCC, Collahuasi and Antamina. Glencore is also the world's largest cobalt producer (36.1 kt own-sourced FY2025, primarily from KCC and Mutanda) and acquired Teck's steelmaking coal business (Elk Valley Resources) in July 2024.

At the December 2025 Capital Markets Day, CEO Gary Nagle reframed Glencore around a copper-led growth strategy, targeting >1.0 Mt annualised by end-2028 and c.1.6 Mt by 2035 — a brownfield-led path centred on KCC life-of-mine extension (land access package finalised with Gécamines in February 2026), the Mutanda restart ramp, the Antapaccay-Coroccohuayco-Quechua district in Peru, the Bajo de la Alumbrera restart in Argentina, and the MARA and El Pachón greenfield projects also in Argentina, both submitted to the RIGI incentive regime.

🇬🇧 LSE

$89.66B

Diversified Major

Kamoto Copper Company 75% (DRC)|Mutanda 100% (DRC)|Collahuasi 44% (Chile)|Antamina 33.75% (Peru)|Antapaccay 100% (Peru)|Lomas Bayas 100% (Chile)|MARA 100% — development (Argentina)|El Pachón 100% — development (Argentina)
Anglo American
AAL.L $54.73B 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇨🇱 Chile 🇵🇪 Peru 🇫🇮 Finland Production 🇬🇧 LSE

Anglo American

Domicile: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom Segment: Diversified Major Phase: Production Type: Porphyry Country: 🇨🇱 Chile 🇵🇪 Peru 🇫🇮 Finland

Anglo American plc is a UK-incorporated, London-headquartered global mining major undergoing a profound strategic transformation, simplifying its portfolio around three product verticals — copper, premium iron ore, and crop nutrients — while exiting platinum group metals (Valterra demerged May 2025), steelmaking coal (sale process underway), nickel (sold to MMG, awaiting EU clearance), and diamonds (De Beers formal sale process underway). The simplified portfolio generated $15.8 billion of revenue and $6.9 billion of underlying EBITDA at a 44% margin in FY2025 with a 17% return on capital employed; the Copper segment alone delivered $4.0 billion of underlying EBITDA on 705 kt of mined-share sales.

The standalone copper portfolio comprises Quellaveco in Peru (60% Anglo, 40% Mitsubishi — "stably producing around 300 ktpa" and reached payback in 2026, four years vs. the original eight-year plan); Collahuasi in Chile (44% Anglo, JV with Glencore and Mitsui/JX — plant debottlenecking to 185 ktpd from 2026 and to permitted 210 ktpd from late 2027); and the Anglo Sur complex in Chile (Los Bronces 50.1%, El Soldado 50.1%, and the Chagres smelter — minority partners Codelco/Mitsui). FY2025 group copper production was 695 kt with FY2026 guidance of 700–760 kt (Chile 390–420 kt; Peru 310–340 kt). Sakatti in Finland (100% Anglo) is the European Cu-Ni-PGM growth option, designated an EU Strategic Project in March 2025, with PFS-B targeted December 2026 and production early 2030s at 60–80 ktpa Cu-equivalent.

In September 2025, Anglo American announced an at-market merger of equals with Teck Resources to form Anglo Teck — a global critical minerals champion with more than 70% copper exposure on a 2027 production basis. Both companies' shareholders approved the deal in December 2025; Investment Canada Act approval has been secured along with regulatory consent in Australia, the EU, the US, Mexico, Chile and South Korea (received Q1 2026), with Japan and China remaining. The combined entity targets approximately $800 million of pre-tax recurring annual synergies, plus a further $1.4 billion annual EBITDA uplift (100% basis) from operating Collahuasi and Quebrada Blanca as an integrated Chilean copper complex from 2030 onwards.

🇬🇧 LSE

$54.73B

Diversified Major

Quellaveco 60% (Peru)|Collahuasi 44% (Chile)|Los Bronces 50.1% (Chile)|El Soldado 50.1% (Chile)|Chagres smelter 50.1% (Chile)|Sakatti 100% — development (Finland)
Antofagasta
ANTO.L $50.05B 🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇱 Chile 🇺🇸 United States 🇵🇪 Peru Production 🇬🇧 LSE

Antofagasta

Domicile: 🇨🇱 Chile Segment: Pure-Play Major Phase: Production Type: Porphyry Country: 🇨🇱 Chile 🇺🇸 United States 🇵🇪 Peru

Antofagasta plc is a London-listed (FTSE 100), Chile-focused, pure-play copper mining group controlled by the Luksic family via the E. Abaroa Foundation, with approximately a 35% free float. It operates four producing copper mines in Chile — Los Pelambres (60%) in the Coquimbo Region, Centinela (70%) and Antucoya (70%) in the Antofagasta Region, both in joint venture with Marubeni, and Zaldívar (50%) in joint venture with Barrick Mining. The Group also runs the FCAB rail and road transport division serving other miners in northern Chile.

Group copper production was 653,700 tonnes in 2025 at a net cash cost of $1.19/lb after by-product credits (gold, molybdenum and silver), with an EBITDA margin of 60% — positioning Antofagasta at the top end of the copper peer group on margins. Los Pelambres and Centinela together account for ~82% of Group output. FY 2026 guidance is 650,000–700,000 tonnes of copper.

The capital programme is at peak intensity and is the primary medium-term value driver, anchored by the ~$4.0 billion Centinela Second Concentrator (>50% complete; first copper expected in 2027; +170 kt CuEq annual production once ramped). At Los Pelambres, the Growth Enabling Projects include a new concentrate pipeline and the doubling of desalination capacity from 400 to 800 l/s, supporting throughput growth. Together these projects target an approximately 30% medium-term uplift in Group production over 2026–2029. Greenfield optionality includes the Cachorro and Encierro projects in Chile, the Twin Metals project in Minnesota (on hold pending litigation), and a ~19% strategic investment in Peru's Buenaventura.

🇬🇧 LSE

$50.05B

Pure-Play Major

Los Pelambres 60% (Chile)|Centinela 70% (Chile)|Antucoya 70% (Chile)|Zaldívar 50% (Chile)
Teck Resources
TECK-B.TO $27.10B 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇱 Chile 🇵🇪 Peru 🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 United States 🇲🇽 Mexico Production 🇨🇦 TSX

Teck Resources

Domicile: 🇨🇦 Canada Segment: Pure-Play Major Phase: Production Type: Porphyry Skarn Country: 🇨🇱 Chile 🇵🇪 Peru 🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 United States 🇲🇽 Mexico

Teck Resources Limited is a TSX/NYSE-listed Canadian mining company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. Following the 2024 sale of its steelmaking coal business (Elk Valley Resources) to Glencore, Teck is now a pure-play critical minerals producer focused on copper and zinc — a top-10 copper producer in the Americas and the largest net zinc miner globally. Its copper portfolio is anchored by Quebrada Blanca (QB) in northern Chile, where Teck holds a 60% indirect interest and fully consolidates; Highland Valley Copper (HVC) in British Columbia, Canada's largest copper mine; Antamina in Peru (22.5% interest, JV with BHP, Glencore and Mitsubishi); and Carmen de Andacollo in Chile.

