FCX

The article compares two commodity plays: MP Materials, a rare-earth producer with government backing and price protections, versus Freeport-McMoRan, an established copper giant benefiting from data center and power grid demand. MP Materials offers higher growth potential but more volatility, while Freeport-McMoRan provides stability with strong copper demand expected to grow 50% by 2040.

Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) declined 1.26% to $68.87, underperforming the S&P 500's 0.28% gain on October 20, 2026. The mining company has lost 3.34% over the past month.

However, analysts project strong earnings growth with Q3 EPS expected at $0.75 (up 50% YoY) and full-year earnings of $2.9 per share (up 63.84% YoY). FCX carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) rating with a Forward P/E of 24.03 and PEG ratio of 0.66, suggesting attractive valuation relative to growth prospects.

Freeport-McMoRan stock declined 3.89% on October 14, 2026, underperforming the S&P 500's 1.11% loss. Despite a 4.38% monthly gain, the company faces a Hold rating with a Zacks Rank of #3. Upcoming Q3 earnings on October 27 are expected to show 50% EPS growth to $0.75 and 1.64% revenue increase to $7.09 billion, though the Mining - Non Ferrous industry ranks in the bottom 33% of sectors.