Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) Trading 4.2% Higher Following Analyst Upgrade

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) shares traded up 4.2% on Friday after Scotiabank raised their price target on the stock from $47.00 to $63.00. Scotiabank currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Freeport-McMoRan traded as high as $56.71 and last traded at $56.5140. 19,259,769 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 15% from the average session volume of 22,678,590 shares. The stock had previously closed at $54.22.

FCX has been the subject of several other reports. Wall Street Zen cut Freeport-McMoRan from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Freeport-McMoRan in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Freeport-McMoRan from $47.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their target price on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $58.00 to $56.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $47.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $51.73.

Insider Buying and Selling at Freeport-McMoRan

In other Freeport-McMoRan news, CAO Ellie L. Mikes sold 9,572 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.66, for a total value of $456,201.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 38,761 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,847,349.26. The trade was a 19.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Stephen T. Higgins sold 28,423 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.99, for a total transaction of $1,364,019.77. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 105,294 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,053,059.06. This trade represents a 21.26% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.75% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Freeport-McMoRan News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Freeport-McMoRan this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets from major banks (Scotiabank raised its target to $63; JPMorgan raised to $68) signal stronger analyst conviction and provide upside support for the stock. Scotiabank price target raised
• Positive Sentiment: Independent research and media pieces (Zacks, MSN/other outlets) highlight strong copper markets, supply tightness and robust demand as drivers for FCX’s growth outlook. Those narratives bolster investor enthusiasm for mining/copper exposure. Zacks: FCX is a strong growth stock
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity: notable call buying and heavy call-volume flows have been reported recently, consistent with bullish positioning by traders. Such flows can amplify short‑term upside. Call options activity reported
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus broker ratings skew positive (overall “Buy”), reflecting broad analyst support but also setting expectations that could be sensitive to execution or commodity price moves. Consensus Buy from brokerages
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms have filed or announced securities‑fraud class action suits and investor investigation notices against FCX (claims cover Feb 15, 2022–Sep 24, 2025). These filings create legal risk, potential defense costs and distraction that can weigh on sentiment. Levi & Korsinsky class action notice
• Negative Sentiment: Several plaintiff firms (Robbins Geller, Bragar Eagel & Squire, Faruqi & Faruqi, Kirby McInerney, Gross Law Firm, etc.) are soliciting lead‑plaintiff motions with a near‑term deadline (Jan. 12), increasing the probability of consolidated litigation and potential recovery claims. That timetable raises short‑term legal overhang. Robbins Geller / lead plaintiff deadline

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Freeport-McMoRan

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Iowa State Bank boosted its position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Iowa State Bank now owns 49,059 shares of the natural resource company’s stock worth $2,492,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares during the period. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Freeport-McMoRan by 17.3% in the 4th quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 1,628 shares of the natural resource company’s stock worth $83,000 after buying an additional 240 shares during the period. Portside Wealth Group LLC increased its stake in Freeport-McMoRan by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Portside Wealth Group LLC now owns 30,333 shares of the natural resource company’s stock worth $1,315,000 after buying an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management raised its holdings in Freeport-McMoRan by 0.6% during the second quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 45,133 shares of the natural resource company’s stock valued at $1,957,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares during the period. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 0.6% in the third quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 45,095 shares of the natural resource company’s stock valued at $1,769,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.77% of the company’s stock.

Freeport-McMoRan Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $81.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 2.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $45.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $43.96.

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The natural resource company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.41 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.74 billion. Freeport-McMoRan had a net margin of 7.97% and a return on equity of 7.84%. Freeport-McMoRan’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.38 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. will post 1.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Freeport-McMoRan Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.075 per share. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 15th. Freeport-McMoRan’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.13%.

About Freeport-McMoRan

Freeport-McMoRan Inc is a U.S.-based natural resources company primarily engaged in the exploration, mining and processing of copper, gold and molybdenum. Its operations encompass large-scale open-pit and underground mining as well as associated concentrator and milling facilities. The company produces copper in the form of concentrates and cathodes, and also recovers gold and molybdenum as co-products; its business model includes exploration, development, mining, beneficiation and the sale of bulk commodities to smelters and industrial customers.

Freeport-McMoRan conducts operations and development activities across multiple geographies, with substantial assets in the Americas and Indonesia.