FY2025 copper production was 454,000 tonnes with FY2026 guidance of 455,000–530,000 tonnes. QB produced 190 kt in FY2025 — constrained by ongoing Tailings Management Facility development — with multi-year guidance of 200–235 kt in 2026, 240–275 kt in 2027 and 220–255 kt in 2028; management expects TMF development to no longer constrain production from 2027. The Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension, sanctioned July 2025 and under construction at C$2.1–2.4 billion capex, extends HVC's life from 2028 to 2046 with average annual production of 132 kt over the extended life.

Teck's proposed merger of equals with Anglo American plc, announced September 9, 2025, would create Anglo Teck plc — a Canadian-headquartered, top-five global copper producer with more than 70% copper exposure. South Korea regulatory approval was received in Q1 2026 with China approval advancing; closing is expected within 12–18 months of announcement. The headline industrial synergy is the QB-Collahuasi adjacency — a ~15 km overland conveyor could add ~175,000 tpa of incremental copper at $11,000/t capital intensity and US$1.4 billion annual EBITDA uplift average 2030–2049 (100% basis).

🇨🇦 TSX

$27.10B

Pure-Play Major

Quebrada Blanca 60% (Chile)|Highland Valley Copper 100% (Canada)|Antamina 22.5% (Peru)|Carmen de Andacollo 100% (Chile)|Red Dog 100% — zinc (USA)|Trail Operations 100% — smelter (Canada)|Zafranal — development (Peru)|San Nicolás — development (Mexico)
Lundin Mining
LUN.TO $24.05B 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇱 Chile 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇦🇷 Argentina Production 🇨🇦 TSX

Lundin Mining

Domicile: 🇨🇦 Canada Segment: Pure-Play Major Phase: Production Type: Porphyry IOCG Country: 🇨🇱 Chile 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇦🇷 Argentina

Lundin Mining Corporation is a TSX- and Nasdaq Stockholm-listed, Vancouver-headquartered mid-tier base-metals producer that, following a major 2025 portfolio reshape, is now overwhelmingly a South American copper miner. After divesting Neves-Corvo and Zinkgruvan to Boliden in April 2025 and selling Eagle (Michigan) to Talon Metals in January 2026, the Group runs three operating mines — Candelaria and Caserones in Chile, and Chapada in Brazil — alongside a 50% interest in the Vicuña Project together with BHP. Copper accounted for approximately 87% of Q4 2025 revenue from continuing operations.

Candelaria in Chile's Atacama region (80%-owned) is an integrated open-pit and underground complex producing 145,471 t Cu in 2025; Caserones, also in northern Chile, contributed 132,881 t Cu in 2025 — and Lundin lifted its stake to 75% (from 70%) on 7 April 2026 with a US$215 million acquisition of an additional 5% from JX Advanced Metals (which also delivered a 30.9% interest in the adjacent Los Helados project). Chapada in Brazil's Goiás state added 43,974 t Cu in 2025. The Saúva growth project in the Chapada district completed pre-feasibility in Q4 2025 with sanctioning expected H2 2026 and first ore in H2 2028.

The defining strategic initiative is Vicuña Corp., a 50/50 joint venture with BHP formed in January 2025 following the joint acquisition of Filo Corp., consolidating the Filo del Sol and Josemaria copper-gold-silver deposits along the Argentina–Chile border. The Integrated Technical Study (PEA) released February 16, 2026 outlines first-25-year average annual production of 400 kt Cu, 700 koz Au and 22 Moz Ag, peak 10-year production above 500 ktpa Cu, a 70+ year mine life, US$7.1 billion Stage 1 capital, and after-tax NPV₈ of US$9.5 billion at $4.60/lb copper.

🇨🇦 TSX

$24.05B

Pure-Play Major

Candelaria 80% (Chile)|Caserones 75% (Chile)|Chapada 100% (Brazil)|Vicuña JV 50% (Argentina/Chile)|Saúva — pre-feasibility (Brazil)
First Quantum Minerals
FM.TO $20.99B 🇨🇦 Canada 🇿🇲 Zambia 🇲🇷 Mauritania 🇵🇦 Panama 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇵🇪 Peru 🇹🇷 Türkiye Production 🇨🇦 TSX

First Quantum Minerals

Domicile: 🇨🇦 Canada Segment: Mid-Tier Producer Phase: Production Type: Porphyry Sediment-hosted IOCG Country: 🇿🇲 Zambia 🇲🇷 Mauritania 🇵🇦 Panama 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇵🇪 Peru 🇹🇷 Türkiye

First Quantum Minerals Ltd. is a Toronto-listed (TSX: FM), copper-focused global mining company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. It positions itself as a top-10 global copper producer, with consolidated 2025 production of 396,000 tonnes copper alongside secondary nickel, gold and silver. Roughly 82% of 2025 revenue came from copper.

The producing copper mines are Kansanshi and Sentinel in Zambia, and Guelb Moghrein in Mauritania, with Enterprise in Zambia adding nickel. The Kansanshi S3 brownfield expansion — a 25 Mtpa expansion completed under budget in 2025 and declared commercial production on 1 December 2025 — is the principal near-term growth driver, with Kansanshi 2025 production of 181kt Cu rising to 2027 guidance of 210–240kt. The Çayeli copper-zinc mine in Türkiye is being sold to Cengiz İnşaat for $340 million (announced March 2026), and Cobre Las Cruces in Spain has been sold for up to $190 million (announced December 2025).

Cobre Panamá in Panama — historically First Quantum's largest single asset and the third-largest copper mine globally by throughput in 2022 — has been on Preservation & Safe Management since November 2023, following the Panamanian Supreme Court's unconstitutional ruling on its concession contract. Processing of ~38 Mt of stockpiled ore was authorised by President Mulino in January 2026 (formal approvals pending), potentially yielding ~70kt Cu over 12 months.

The development pipeline includes Taca Taca in Argentina (one of the 15 largest undeveloped copper projects globally) and La Granja in Peru (55% First Quantum / 45% Rio Tinto). A defining strategic feature is First Quantum's in-house project team, which has self-built nine major open-pit copper projects since 2005, deploying over $13 billion in capex typically within 10% of budget.

🇨🇦 TSX

$20.99B

Mid-Tier Producer

Kansanshi 80% (Zambia)|Sentinel 100% (Zambia)|Guelb Moghrein 100% (Mauritania)|Cobre Panamá 91% — P&SM (Panama)|Taca Taca 100% — development (Argentina)|La Granja 55% — development (Peru)
Sumitomo Metal Mining
5713.T $16.27B 🇯🇵 Japan 🇺🇸 United States 🇵🇪 Peru 🇨🇱 Chile 🇦🇺 Australia 🇨🇳 China 🇯🇵 Japan Production 🇯🇵 TSE

Sumitomo Metal Mining

Domicile: 🇯🇵 Japan Segment: Diversified Major Phase: Production Type: Porphyry IOCG Country: 🇺🇸 United States 🇵🇪 Peru 🇨🇱 Chile 🇦🇺 Australia 🇨🇳 China 🇯🇵 Japan

Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (TSE: 5713) is one of Japan's oldest and largest integrated non-ferrous mining and materials companies, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, with roots traceable to the Besshi Copper Mine which the Sumitomo Group has operated since 1691. SMM operates across three segments: Mineral Resources (equity stakes in overseas copper, gold and nickel mines), Smelting & Refining (processing concentrates into metals at Japanese and overseas facilities), and Materials (NCA battery cathode materials, sputtering targets and other advanced electronic materials).

