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    Copper Is Hot! Here’s the Next Move - 1/8

    Ian Cooper
    Thursday, January 8, 20267 min read
    Copper Is Hot! Here’s the Next Move - 1/8

    November 23, 2025, we cited BHP’s view that global copper demand could climb sharply over the coming decades, driven by three structural forces: global copper demand could rise by around 70% to more than 50 million tonnes per year by 2050.

    We also highlighted copper leverage through Global X Copper Miners ETF (SYM: COPX). Since then, both have delivered meaningful upside.

      FCX is now about $55.14

    • take some wins off the table. Not because the long-term thesis is broken — but because strong uptrends typically do not move in a straight line. After a sharp run, it’s normal to see surpassed $13,000 per metric ton and noted a 40% surge in 2025 as the market increasingly focuses on supply risk meeting AI and electrification demand.

      When you see a commodity and its equities move that quickly, the higher-probability path is often:

        So the near-term play is about six-fold by 2050, from roughly ~0.5 million tonnes per year today to around In other words: even if EV sales fluctuate quarter to quarter, the grid work doesn’t disappear — it tends to compound.

        edge

        Investors who watched gold's surge may see similarities in silver. After doubling in 2025 and entering its 4th straight year of deficits, silver is showing the same early signals that preceded gold's run. And now, one early-stage name is drawing serious attention.

        This is why copper is often described as one of the more difficult critical minerals to scale quickly.

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        Practical trade plan: how to handle copper now

        Below is a simple framework we’d use to manage the position from here.

      1. It reduces emotional decision-making if volatility spikes.

      2. It creates dry powder to buy opportunistically on the next pullback.

      3. A common approach is trimming one-third to one-half of the position after an extended move, while keeping a “core” stake for the longer-term thesis.

        Step 2: Define your re-entry and add zones (don’t chase)

        Instead of buying after a big run, let price come to you.

      4. Moving-average approach: look for pullbacks toward key trend levels (commonly the 20-day or 50-day moving average) and scale in if the trend remains intact.

      5. Support/structure approach: add in layers on pullbacks toward prior consolidation zones (where buyers previously stepped in).

      6. You are not trying to buy the exact low. You are trying to buy good entries with defined risk.

        Step 3: Use options (if appropriate) to get paid while you wait

        If your audience is options-capable, copper-linked equities can be suitable for income overlays during consolidation:

          Cash-secured puts: If you want to add exposure but only at lower prices, selling puts can set a “buy zone” where you’re comfortable owning shares.

        These tools can help monetize volatility during digestion phases — but they require disciplined sizing and risk controls.

        Step 4: Pick the right instrument for your objective

          Direct copper exposure (for advanced traders): futures or copper-linked ETPs (exchange-traded products) can track the metal more directly, but they come with different risks.

        Step 5: Keep the long-term thesis, but respect the short-term tape

        The copper story is real. The demand drivers are durable. The supply constraints are structural.

        But the market still moves in cycles. The best results usually come from combining:

          a long-term core position, and

        • a tactical sleeve you trim and rebuild as the trend breathes.

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        Written by Ian Cooper

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