It is used almost everywhere thanks to its durability, corrosion resistance, and strong thermal and electrical conductivity.

Such traits make the metal a key cog in construction, power grids, transportation, household appliances, and consumer electronics.

And as the world electrifies, the strategic importance of copper is rising.

Electric vehicles (EVs) require about four times more copper than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles.

And AI data centres depend heavily on the metal for power distribution and cooling.

Together, these factors point to a strong long-term growth profile for global copper demand.

In turn, some of the world's largest mining companies have been growing their exposure to copper over the past few years.

These include ASX 200 mining giants BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO).

But which ASX 200 mining stocks rank amongst the biggest copper producers globally?

Recent analysis from industry expert Benchmark Mineral Intelligence has revealed the world's top 25 copper miners, based on production during the third quarter of 2026.

Below, we present the five ASX 200 mining stocks that made the list.

BHP shares take gold

According to Benchmark's analysis, BHP was the world's biggest copper miner in the third quarter of the year.

The Big Australian stood at the top of the podium after producing nearly 500,000 tonnes of the metal during the period.

American outfit Freeport-McMoRan Inc (NYSE: FCX) claimed silver with 414,000 tonnes, and Chilean state-owned miner Codelco took bronze with about 304,000 tonnes.

4 other ASX 200 mining stocks make the list

Rio Tinto captured seventh spot on the coveted list after churning out 204,000 tonnes of copper during the quarter.

However, no other ASX 200 mining stocks finished in the top ten.

Pure-play copper miner Capstone Copper Corp CDI (ASX: CSC) was the next best ASX 200 mining stock, finishing in 18th place.

The Canadian-based outfit produced a touch over 55,000 tonnes of the metal from its portfolio of assets in the Americas.

Somewhat surprisingly, Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM) also made the list as the world's 20^th largest copper miner.

To elaborate, the company is best known for being the number one gold producer on the planet.

However, it also churned out 35,000 tonnes of copper during the quarter.

Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) was the final ASX 200 mining stock to rank amongst the world's leading copper miners.

It produced more than 24,000 tonnes of the metal to take 24^th spot.

Copper price overview

The copper price has rallied by more than 20% in 2025, climbing to about US$10,700 per tonne at the time of writing

For comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has lifted by around 3.8% during the same timeframe.

However, some analysts are forecasting even stronger gains ahead.

For instance, JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) believes that a widening global supply deficit could drive copper prices to US$12,000 per tonne by the first quarter of next year.

The post Revealed: BHP and 4 other ASX 200 mining stocks rank among top global copper producers appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

A combination of macroeconomic headwinds, geopolitical uncertainty, and softening demand created a muted sentiment for the broader lithium market.

In fact, the price of lithium carbonate hit a four-year low in late June to leave the sector in a glut.

Fast forward to today and the narrative appears to be rapidly changing.

Since those June lows, lithium carbonate prices have rallied by about 40%.

Not only that, but prices for spodumene – the type of lithium mined in Australia – have nearly doubled over the past five months, as reported in the Financial Review.

And the share prices of some leading Aussie lithium shares have followed suit.

More specifically, three of the most revered ASX 200 mining stocks have seen their share prices more than double since the start of July.

Let's take a closer look at the stellar performance of these lithium mining heavyweights.

Pilbara Minerals shares lead the charge

Pilbara Minerals shares were changing hands at $1.35 apiece at the start of July.

At Friday's close, they were priced at $3.82 each.

This equates to a stunning 183% return for shareholders in less than four months.

For context, the broader All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has risen by a modest 1.54% during the same period.

Fellow Western Australian miner Mineral Resources Ltd (ASX: MIN) has also performed handsomely.

The company's share price has risen by 133% since early July to reach $50.74 at the yesterday's close.

Not to be outdone, shares in Australia's newest lithium miner Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) have also been roaring.

Since the start of July, Liontown shares have jumped from $0.69 each to $1.465 per share.

This represents a 112% increase in just a handful of months.

Bullish outlook for lithium

After several challenging years, the lithium sector could finally be entering a new bullish phase according to some experts.

Late last month, American investment bank JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) released an upbeat research note on the lithium sector.

Here, the broker forecast a sharp rebound in lithium prices, driven by growing demand for electric vehicles and higher expected production rates for large-scale battery storage.

Similarly, fellow US investment firm Citigroup (NYSE: C) recently upgraded its lithium forecast on the back of a strong outlook for battery demand.

More specifically, it expects battery demand to soar by 31% in 2026 compared to 2025, as reported in the Financial Review.

