Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX - Get Free Report) CAO Stephen Higgins sold 29,654 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.00, for a total transaction of $1,868,202.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 76,445 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,816,035. This trade represents a 27.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.
Freeport-McMoRan Price Performance
Shares of Freeport-McMoRan stock opened at $67.85 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $97.51 billion, a PE ratio of 44.93, a P/E/G ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 1.47. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. has a twelve month low of $27.66 and a twelve month high of $69.44. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 2.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $58.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $48.05.
Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The natural resource company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $5.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.42 billion. Freeport-McMoRan had a return on equity of 8.50% and a net margin of 8.50%.Freeport-McMoRan's quarterly revenue was down 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.31 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. will post 1.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Freeport-McMoRan Cuts Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 15th were paid a $0.075 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 15th. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Freeport-McMoRan's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.87%.
Freeport-McMoRan News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Freeport-McMoRan this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Copper and base metals rallied as Chinese traders returned to the market, supporting higher commodity prices that directly benefit Freeport’s revenue outlook. Copper leads base metals higher as Chinese traders return
- Positive Sentiment: Freedom Capital upgraded FCX from "hold" to "strong-buy" (reported via Zacks), which can prompt buying from momentum and thematic investors. Zacks.com
- Neutral Sentiment: Comparative coverage (Yahoo Finance and Zacks) weighs Freeport vs. Southern Copper (SCCO), noting both miners are exposed to copper price swings but are advancing major projects funded by strong cash flows — helpful context for longer-term investors but not an immediate catalyst. FCX vs. SCCO: Which Copper Mining Giant Should You Bet on Now? FCX vs. SCCO: Which Copper Mining Giant Should You Bet on Now?
- Neutral Sentiment: Freeport presented at the BMO Global Metals, Mining & Critical Minerals conference (transcript available). Management commentary can influence sentiment if it updates guidance or project timelines, but the transcript alone is informational. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX) Presents at 35th BMO Global Metals, Mining & Critical Minerals Conference Transcript
- Negative Sentiment: CAO Stephen T. Higgins sold 29,654 shares at ~$63 each (filed with the SEC), trimming his holdings by ~28%. Insider sales can be interpreted negatively by some investors even when routine. SEC filing: Insider Sale
- Negative Sentiment: MarketBeat highlighted insider selling across several stocks including Freeport, framing these sales as part of broader insider exits after strong rallies — a potential psychological headwind for the shares. Why Are Amphenol, Royal Caribbean, and Freeport Insiders Selling? (FCX)
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of analysts have recently commented on FCX shares. Argus raised shares of Freeport-McMoRan from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. HSBC lifted their price objective on Freeport-McMoRan from $48.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. BNP Paribas Exane increased their target price on Freeport-McMoRan from $56.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Freeport-McMoRan from $55.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Freeport-McMoRan in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $60.73.
View Our Latest Research Report on FCX
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Freeport-McMoRan
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. TRU Independence Asset Management 2 LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan in the 4th quarter worth $254,000. SG Trading Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,842,000. Kera Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan in the fourth quarter valued at about $318,000. Walser Wealth Management Company A Ltd Liability Co acquired a new stake in Freeport-McMoRan during the fourth quarter worth about $882,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Freeport-McMoRan during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.77% of the company's stock.
About Freeport-McMoRan
(
Get Free Report)
Freeport-McMoRan Inc is a U.S.-based natural resources company primarily engaged in the exploration, mining and processing of copper, gold and molybdenum. Its operations encompass large-scale open-pit and underground mining as well as associated concentrator and milling facilities. The company produces copper in the form of concentrates and cathodes, and also recovers gold and molybdenum as co-products; its business model includes exploration, development, mining, beneficiation and the sale of bulk commodities to smelters and industrial customers.
Freeport-McMoRan conducts operations and development activities across multiple geographies, with substantial assets in the Americas and Indonesia.
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