SMM holds equity stakes in six producing copper mines across four countries: Morenci in Arizona (25%, operated by Freeport-McMoRan), Cerro Verde in Peru (16.8%, also Freeport-operated), Quebrada Blanca in Chile (25%, operated by Teck Resources and in ramp-up), Candelaria and the adjacent Ojos del Salado in Chile's Atacama region (both 16%, Lundin Mining-operated), and Northparkes in Australia (13.3%, operated by Evolution Mining). It also holds a 27.07% interest in the Jinlong Copper smelter in Anhui, China.

On the development side, SMM signed definitive agreements with Rio Tinto in May 2025 for a 30% interest in the Winu copper-gold project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (Rio Tinto 70%, operator), with total investment of up to $430 million. The Toyo Smelter & Refinery in Ehime Prefecture is one of the world's largest single-line copper smelters at 450,000 tonnes per year of electrolytic copper capacity, traceable directly to the historic Besshi operations.

FY2025 (year ended March 31, 2026) was a record year, with profit attributable to owners of ¥176.3 billion (up 969% year-on-year) driven by record-high copper prices, substantially higher gold prices, and the absence of the FY2024 nickel impairment losses.

🇯🇵 TSE

$16.27B

Diversified Major

Morenci 25% (USA)|Cerro Verde 16.8% (Peru)|Quebrada Blanca 25% (Chile)|Candelaria + Ojos del Salado 16% (Chile)|Northparkes 13.3% (Australia)|Toyo Smelter 100% (Japan)|Winu 30% — development (Australia)
Boliden
BOL.ST $15.51B 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇫🇮 Finland 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal Production 🇸🇪 Nasdaq Stockholm

Boliden

Domicile: 🇸🇪 Sweden Segment: Diversified Major Phase: Production Type: VMS Porphyry Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇫🇮 Finland 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal

Boliden AB is a Nasdaq Stockholm-listed integrated base- and precious-metals producer based in Sweden, with operations across Sweden, Finland, Norway, Ireland and Portugal. The Group has been producing metals since 1924 and supplies zinc, copper, nickel, lead, gold, silver and by-products to a primarily northern European industrial customer base. Following the April 2025 acquisition of Somincor (Neves Corvo, Portugal) and Zinkgruvan (Sweden) from Lundin Mining, Boliden operates seven mining units and five smelter units, employs around 8,000 people and reported revenues of approximately SEK 90 billion in 2025.

Copper is a major commodity within the diversified portfolio: it accounted for 32% of Mines revenue in 2025. Copper-bearing mines include Aitik in northern Sweden (a long-life Cu-Au-Ag open pit with reserves to 2048), Kevitsa in Finland (Cu-Ni-PGM open pit), Boliden Area (multi-mine Zn-Cu-Au-Ag), and Somincor/Neves Corvo (Cu-Zn) and Zinkgruvan (Zn-Pb-Cu-Ag), both newly acquired. The Rönnskär copper smelter in Sweden is one of Europe's largest e-waste copper recyclers (120 ktpa capacity), and the Harjavalta smelter in Finland produces refined copper cathode.

Boliden's structural moat is mine–smelter integration — roughly 30% of smelter feed is internally produced, dampening earnings volatility across the copper cycle. The Group markets a Low-Carbon Copper range running below industry-average emissions intensity, and major near-term capex includes the Odda zinc smelter expansion ramping up in 2026 and the Rönnskär new tankhouse.

🇸🇪 Nasdaq Stockholm

$15.51B

Diversified Major

Aitik (Sweden)|Kevitsa (Finland)|Boliden Area (Sweden)|Neves Corvo/Somincor (Portugal)|Zinkgruvan (Sweden)|Rönnskär smelter (Sweden)|Harjavalta smelter (Finland)
Ivanhoe Mines
IVN.TO $12.20B 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇩 DRC 🇿🇦 South Africa Production 🇨🇦 TSX

Ivanhoe Mines

Domicile: 🇨🇦 Canada Segment: Pure-Play Major Phase: Production Type: Sediment-hosted Replacement Country: 🇨🇩 DRC 🇿🇦 South Africa

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. is a TSX-listed Canadian mining, development and exploration company with four principal assets, all in sub-Saharan Africa, anchored by the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC. Founder Robert Friedland is Executive Co-Chairman; Marna Cloete is President and CEO.

Kamoa-Kakula is one of the world's largest copper complexes by production, with Ivanhoe holding a 39.6% indirect interest (Zijin Mining 39.6%, DRC government 20%, Crystal River 0.8%). It produced 388,841 tonnes of copper in concentrate in 2025 and a cumulative 1.7 million tonnes in its first five years. The complex is now fully integrated following first anode cast at its new 500,000 tpa direct-to-blister copper smelter — the largest in Africa — in late December 2025. A May 2025 seismic event at the original Kakula Mature Extraction Zone forced Ivanhoe to revise its mining plan and update reserves under more conservative geotechnical criteria; 2026 production guidance was revised in March 2026 to 290,000–330,000 tonnes of copper anodes, with steady-state >500,000 tpa now targeted from 2028. The March 2026 reserve update reduced total reserves to 466 Mt at 2.82% Cu (13.1 Mt contained, 100% basis) reflecting wider pillar widths, increased dilution, and exclusion of the Mature Extraction Zone, partly offset by cut-off grade reduction and conversion of Kamoa 3–6 to reserve status.

Beyond Kamoa-Kakula, Ivanhoe operates the 62%-owned Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver-lead mine in the DRC (restarted mid-2024; one of the highest-grade zinc mines globally at 35.2% Zn head grade in 2025), and the 64%-owned Platreef platinum-group-metals/nickel/copper mine in South Africa (first concentrate in November 2025). The Western Forelands copper exploration project in the DRC, adjacent to Kamoa-Kakula, is targeted for an enlarged Mineral Resource Estimate update in Q2 2026.

🇨🇦 TSX

$12.20B

Pure-Play Major

Kamoa-Kakula 39.6% JV (DRC)|Kipushi 62% (DRC)|Platreef 64% (South Africa)|Western Forelands 100% — exploration (DRC)
Hudbay Minerals
HBM.TO $9.92B 🇨🇦 Canada 🇵🇪 Peru 🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 United States Production 🇨🇦 TSX

Hudbay Minerals

Domicile: 🇨🇦 Canada Segment: Mid-Tier Producer Phase: Production Type: Porphyry VMS IOCG Country: 🇵🇪 Peru 🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 United States

Hudbay Minerals Inc. is a TSX/NYSE-listed (also Lima) copper-focused critical minerals producer headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The Group operates three mines in tier-one jurisdictions: Constancia in Cusco, Peru — an open-pit copper-molybdenum mine with a 15+ year life producing ~85 ktpa Cu; Snow Lake / Lalor in Manitoba — an underground gold-copper-zinc operation with a 16+ year life producing ~190 koz Au/yr; and Copper Mountain in British Columbia — an open-pit copper-gold mine with a 21+ year life producing ~45 ktpa Cu (now 100% Hudbay-owned following the April 2025 buy-out of the residual 25%). Copper remained the primary revenue driver in 2025, with gold representing 38% of total revenue (a growing share as Manitoba gold production ramps), plus by-product zinc, silver and molybdenum.

