Is the White House About to Invest in These Lithium and Rare Earth Miners?

Core Viewpoint - The Trump administration is actively investing in specific stocks, marking a shift from historical practices where the White House avoided picking market winners [1] Group 1: Government Investments - The administration has directed investments into companies such as Intel, Trilogy Metals, Lithium Americas, and MP Materials, leading to significant stock price increases [1][2] - New potential investments are rumored for USA Rare Earth and Critical Metals, which could also see stock price surges if government stakes are confirmed [2] Group 2: Stock Performance - MP Materials received a $400 million investment from the U.S. Department of Defense, resulting in a 150% increase in stock price [3] - Intel's stock rose by 49% following an $8.9 billion government stake [3] - Lithium Americas saw a 45% increase after a planned 5% stake by the U.S. Department of Energy [4] - Trilogy Metals' stock surged by 240% after a $35.6 million investment from the government [4] Group 3: Industry Context - The U.S. government aims to secure supplies of rare earth metals and lithium, which are critical for high-tech devices and defense technologies [5][6] - Rare earth metals, while not rare in occurrence, are essential for various technologies, and the U.S. currently relies heavily on China, which produces 60% of the world's rare earths [6][7] - Lithium is abundant in the U.S., but extraction requires advanced technologies due to the unconventional nature of most resources [7]