The broker anticipates this surge to be driven by a 45% rise in energy storage systems and a 26% jump in electric vehicle adoption.

The post Lithium bulls take control as these 3 ASX 200 mining stocks soar by more than 100% appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

And according to some analysts, this rally could have plenty of room to grow.

For instance, US investment firm JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) believes that a widening global supply deficit could see copper rise to US$12,000 per tonne by the first quarter of 2026.

And a sustained upswing in the copper price may be good news for leading ASX 200 mining stocks with substantial exposure to the red metal.

These include diversified mining powerhouse BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) which has transformed into the world's biggest copper producer in the past few years.

Other copper-focused ASX 200 mining stocks such as Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) and Capstone Copper Corp CDI (ASX: CDC) could also benefit.

However, beyond the heavyweights, the ASX is home to several emerging copper companies already mining or moving their respective projects towards production.

Below, we present an overview of three lesser-known ASX copper stocks with surging share prices.

29Metals Ltd (ASX: 29M)

29Metals operates the Golden Grove copper mine in Western Australia, which also produces significant amounts of zinc, gold, and silver.

Overall, the company is targeting up to 25,000 tonnes of copper output from Golden Grove in the 2025 calendar year. 

In addition, it plans to bring its Capricorn copper mine in Queensland back to production after extreme rainfall suspended operations in 2023.

Combined, the two projects hold about 2.2 million tonnes of contained copper, 2.3 million tonnes of zinc, 1.2 million ounces of gold, and 75 million ounces of silver.

Each project has a resource base large enough to support a mining operation of more than 10 years.

The company is also ramping up exploration drilling as it looks to grow the existing resource at Golden Grove.

Shares in 29Metals have ballooned by 191% in the past six months, ending Wednesday at $0.47 per share.

Hot Chili Ltd (ASX: HCH)

Hot Chili is a mineral exploration business advancing its Costa Fuego copper and gold project in Chile towards production.

Costa Fuego already hosts a large resource base across three deposits: Cortadera, Productora, and San Antonio.

Here, management believes the 3.4 million tonnes of contained copper equivalent represents one of the largest undeveloped copper mineral resources in the world.

In addition, a recent discovery at the nearby La Verde prospect adds potential for further resource expansion.

Earlier this year, Hot Chili unveiled the results from an economic evaluation gauging the merits of bringing Costa Fuego to production.

This pre-feasibility study (PFS) outlined a 20-year mine, with output of about 116,000 tonnes of copper equivalent per annum across 14 years of primary production.

The study also estimated post-tax free cashflow of US$3.86 billion for the life of the mine, as well as a payback period 4.5 years.

Hot Chili now plans to launch a more detailed definitive feasibility study, whilst also conducting an environmental impact assessment for the project.

Further exploration drilling at La Verde could also be on the cards.

In the past six months, Hot Chili shares have surged by 85% to $0.87 per share at yesterday's close.

Firefly Metals Ltd (ASX: FFM)

Firefly is another exploration company moving its Green Bay copper and gold project in the Canadian province of Newfoundland closer to production.

As things stand, Green Bay holds a resource containing one million tonnes of copper and 550,000 ounces of gold. This equates to 1.2 million tonnes of copper equivalent.

However, the company's strategy is centred on growing this resource even further.

At present, eight drill rigs are operating at Green Bay as Firefly looks to upgrade the resource, extend known mineralisation, and unearth new discoveries.

Notably, recent drilling delivered high-grade copper and gold hits which extended the known mineralisation by 650 metres beyond the current resource.

In addition, further "exceptional" drilling results defined an 800-metre zone of "very high-grade" mineralisation which remains open along strike.

Management noted that this zone could significantly impact a mineral resource estimate for the project, planned for release in the current quarter.

FireFly shares have now increased by 102% in just six months, reaching $1.82 per share at the close of business on Wednesday.

The post Up 85% or more! These 3 hidden ASX mining stocks are soaring as the copper price ignites appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Overall, it has now risen by 57% since early January.

And the silver price has fared even better, rocketing by 75% during the same period.

Whilst this rally in precious metals has dominated mainstream headlines, another key industrial metal has been quietly making waves of its own.

And that metal is copper.

Like gold and silver, the copper price recently hit record highs after reaching US$11,200 per tonne in trading on the London Metal Exchange.

A slight pullback has since seen its price dip to about US$10,800 per tonne.

Nevertheless, the copper price has now jumped by 27% since the start of the year.

And more gains could be on the cards with American investment bank JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) predicting further upside in upcoming months.

Here, the bank's head of base and precious metals research, Gregory Shearer, has tipped copper to reach US$12,000 per tonne in the first quarter of next year.