The U.S. growth pipeline is increasingly the defining strategic feature. Copper World in Arizona (sanction decision expected 2026) backed by a $600 million JV closed with Mitsubishi in January 2026 for a 30% interest, would average 92 ktpa Cu over a 20-year mine life under the 2023 PFS. The pending acquisition of Arizona Sonoran Copper Company (announced March 2026; closing expected Q2 2026) adds the Cactus project in southern Arizona — first-10-year average 103 ktpa Cu per the October 2025 PFS — potentially creating one of the largest copper districts in North America when combined with Copper World. The Mason project in Nevada (PEA-stage, 139 ktpa Cu first-10-year potential) and Llaguen in Peru complete the longer-dated pipeline.

Management targets ~400,000 tonnes annual copper-equivalent production over the long term as the U.S. pipeline is delivered alongside the existing ~147 ktpa Cu operating base. February 2026 saw Hudbay's first dividend increase in its history, doubling the annual payout to C$0.04/share.

🇨🇦 TSX

$9.92B

Mid-Tier Producer

Constancia 100% (Peru)|Snow Lake/Lalor 100% (Canada)|Copper Mountain 100% (Canada)|Copper World 70% — sanction pending (USA)|Cactus — pending acquisition (USA)|Mason 100% — PEA (USA)
China Gold International Resources
CGG.TO $8.02B 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇳 China Production 🇨🇦 TSX

China Gold International Resources

Domicile: 🇨🇦 Canada Phase: Production Country: 🇨🇳 China

China Gold International Resources Corp. Ltd. is a Vancouver-listed gold and base metals producer operating exclusively in China, and serves as the sole overseas vehicle of China National Gold Group Corporation. The company operates two mines: the CSH Gold Mine in Inner Mongolia, and the Jiama Copper-Gold Polymetallic Mine in Tibet, which produces copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, lead and zinc — and is the primary copper asset and dominant earnings driver. Following restoration of the Guolangou Tailings Dam, Jiama resumed full production in mid-2024; 2024 copper production rose 139% to approximately 47,900 tonnes, and 9M 2025 production increased further to approximately 54,100 tonnes. Revenue reached $0.93 billion in the first nine months of 2025, more than doubling the prior-year comparable.

🇨🇦 TSX

$8.02B

Jiama Mine 100% (China)|CSH Gold Mine (China)
Capstone Copper
CS.TO $7.13B 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇱 Chile 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇺🇸 United States Production 🇨🇦 TSX

Capstone Copper

Domicile: 🇨🇦 Canada Segment: Mid-Tier Producer Phase: Production Type: Porphyry IOCG Country: 🇨🇱 Chile 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇺🇸 United States

Capstone Copper Corp. is a TSX-listed (with ASX foreign-exempt listing) Americas-focused, pure-play copper mining company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The company operates four producing copper mines across three jurisdictions: Pinto Valley in Arizona, USA; Cozamin in Zacatecas, Mexico; Mantos Blancos in Chile's Antofagasta Region; and Mantoverde (70%-owned) in Chile's Atacama Region. By-products include gold (Mantoverde), silver (Mantos Blancos and Cozamin) and molybdenum (Pinto Valley).

Capstone's 2022 merger with Mantos Copper added Mantoverde and Mantos Blancos to the existing Pinto Valley and Cozamin portfolio. The subsequent Mantoverde Development Project — an $870 million sulphide concentrator at Mantoverde completed mid-2024 — drove a 22% increase in consolidated copper production in 2025 to a record 224,764 tonnes at a record-low C1 cash cost of $2.44/lb. FY 2026 guidance is 200,000–230,000 tonnes at C1 cash costs of $2.45–$2.75/lb.

Growth is anchored in the Mantoverde–Santo Domingo district in the Atacama Region. The MV Optimized (MV-O) brownfield expansion at Mantoverde, sanctioned August 2025, is under construction at $176 million capex and expected to add ~20,000 t Cu/year from 2027, extending mine life to 25 years. The fully permitted Santo Domingo copper-iron-gold project — held 75% Capstone, 25% Orion Resource Partners following an October 2025 JV transaction — is expected to average 106,000 tonnes of copper annually in its first seven years, with FID expected H2 2026 and initial capital of ~$2.3 billion (2024 feasibility study basis).

🇨🇦 TSX

$7.13B

Mid-Tier Producer

Mantoverde 70% (Chile)|Mantos Blancos 100% (Chile)|Pinto Valley 100% (USA)|Cozamin 100% (Mexico)|Santo Domingo 75% under development (Chile)
Sandfire Resources
SFR.AX $6.24B 🇦🇺 Australia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇧🇼 Botswana 🇦🇺 Australia Production 🇦🇺 ASX

Sandfire Resources

Domicile: 🇦🇺 Australia Phase: Production Country: 🇪🇸 Spain 🇧🇼 Botswana 🇦🇺 Australia

Sandfire Resources Limited is an Australia-based, copper-focused mining company with two principal producing operations — MATSA in Spain and Motheo in Botswana — that together have transformed the company from a single-asset Australian miner into a diversified international copper producer. MATSA is a polymetallic underground complex in the Iberian Pyrite Belt. Motheo in the Kalahari Copper Belt is the primary growth engine, with production guidance of 50,000–56,000 contained tonnes for FY2026. Group copper equivalent production reached 152,000 tonnes in FY2025, a 12% increase on the prior year, and the company has since moved to a net cash position. Development-stage assets include the Black Butte copper project in Montana and the recently acquired Kalkaroo copper-gold project in South Australia.

🇦🇺 ASX

$6.24B

MATSA 100% (Spain)|Motheo (Botswana)|Kalkaroo (Australia — development)
NGEx Minerals
NGEX.TO $4.23B 🇨🇦 Canada 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇨🇱 Chile Exploration 🇨🇦 TSX

NGEx Minerals

Domicile: 🇨🇦 Canada Segment: Junior / Developer Phase: Exploration Type: Porphyry Country: 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇨🇱 Chile

NGEx Minerals Ltd. is a TSX-listed Canadian mineral exploration company in the Lundin Group, focused on advancing copper-gold-silver projects within the emerging Vicuña District straddling the Argentina-Chile border. The company holds two world-class assets — Lunahuasi (100% NGEx) and Los Helados (~69% NGEx / ~31% Lundin Mining following the April 2026 transfer of Lundin's interest from JX) — plus the earlier-stage Valle Ancho copper-gold target in Catamarca, Argentina, and the La Rioja Properties (60% NGEx / 40% JX) under a joint exploration agreement.

Los Helados in Chile is a classic large-scale porphyry copper-gold deposit with an Indicated Mineral Resource of 2.08 billion tonnes at 0.40% Cu, 0.15 g/t Au and 1.5 g/t Ag (18.4 billion pounds Cu, 10.2 million ounces Au) plus an Inferred Resource of 1.08 Bt at 0.34% Cu (8.2 Blb Cu) per the August 2025 NI 43-101 Technical Report — and sits 17 km from the operating Caserones mill. Lunahuasi in San Juan, Argentina, is a high-grade multi-style discovery with no Mineral Resource Estimate yet published; ~70,567 metres have been drilled across four phases since the 2023 discovery, with the Saturn, Mars and Jupiter zones returning some of the highest copper-equivalent intercepts in the Vicuña District.

