Freeport-McMoRan Beats Expectations but Shares Slide 2%

Core Viewpoint - Freeport-McMoRan reported strong fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that exceeded analyst expectations, yet its shares fell over 2% intra-day Financial Performance - Adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders was $688 million, or $0.47 per share, surpassing the consensus estimate of $0.28 [1] - Revenue for the quarter rose to $5.63 billion, exceeding expectations of $5.28 billion [1] Adjusted Results - Adjusted results excluded $282 million after tax related to idle facility costs, recovery expenses, and asset impairments from a September 2025 incident in Indonesia, along with charges from legacy oil and gas assets [2] Production and Sales - Fourth-quarter production included 640 million pounds of copper, 65,000 ounces of gold, and 25 million pounds of molybdenum [4] - Sales reached 709 million pounds of copper, 80,000 ounces of gold, and 22 million pounds of molybdenum [4] - Average realized copper prices were $5.33 per pound, with unit net cash costs of $2.22 per pound, which was favorable compared to prior guidance [4] Future Outlook - For 2026, Freeport expects consolidated copper sales of approximately 3.4 billion pounds and average unit net cash costs of $1.75 per pound [5] - Projected operating cash flow is around $8 billion assuming copper prices of $5.00 per pound, increasing to about $11 billion based on recent market prices [5] Competitive Position - Freeport benefits from a 50% tariff on copper imports, reinforcing its position as the largest U.S. copper producer with greater expansion capacity compared to peers [3]