Metals stocks are publicly traded companies that mine or produce metals. The metals industry is a subsector of basic materials. It includes companies that:
- Mine, process, or invest in the extraction of precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.
- Mine and process industrial metals such as copper, iron ore, and aluminum ore (bauxite).
- Convert raw metal materials such as iron ore into more valuable metal products such as steel.
There’s a blurred line between this sector and mining. Some metals companies operate an integrated mining business, while others don’t. Keep reading for a closer look at this subgroup of the basic materials sector and some of the best metals stocks to invest in.
Best metals stocks in 2026
A handful of metals companies stand out as leaders in the industry by focusing on keeping costs down so they can maximize the value of the metals they produce. Here are five top metal stocks worthy of investor consideration:
| Name and ticker | Market cap | Dividend yield | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheaton Precious Metals (NYSE:WPM) | $60.4 billion | 0.50% | Metals and Mining |
| Nucor (NYSE:NUE) | $39.4 billion | 1.28% | Metals and Mining |
| Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO) | $107.7 billion | 4.34% | Metals and Mining |
| BHP Group (NYSE:BHP) | $167.6 billion | 3.33% | Metals and Mining |
| MP Materials (NYSE:MP) | $12.3 billion | 0.00% | Metals and Mining |
1. Rio Tinto
NYSE: RIO
Key Data Points
Rio Tinto is a diversified global mining company. It primarily focuses on producing industrial metals, including the three most widely used ones -- iron ore, aluminum, and copper. It also has a growing lithium business.
Rio Tinto is a global leader in producing aluminum. The company operates large-scale, high-quality bauxite mines, alumina refineries, and aluminum smelters. It’s a leader in efforts to use low-cost, carbon-free hydroelectricity to power aluminum operations.
Rio Tinto is also a top producer of iron ore, a key ingredient in steel, which is the most-used metal alloy in the world. The company’s iron ore operations in Australia are composed of an integrated network of world-class mining assets, processing hubs, rail lines, and port terminals that help keep costs low. Rio Tinto and its partner Hancock Prospecting approved the Hope Downs 2 iron ore project in Australia to expand its iron ore business in June 2025.
It complements its leading operations with a large-scale copper business. It controls the massive Oyu Tolgoi mining project in Mongolia. The company also owns the Winu copper-gold project in Australia, which it's seeking to develop.
Finally, Rio Tinto approved the $2.5 billion Rincon project in Argentina in late 2024, its first commercial-scale lithium operation. It also acquired Arcadium Lithium for $6.7 billion in early 2025 to create a world-class lithium business to complement its leading iron ore, aluminum, and copper operations.
2. Nucor
NYSE: NUE
Key Data Points
Nucor is a diversified North American steel and steel products company. It makes steel bars, plates, beams, and other steel products such as fasteners, pipes, and wire. Nucor also operates a leading scrap metal business that recycles and transports ferrous (iron-containing) and nonferrous metals.
Nucor differs from most other steel manufacturers because it focuses on operating minimills, which use electric arc furnaces to melt scrap steel. The process is less expensive than traditional blast furnaces used to melt iron. It also powers its facilities primarily with natural gas instead of coal, which costs less. Including its focus on using recycled metals, Nucor is one of the lowest-cost producers of steel in the world. Nucor is always looking to become more sustainable. It's partnering with Helion to develop a historic fusion power plant to provide zero-carbon electricity to one of its steelmaking plants.
The company’s relatively environmentally sustainable and lower-cost operations have enabled it to turn a profit in a range of economic conditions and allowed Nucor to pay a steadily growing dividend. The steel producer delivered its 53rd consecutive year of increasing its dividend in late 2025. With more than 50 years of annual dividend increases, Nucor is a Dividend King. It may be an ideal stock for investors seeking a lower-risk steelmaker.
3. Wheaton Precious Metals
NYSE: WPM
Key Data Points
Wheaton Precious Metals is one of the largest metals streaming companies in the world. It provides mining companies with an upfront payment to help develop a project. In exchange, it receives the right to purchase a portion of the production at a fixed cost.