In October 2025, NGEx spun out LunR Royalties Corp. (TSX-V: LUNR), distributing ~80.1% of its shares to shareholders and retaining 19.9%; LunR holds NSR royalties over both Lunahuasi and Los Helados.

🇨🇦 TSX

$4.23B

Junior / Developer

Lunahuasi 100% — exploration (Argentina)|Los Helados ~69% — resource definition (Chile)|Valle Ancho 100% — exploration (Argentina)|La Rioja Properties 60% — exploration (Argentina)
Taseko Mines
TKO.TO $3.00B 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 United States Production 🇨🇦 TSX

Taseko Mines

Domicile: 🇨🇦 Canada Segment: Mid-Tier Producer Phase: Production Type: Porphyry Country: 🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 United States

Taseko Mines Limited is a Vancouver-headquartered copper producer focused exclusively on North America, with shares listed on the TSX (TKO), NYSE American (TGB) and London Stock Exchange (TKO). The company operates the Gibraltar copper-molybdenum mine in British Columbia — one of Canada's largest open-pit copper mines, 100%-owned since March 2024 — and, as of February 2026, has commenced cathode production at its second operating asset, the Florence Copper in-situ recovery (ISCR) project in Pinal County, Arizona. Gibraltar produced 98.7 million pounds of copper in FY2025 with FY2026 guidance of 110–115 Mlbs as recoveries improve in the Connector Pit, and a 19-year mine life. Florence has a design capacity of 85 million pounds per year of LME Grade A cathode at LOM C1 of $1.11/lb over a 22-year mine life.

The development pipeline includes the Yellowhead copper project in BC, where a July 2025 updated NI 43-101 technical report outlines a 25-year mine life with after-tax NPV₈ of C$2.0 billion and 21% IRR at $4.25/lb copper (averaging 178 Mlbs Cu/yr, 282 koz Au and 19.4 Moz Ag); the New Prosperity copper-gold project (77.5% Taseko / 22.5% Tŝilhqot'in trust), now subject of the June 2025 Teẑtan Biny Agreement that ended longstanding litigation; and the Aley niobium project. Taseko's North American focus positions it as a permitted, jurisdictionally safe copper supply story.

🇨🇦 TSX

$3.00B

Mid-Tier Producer

Gibraltar 100% (Canada)|Florence Copper 100% (USA)|Yellowhead 100% — development (Canada)|New Prosperity 77.5% (Canada)|Aley niobium 100% — development (Canada)
Ero Copper
ERO.TO $2.85B 🇨🇦 Canada 🇧🇷 Brazil Production 🇨🇦 TSX

Ero Copper

Domicile: 🇨🇦 Canada Segment: Mid-Tier Producer Phase: Production Type: IOCG Country: 🇧🇷 Brazil

Ero Copper Corp. is a TSX/NYSE-listed Brazil-focused copper and gold producer headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, with corporate offices in São Paulo and Belo Horizonte. The company operates through its 99.6%-owned Brazilian subsidiary MCSA (Mineração Caraíba S.A.), which holds the copper operations. Ero's operating portfolio consists of two producing copper mines in Brazil — the Caraíba Operations in Bahia State (a fully integrated underground complex centred on the Pilar Mine with approximately 50 years of operating history) and the Tucumã Operation in Pará State (an open-pit mine in the Carajás Mineral Province, declared in commercial production effective July 1, 2025) — plus the Xavantina gold operations (97.6%) in Mato Grosso State.

FY2025 was a transformative year. Consolidated copper production reached a record 64,307 tonnes (Caraíba 36,035 t at C1 of $2.22/lb; Tucumã 28,272 t at C1 of $1.69/lb post-commercial production), with record operating cash flow of $395.1 million. Copper sales accounted for ~79% of FY2025 revenue ($619.7 million of $786 million total). FY2026 guidance combines Caraíba 35–40 kt and Tucumã 32.5–37.5 kt; the principal capital project is a new external shaft at Pilar designed to unlock the Deepening Extension Zone, with cost improvements visible from 2027.

The Furnas Copper-Gold Project in the Carajás Mineral Province is the long-life growth option: Ero is earning into a 60% interest under a definitive agreement with Vale Base Metals, and filed a Preliminary Economic Assessment on SEDAR+ in March 2026.

🇨🇦 TSX

$2.85B

Mid-Tier Producer

Caraíba Operations 99.6% (Brazil)|Tucumã Operation 99.6% (Brazil)|Xavantina 97.6% — gold (Brazil)|Furnas 60% earn-in — development (Brazil)
Ivanhoe Electric
IE $2.02B 🇺🇸 United States 🇺🇸 United States 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 🇨🇱 Chile Development 🇺🇸 NYSE American / TSX

Ivanhoe Electric

Domicile: 🇺🇸 United States Segment: Junior / Developer Phase: Development Type: Porphyry Country: 🇺🇸 United States 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 🇨🇱 Chile

Ivanhoe Electric Inc. is a U.S.-domiciled, NYSE American- and TSX-listed (dual listing) mineral exploration and development company focused on critical minerals, principally copper, with the stated mission of supporting American supply chain independence. Led by founder and Executive Chairman Robert Friedland, the company was spun out of High Power Exploration in 2021 and completed its IPO in June 2022.

The flagship asset is the Santa Cruz Copper Project in Pinal County, Arizona — a high-grade, advanced-stage underground copper development on company-owned private land between Phoenix and Tucson, designed to produce 99.99% pure copper cathode via heap leach without smelting. The June 2025 Preliminary Feasibility Study outlined $1.24 billion initial capex, first-quartile C1 cash costs of $1.32/lb, an after-tax NPV of $1.4 billion at $4.25/lb copper, and a 23-year mine life with first copper cathode targeted in 2H 2028. The U.S. Export-Import Bank issued a Letter of Interest for $825 million in April 2025, with project financing targeted to close in 2026.

The company also operates a technology-driven exploration platform built on its proprietary Typhoon™ geophysical survey system and Computational Geosciences machine-learning software, deployed across its U.S. portfolio (Tintic in Utah, Hog Heaven in Montana) and through partnerships including a 50/50 JV with Saudi Arabia's Ma'aden over ~50,000 km² of the Arabian Shield, a 50/50 alliance with BHP across the southwestern U.S., and a Typhoon-driven collaboration with SQM in Chile.

🇺🇸 NYSE American / TSX

$2.02B

Junior / Developer

Santa Cruz Copper Project 100% (USA)|Tintic 100% — exploration (USA)|Hog Heaven 100% — exploration (USA)|Ma'aden JV 50% — exploration (Saudi Arabia)
Nexa Resources
NEXA $1.97B 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇵🇪 Peru Production 🇺🇸 NYSE

Nexa Resources

Domicile: 🇱🇺 Luxembourg Phase: Production Country: 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇵🇪 Peru

Nexa Resources S.A. is a Luxembourg-headquartered, Latin America-focused polymetallic producer with operations in Peru and Brazil, where zinc is the primary commodity by volume and copper a meaningful secondary contributor. Nexa operates five polymetallic mines and three zinc smelters including Cajamarquilla in Lima — the largest zinc smelter in the Americas. Its principal copper-producing mines are Cerro Lindo and Atacocha in Peru. Full-year 2025 adjusted EBITDA reached $0.77B on revenues of approximately $3B, supported by strong zinc and copper prices. A silver streaming step-down from 65% to 25% in 2026 will materially increase Nexa's realised silver exposure. Nexa's integrated mining and smelting model, investment-grade balance sheet and diversified multi-metal earnings base position it as a resilient mid-tier base metals producer with stable copper exposure.

