Here's Why You Should Retain Freeport-McMoRan Stock in Your Portfolio

Core Insights - Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX) is positioned to benefit from expansion activities that will enhance production capacity, supported by strong financial health that enables investment in growth projects and shareholder value enhancement [1][3] - However, a weaker sales volume outlook and anticipated higher unit costs necessitate caution [1] Production and Expansion - FCX has high-quality copper assets and is focused on executing organic growth opportunities, including a concentrator expansion at Cerro Verde in Peru, which is expected to add approximately 600 million pounds of copper and 15 million pounds of molybdenum annually [3] - A large-scale expansion evaluation at El Abra in Chile has been completed, with an estimated resource of around 20 billion recoverable pounds of copper [3] - Pre-feasibility studies for significant sulfide expansion opportunities are underway at Safford/Lone Star operations in Arizona, with completion expected in 2026 [4] - Expansion opportunities at Bagdad in Arizona aim to more than double the concentrator capacity [4] Financial Health - FCX maintains strong liquidity and cash flow generation, with operating cash flows of approximately $1.7 billion in Q3 2025 [9] - The company ended Q3 with $4.3 billion in cash and cash equivalents, $3 billion available under its revolving credit facility, and $1.5 billion under the PT-FI credit facility [9] - FCX's net debt stood at $1.7 billion, below its targeted range of $3-$4 billion, with no significant debt maturities until 2027 [10] Cost and Sales Volume Challenges - FCX's average unit net cash cost per pound of copper increased to $1.40 in Q3 2025, a 24% rise from $1.13 in the previous quarter, driven by declining copper sales volumes [11] - The company anticipates unit net cash costs to rise to $2.47 per pound in Q4, with a projected full-year average of approximately $1.68 [11] - Copper sales volumes fell about 6% year-over-year in Q3 to 977 million pounds, primarily due to the suspension of operations at the Grasberg Block Cave mine in Indonesia [12] - For Q4, FCX expects copper sales volumes of 635 million pounds, reflecting a 35% sequential and 36% year-over-year decline, alongside weaker guidance for gold sales volume [13]