Wheaton Precious Metals has a diversified portfolio of streaming contracts. Its agreements give it the right to purchase gold, silver, palladium, and cobalt from a variety of leading mining companies. Its streams include currently producing mines, as well as those in development. Those development projects position Wheaton to grow 40% by 2028.
The company’s contract portfolio allows it to buy silver and gold at average prices of $5.75 and $473 per ounce, respectively, through 2029. It can then sell the metals at prevailing market prices, pocketing the difference. With gold over $4,000 per ounce in late 2025 and silver surpassing $50, Wheaton is making a hefty profit on its precious metal streaming contracts. The company’s low-cost business model makes it an attractive means of investing in precious metals.
4. BHP Group
NYSE: BHP
Key Data Points
BHP Group is a globally diversified metals producer. It focuses on producing metals and materials for the following three industries:
- Steel: BHP Group produces iron ore and metallurgical coal, both key to the steel sector.
- Electrification: It produces copper and nickel, important metals for electrification and electric vehicles.
- Sustainable food production: BHP produces potash used in fertilizers.
The company has several near-term growth drivers, including the ramp-up of its Jansen potash mine in Canada, the expansion of its Western Australia iron ore business, and expansion projects supporting its metallurgical coal business in Australia. Additionally, the company has longer-term growth projects for its copper business in Chile and in Australia.
5. MP Materials
NYSE: MP
Key Data Points
MP Materials is a fully integrated producer of rare-earth magnets. It mines rare-earth from its Mountain Pass mine in California (the second-largest in the world), refines them at an on-site facility, and then combines them with other metals to produce powerful magnets at its manufacturing facility in Texas.
The rare-earth magnets produced by MP Materials are crucial to the transportation, energy, robotics, defense, and aerospace industries. In 2025, Apple (AAPL -0.46%) signed a $500 million partnership with MP Materials for a supply of magnets using recycled rare-earth materials. Additionally, MP Materials received a $400 million investment from the U.S. Department of Defense to support the construction of a second U.S. magnet manufacturing facility. These deals will help support the continued growth of the company's metals business. It also partnered with the Department of Defense to develop a rare-earth refinery joint venture with Saudi Arabia in late 2025.
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The metals industry and the economy
Metals companies largely fall into two categories:
- Those focused on precious metals such as gold and silver.
- Those that produce or use industrial metals such as iron ore, aluminum, and copper.
Consequently, metals companies have different levels of sensitivity to the global economy.
Demand and prices for industrial metals tend to rise and fall with the global economy. A recession typically causes demand and prices to fall, weighing on the profitability and stock prices of companies focused on producing industrial metals.
The value of precious metals, on the other hand, tends to have an inverse relationship to the economy. That’s due in large part to investors buying these metals to protect their wealth or to hedge against inflation, which is more likely to rise after central banks lower interest rates to counter an economic downturn. We saw this in early 2020 as precious metals prices soared after central banks slashed interest rates to jumpstart the global economy after pandemic-driven lockdowns.
Given the inverse relationships between these types of metals, investors might want to consider pairing a company that focuses on industrial metals with one that focuses on precious metals to smooth out returns.
Benefits and risks of investing in metal stocks
Investing in metals stocks has its share of pros and cons. Some of the benefits include:
- Growth potential: Demand for metals is growing, which should enable metals producers to increase their production volumes.
- Income: Many metals companies pay above-average dividends.
- Inflation hedge: Investing in a metals stock can help your portfolio mute some of the impact of inflation.
Investing in metals stocks has risk, including:
- Volatility: Metal prices can be very volatile, impacting metal company profitability and their stock prices.
- Operational issues: A company might run into a mine cost overrun or operational issue that can reduce the stock price.
Picking the best metals stocks to invest in
Investors should consider several factors when evaluating metal stocks, including:
- Valuation: Consider how its valuation metrics (e.g., price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio) compare to its peers.
- Financial strength: Evaluate its financial metrics (e.g., free cash flow and debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio) compared to the industry.
- Competitive advantages: Look for whether it has competitive advantages, such as low-cost mining assets or manufacturing operations.
- Growth prospects: See whether the company has visible expansion opportunities from capacity expansion projects.
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How to invest in metal stocks
Anyone can invest in metal stocks. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to add one to your portfolio:
- Open your brokerage app: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
- Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
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