🇺🇸 NYSE

$1.97B

Cerro Lindo 83.55% (Peru)|Atacocha (Peru)|Cajamarquilla smelter (Peru)
Northern Dynasty Minerals
NAK $1.14B 🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 United States Exploration 🇺🇸 NYSE American / TSX

Northern Dynasty Minerals

Domicile: 🇨🇦 Canada Phase: Exploration Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. is a Canada-based mineral exploration and development company whose sole asset is a 100% interest in the Pebble Project in southwest Alaska — one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold-molybdenum deposits in the world, containing 57 billion pounds of copper, 71 million ounces of gold and 3.4 billion pounds of molybdenum in the measured and indicated categories alone. Development has been blocked by a protracted and politically contentious regulatory process. The EPA issued a Clean Water Act veto in 2023 that effectively barred development, but Northern Dynasty is pursuing removal through active litigation in Alaska Federal Court — where summary judgment briefs were filed in October 2025 alongside the State of Alaska and two Alaska Native village corporations — and direct negotiations with the EPA. A favourable resolution represents the primary near-term value catalyst for the company.

🇺🇸 NYSE American / TSX

$1.14B

Pebble Project 100% (Alaska — development)
Disclaimer: This list is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Market capitalisation figures are updated monthly and may not reflect real-time prices. Green Stocks Research has no financial relationship with any companies listed. Always conduct your own due diligence before making any investment decisions.

Copper Stocks — Investor FAQ

Among the 24 companies on this list, the largest copper producers in 2025 were BHP (more than 2.0 million tonnes in FY2025 ending June 2025, operated/JV-share basis); Freeport-McMoRan (1.53 million tonnes / 3.38 billion pounds); Zijin Mining (1.085 million tonnes on a 100% mine basis); Southern Copper (956,000 tonnes mined); Rio Tinto (883,000 tonnes consolidated, including Oyu Tolgoi and Kennecott at 100% plus Escondida at 30% equity share); Glencore (851,600 tonnes own-sourced); Anglo American (695,000 tonnes); Antofagasta (653,700 tonnes); and Teck Resources (454,000 tonnes). The world's largest single copper mine is Escondida in Chile, owned by BHP (57.5%), Rio Tinto (30%) and a Japanese consortium led by JECO Corporation (12.5%); Escondida alone accounts for roughly 5–6% of global mine output. Mid-tier producers on the list include First Quantum (396,000 tonnes 2025, with Cobre Panamá still on care and maintenance), Lundin Mining (around 322,000 tonnes), Capstone Copper (224,764 tonnes record 2025), Hudbay Minerals (around 147,000 tonnes operating base), and Boliden (multi-metal producer, copper around 32% of mines revenue). Ivanhoe Mines produced 388,841 tonnes from Kamoa-Kakula on a 100% basis in 2025 (around 154,000 tonnes on Ivanhoe's 39.6% attributable share). Pure exploration and development-stage companies include Ivanhoe Electric and NGEx Minerals. Production-figure comparability is imperfect because companies report on different bases (100% mine, attributable equity share, mined-share sales).
"Pure-play" copper companies generate most of their revenue from copper, while "diversified majors" treat copper as one of several major segments. Among the names on this list, pure-play copper producers include Southern Copper, Antofagasta, Freeport-McMoRan (copper about 80% of 2025 revenues), Ivanhoe Mines, Teck Resources (now copper and zinc following the 2024 sale of steelmaking coal to Glencore), and Lundin Mining (around 87% of Q4 2025 revenue from copper after divesting Neves-Corvo and Zinkgruvan in April 2025 and Eagle in January 2026). Diversified majors include BHP (iron ore, copper, metallurgical coal, Jansen potash under construction), Rio Tinto (iron ore, aluminium, copper, lithium, borates), Anglo American (currently simplifying around copper, premium iron ore and crop nutrients), Glencore (copper, zinc, nickel, ferroalloys, aluminium, energy plus a substantial commodity marketing franchise), Boliden (zinc, copper, nickel, lead, gold), Sumitomo Metal Mining (copper, nickel, gold plus an advanced materials segment) and Zijin Mining (copper, gold, zinc, lithium, silver). Mid-tier copper-focused producers include First Quantum, Hudbay Minerals, Capstone Copper, Ero Copper and Taseko Mines. Pure-plays give cleaner exposure to copper-price moves but with less commodity diversification; majors offer multi-commodity ballast at the cost of a diluted copper signal.
Domestic US copper supply has become an increasingly prominent investment theme as the Trump administration's Section 232 tariffs on semi-finished copper products and copper-intensive derivatives (effective August 2025) underscored the strategic importance of domestic copper supply chains. Listed copper companies on this list with meaningful US production or development include Freeport-McMoRan, which operates seven US copper mines — Morenci, Bagdad, Safford/Lone Star, Sierrita and Miami in Arizona plus Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico — making it by far the largest US copper producer; Rio Tinto, with Kennecott in Utah (integrated open-pit, smelter and refinery) and a 55% operating interest in Resolution Copper in Arizona where the federal land exchange was completed in March 2026; BHP, the 45% non-operating partner in Resolution Copper; Capstone Copper, which operates Pinto Valley in Arizona; Hudbay Minerals, advancing Copper World in Arizona (sanction expected 2026, backed by a $600 million JV closed with Mitsubishi in January 2026) plus the pending acquisition of Arizona Sonoran for the Cactus project (expected Q2 2026); Sumitomo Metal Mining, which holds 25% of Morenci; Taseko Mines, with Florence Copper in Arizona which produced first cathode in February 2026; and Ivanhoe Electric, advancing the Santa Cruz development project in Arizona with a U.S. Export-Import Bank Letter of Interest for $825 million and first cathode targeted for 2H 2028. The geographic clustering in Arizona reflects the state's porphyry copper belt geology and a relatively permissive permitting regime compared with other US jurisdictions.
Copper miners' dividend policies vary considerably across the cycle. Among the names on this list, the more consistent dividend-payers as of FY2025 include BHP and Rio Tinto, both of which run large progressive dividend programmes backed by their broader diversified cash flows; Anglo American, which targets 40% of underlying earnings (FY2025 total dividend of $0.23 per share, lower than FY2024 reflecting simplification, with a $4.5 billion / $4.19 per share special dividend due at the closing of the Anglo Teck merger); Southern Copper, a perennially generous payer that distributed $2.485 billion in 2025 dividends; Antofagasta, which typically delivers a meaningful payout supported by its Chilean operations; Teck Resources, with a base annual dividend of C$0.50 per share paid quarterly (2025 dividends paid C$246 million, maintained through the merger process); Glencore, with variable distributions linked to free cash flow; and Hudbay Minerals, which announced its first dividend increase in company history in February 2026 — doubling the annual payout to C$0.04 per share. Pre-revenue developers like Ivanhoe Electric and NGEx Minerals do not pay dividends. For investors prioritising income, the major diversified producers (BHP, Rio Tinto, Anglo American, Southern Copper) historically deliver the most consistent yield, while mid-tier producers can be more variable across the cycle.
In September 2025, Anglo American announced an at-market merger of equals with Canada's Teck Resources to form "Anglo Teck" — a global critical minerals champion designed to have more than 70% copper exposure on a 2027 production basis. The combined entity would be among the world's top five copper producers, headquartered in Vancouver but retaining LSE primary listing, JSE listing and TSX/NYSE listings, with continued UK incorporation. Both companies' shareholders approved the transaction in December 2025, and as of Q1 2026 the deal had secured Investment Canada Act approval plus regulatory consent in Australia, the EU, the United States, Mexico, Chile and South Korea — with Japan and China remaining. Closing is expected within 12–18 months of announcement (best estimate September 2026 to March 2027). The combination targets approximately $800 million of pre-tax recurring annual synergies, plus a further $1.4 billion of annual EBITDA uplift on a 100% basis over 2030–2049 from operating Collahuasi (44% Anglo American) and Quebrada Blanca (60% Teck) as an integrated Chilean copper complex via a roughly 15-kilometre overland conveyor — at a capital intensity of approximately $11,000 per tonne of incremental annual copper production, well below typical greenfield development costs. Anglo American shareholders will own approximately 62.4% of the combined entity following a $4.5 billion ($4.19 per share) special dividend payable around closing; Teck shareholders will own approximately 37.6%.
Cobre Panamá — historically First Quantum's largest single asset and the third-largest copper mine in the world by throughput in 2022 — has been on Preservation and Safe Management (P&SM) since November 2023, after Panama's Supreme Court declared the mine's concession contract unconstitutional. The mine has remained closed to mining and milling activities since. In January 2026, President José Raúl Mulino authorised the processing of approximately 38 million tonnes of stockpiled ore already at site (formal approvals still pending), which could yield around 70,000 tonnes of copper over roughly 12 months and provide a near-term cash-flow bridge while broader resolution of the concession remains uncertain. For First Quantum (TSX: FM), Cobre Panamá's status materially changed the company's profile: pre-Panamá, First Quantum was a top-10 global copper producer; post-Panamá and following the Çayeli (Türkiye) and Cobre Las Cruces (Spain) divestments announced in late 2025 and early 2026, consolidated 2025 production was 396,000 tonnes, anchored by Kansanshi in Zambia (where the S3 expansion was declared in commercial production on 1 December 2025) and Sentinel in Zambia. The eventual restart of Cobre Panamá remains the single biggest near-term catalyst for First Quantum's share price.
Three companies on this list are pre-revenue plays that generate no current production, though their risk profiles differ sharply. Ivanhoe Electric (NYSE American/TSX: IE) is advancing the Santa Cruz Copper Project in Pinal County, Arizona — designed to produce 99.99% pure copper cathode via heap leach without smelting. The June 2025 Preliminary Feasibility Study outlines $1.24 billion initial capex, first-quartile C1 cash costs of $1.32/lb, an after-tax NPV of $1.4 billion at $4.25/lb copper, a 23-year mine life and first cathode targeted in 2H 2028. NGEx Minerals (TSX: NGEX), a Lundin Group exploration company, is advancing copper-gold-silver projects in the Vicuña District straddling the Argentina-Chile border, including Los Helados in Chile (~69% NGEx / ~31% Lundin Mining; Indicated Mineral Resource of 18.4 billion pounds Cu and 10.2 million ounces Au per the August 2025 NI 43-101 Technical Report) and the high-grade Lunahuasi discovery in San Juan, Argentina (100% NGEx; 70,567 metres drilled across four phases since the 2023 discovery, with no Mineral Resource Estimate yet published). Northern Dynasty Minerals (NYSE American/TSX: NAK/NDM) holds 100% of the Pebble Project in southwest Alaska — one of the world's largest undeveloped copper-gold-molybdenum resources (57 billion pounds Cu, 71 Moz Au and 3.4 billion pounds Mo in measured-and-indicated resources). The project has been blocked by the EPA's January 2023 Clean Water Act Section 404(c) veto; Northern Dynasty filed summary judgement legal briefs in October 2025 arguing the veto is unlawful and should be withdrawn. The investment thesis is therefore litigation-driven rather than construction-ready. Developers offer leveraged exposure to copper prices and project execution but carry no current cash flow, single-asset concentration risk, and dilution risk through future capital raises. Adjacent to this category, Taseko Mines is technically a producer (Gibraltar) but its longer-term investment narrative is heavily tied to the development of Yellowhead in BC, and Hudbay Minerals' investment thesis is increasingly tied to its US development pipeline (Copper World, Cactus, Mason).
Global copper mine production is concentrated in a small number of jurisdictions. Per the U.S. Geological Survey's Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 (covering 2025 production data), Chile remains the world's largest copper-mining nation at approximately 5.3 million tonnes (around 24% of global mined output), followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo at approximately 3.3 million tonnes (around 15%, having decisively overtaken Peru), Peru at approximately 2.6 million tonnes (around 12%), China at approximately 1.8 million tonnes (around 8%), and the United States at approximately 1.1 million tonnes (around 5%). This concentration is reflected in the listed copper universe on this list: copper assets are heavily skewed toward Chile (Antofagasta, Antamina co-owners, Anglo American, Capstone Copper, BHP's Escondida and Spence, Rio Tinto's 30% of Escondida, Lundin Mining, Teck Resources, Sumitomo Metal Mining) and Peru (Quellaveco, Antamina, Cerro Verde, Toquepala, Cuajone, Constancia, Antapaccay). The DRC has emerged as the single largest growth jurisdiction via Kamoa-Kakula (Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining JV) and Glencore's KCC and Mutanda. China hosts Zijin's Julong (Tibet — projected to become one of China's largest copper mines following the January 2026 Phase 2 commissioning) and several mature Chinese mines. The United States has gained prominence following the August 2025 Section 232 tariffs on semi-finished copper products, with Freeport-McMoRan, Rio Tinto, Capstone Copper, Hudbay Minerals, Sumitomo Metal Mining, Taseko Mines and Ivanhoe Electric all positioned for US growth.

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Key Terms
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A producer's site-level operating cost per pound of copper produced, net of by-product credits from associated metals like gold, silver and molybdenum. C1 includes mining, milling, on-site G&A, smelter treatment and refining charges, and transportation to market — but excludes royalties, sustaining capex, depreciation and corporate overhead. C1 is the most widely cited cost metric in the industry and is the basis on which producers are ranked on the global cost curve; lower-C1 producers earn higher margins at any given copper price and remain profitable deeper into bear-market price declines. Examples from this list: Southern Copper reported a record-low net cash cost of $0.58/lb in FY2025; Zijin Mining describes its cost position as industry-leading, sitting at the bottom of the global copper cost curve; Tucumã (Ero Copper) $1.69/lb post-commercial production; Caraíba (Ero) $2.22/lb; Capstone Copper $2.44/lb; Ivanhoe Electric's Santa Cruz PFS targets $1.32/lb (first-quartile). Some companies also report an All-In Sustaining Cost (AISC) which is broader — adding sustaining capex, G&A, exploration and other items to C1.
A company's share of mine production based on its ownership interest, as opposed to 100% (consolidated) basis or operated/JV-share basis. Comparing companies' copper production requires care because different reporting bases produce different numbers for the same asset. For example, Kamoa-Kakula produced 388,841 tonnes of copper on a 100% basis in 2025; Ivanhoe Mines' 39.6% attributable share is approximately 154,000 tonnes, while Zijin Mining's 44.20% attributable share is approximately 173,000 tonnes. Similarly, Escondida's 2025 production is reported by BHP (which holds 57.5% with full operating control and so consolidates the full mine) and separately by Rio Tinto (30% equity share). When comparing companies' production scale across this list, attributable basis is the most economically meaningful for equity investors — it represents the actual share of production each company's shareholders are exposed to.
The fees that smelters and refiners charge concentrate producers to convert copper concentrate into refined cathode, typically expressed as $/dry metric tonne for treatment (TC) plus cents per pound for refining (RC). TC/RCs are historically negotiated annually between major miners and smelters (the "benchmark") with spot deals trading around the benchmark. TC/RCs are inversely linked to concentrate supply: when concentrate is abundant relative to smelter capacity, TC/RCs rise (helping smelters, hurting miners); when concentrate is tight, TC/RCs fall (helping miners, hurting smelters). During 2024–2025, TC/RCs collapsed dramatically toward and into negative territory amid acute concentrate scarcity and rapid Chinese smelter capacity expansion — the 2025 benchmark was reported at $21.25/t (then a record low) and a Chinese smelter–Antofagasta deal for 2026 was reportedly agreed at $0/t. Companies on this list that own integrated smelting and refining capacity (Boliden, Glencore, Sumitomo Metal Mining, Anglo American, Southern Copper, Freeport-McMoRan, Zijin Mining, Rio Tinto) capture TC/RC margins internally; pure miners selling concentrate to third-party smelters (most of the mid-tier and junior producers on the list) are directly exposed to the prevailing TC/RC environment.
The intermediate product of copper mining — typically 20–35% copper content — produced by crushing, grinding and froth flotation of sulphide ore. Concentrate is then sold to smelters under offtake agreements for further processing into refined cathode. Most copper miners on this list sell concentrate rather than refined metal, making them exposed to treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) and to the spread between LME-quoted refined copper and the realised concentrate price. The distinction matters for modelling realised pricing: a miner selling concentrate receives the LME price minus TC/RC plus or minus regional premia, while a miner selling cathode (typically from SX-EW operations) receives the LME price plus a regional premium. Companies with integrated smelting (such as Anglo American's Chagres, Southern Copper, Freeport-McMoRan's Atlantic Copper, Boliden's Rönnskär, Sumitomo's Toyo) avoid third-party TC/RC charges on the share of their own concentrate they smelt internally.
Refined copper produced as 99.99% pure metal plates, either through electrorefining of smelted concentrate or directly through SX-EW (solvent extraction and electrowinning) on oxide ores. Cathode is the primary tradable copper product, with specifications standardised by the LME (London Metal Exchange) Grade A and CME COMEX contracts. Companies producing cathode directly — such as those operating heap leach / SX-EW circuits — capture additional margin by avoiding TC/RC charges paid by concentrate producers, though SX-EW is generally limited to oxide ore zones near surface. Examples from this list of significant cathode production include Taseko Mines' Florence Copper (first cathode February 2026, ISCR-to-cathode), Ivanhoe Electric's Santa Cruz development (heap leach to cathode, first cathode targeted 2H 2028) and the SX-EW circuits at multiple Freeport-McMoRan, Capstone Copper (Mantoverde) and Southern Copper operations. Caserones (Lundin Mining) and Tía María (Southern Copper, 120 ktpa SX-EW project under construction) are notable SX-EW cathode projects.
A two-stage copper production process that extracts copper from low-grade or oxide ores via leaching and produces refined cathode directly, bypassing the conventional concentrator–smelter chain. In the first stage, dilute sulphuric acid percolates through crushed ore (typically in a heap leach pad) and dissolves copper into a pregnant leach solution; the solvent extraction step then transfers the copper into a high-purity electrolyte; finally, electrowinning deposits the copper as 99.99% pure cathode on stainless steel blanks. SX-EW has lower capital intensity than the conventional concentrator-smelter-refinery route and avoids TC/RC charges, but it is largely limited to oxide ore at and near surface — most deposits transition to sulphide ore at depth, requiring conventional processing. Notable SX-EW operations on this list include Ivanhoe Electric's planned Santa Cruz project, Taseko Mines' Florence Copper (in-situ copper recovery to SX-EW circuit), Southern Copper's Tía María project (120 ktpa cathode plant under construction in Peru), and parts of the Mantoverde (Capstone Copper), Caserones (Lundin Mining) and Lomas Bayas (Glencore) operations.
The dominant copper deposit type globally — large, relatively low-grade (typically 0.3–1.0% Cu) disseminated copper sulphide mineralisation associated with felsic to intermediate intrusive porphyry rocks emplaced in volcanic arc settings. Porphyry deposits often contain significant by-product gold, silver and molybdenum, and are typically mined by large open-pit methods that benefit from substantial economies of scale. Most of the giant copper mines on this list are porphyry-style — Escondida, Cerro Verde, Collahuasi, Grasberg, Los Bronces, Oyu Tolgoi, Kennecott, Quellaveco, Toquepala, Cuajone, Buenavista del Cobre, La Caridad, Sentinel, Julong, Quebrada Blanca, Highland Valley Copper, Gibraltar, Pinto Valley, Mantos Blancos, Bagdad, Morenci, and the Vicuña District projects (Filo del Sol, Josemaria, Los Helados) are all porphyry-style. Antamina is a porphyry-related skarn polymetallic. Kamoa-Kakula is a notable exception, being a sediment-hosted Central African Copperbelt deposit rather than a porphyry. The dominance of porphyry deposits in global copper supply has shaped the industry's exposure to Andean South America (Chile and Peru's porphyry copper belt), the southwestern United States, and the Pacific Rim arcs (Indonesia, Mongolia, Philippines).
A distinct family of copper deposits characterised by hydrothermal iron oxide (magnetite or hematite) abundance, copper-gold mineralisation, and structural-magmatic-hydrothermal origins, typically forming in extensional tectonic settings. IOCGs are economically important because they can host very large tonnage, often have valuable gold by-products, and frequently include uranium, rare earths or other critical minerals. The archetypal IOCG is BHP's Olympic Dam in South Australia (Cu-U-Au-Ag, on this list via BHP). Examples on this list include Mantoverde and Santo Domingo (Capstone Copper, Chile) and the Carajás Mineral Province in Brazil's Pará State (host to Ero Copper's Tucumã and Furnas, and to Vale's Salobo). IOCGs are typically lower-grade than VMS deposits but can be very large, supporting long-life open-pit operations.
Production: Active mining operations generating revenue. Development: Fully permitted or near-permitted project moving toward construction. Feasibility: Bankable feasibility study completed or underway, confirming project economics. Exploration: Early-stage resource definition with no confirmed mine plan yet.

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