This forecast could be a welcome development for BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and other ASX 200 mining stocks with significant copper exposure.

BHP shares take centre stage as copper rises

BHP is a diversified mining giant with its operation spanning several different commodities.

However, the company has been growing its exposure to copper over the past few years through a series of deals and acquisitions.

As a result, the mining titan now holds a vast portfolio of copper mines across Chile, Peru, South Australia, and Arizona.

And it now claims to be the world's largest copper miner after producing two million tonnes of the metal in FY25.

Furthermore, copper made up 45% of the group's underlying operating earnings (EBITDA) for the year, up from 29% in FY24.

So, any further increases in the copper price could potentially be a boon for its share price.

Over the past six months, BHP shares have risen by 11.4% to close out Tuesday at $42.79 apiece.

This respectable performance compares with a 7.5% increase in the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) during the same period.

However, three other ASX 200 mining stocks with significant copper exposure have been rocketing even higher.

3 ASX 200 mining stocks riding the copper wave

Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) is a copper-focused miner with two producing assets.

In FY25, the company delivered 94,000 tonnes of copper equivalent from its MATSA operations in Spain. It added another 58,000 tonnes equivalent from its Motheo mine in Botswana.

Shares in the company have jumped by 56% in the past six months to $16.27 per share at Tuesday's close.

Capstone Copper Corp CDI (ASX: CDC) is a Canadian-based copper miner with a diverse portfolio of producing assets located in the Americas.

All up, the group is targeting output of between 220,000 and 255,000 tonnes of copper in 2025.

Its share price has ballooned by 69% since early May to $13.44 at yesterday's close.

Newmont Corporation CDI (ASX: NEM) is the biggest gold producer in the world.

However, the company has also been growing its copper focus in recent years.

Overall, it holds a resource base containing some 25 million tonnes of copper across North America, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific.

Shares in Newmont are up by 69% in just six months after reaching $136.52 per share at Tuesday's close.

The post Surging copper price shines light on BHP shares and 3 other ASX 200 mining stocks appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Shares in leading lithium producer Pilbara Minerals Ltd (ASX: PLS) lifted by 5.4% from Wednesday's close to end the day at $3.30 per share.

Fellow Western Australian lithium miner Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX: LTR) fared even better with its shares rocketing by 11.2% during the session.

However, it was Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN) that stole the spotlight.

Shares in this diversified miner ballooned by 13.7% on Thursday after announcing production records for the September quarter.

Notably, the company also reported a 31% increase in the selling prices for its lithium.

So, what sparked Thursday's eye-catching rally?

It appears that leading American investment bank JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) may have played a part.

In a nutshell, the broker released a bullish research note on the lithium sector where it forecast a sharp rebound in prices.

Let's take a closer look at JPMorgan's viewpoint, as reported in the Financial Review.

Lithium prices set to rise?

JPMorgan appears upbeat on lithium's near-term future.

It upgraded its forecast for spodumene – the type of lithium mined in Australia – from US$800 per tonne to between US$1,100 and US$1,200 per tonne for 2026 and 2027.

Here, it cited growing demand for electric vehicles and higher expected production rates for large-scale battery storage.

JPMorgan's head of basic materials research, Lyndon Fagan, commented:

After what was looking like a soft few years ahead for lithium prices, energy storage battery shipments have shown massive growth year-to-date.

Fagan added that batteries are expected to account for about 30% of lithium demand in 2026, rising to 36% by the end of the decade.

In turn, the broker increased its long-term spodumene price forecast from US$1,100 per tonne to US$1,300 per tonne.

So what?

Stronger prices help drive revenue and margins for lithium miners, which can potentially lead to significant share price gains.

And JPMorgan has now upgraded its outlook for Pilbara Minerals shares from neutral to overweight.

As a sidenote, the company recently announced a 24% increase in the average realised selling price for its lithium product.

Overall, Pilbara Minerals shares have now increased by 119% in the past six months.

Meanwhile, JPMorgan also lifted its rating for Mineral Resources and Liontown shares to neutral – up from its most recent underweight classification.

Liontown shares have now soared by 116% in the past six months, with Mineral Resources shares rising by 134%.

For context, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up by 10% during the same period.

The post Pilbara Minerals shares jump higher as JPMorgan tips 50% rise in lithium prices appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The stock is up 25% since January, but it's a different story today. Macquarie shares are around 1.5% in the red, fetching $229.74 apiece at the time of writing.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has fined Macquarie over energy market trades made in 2022.

Let's take a look.

Why was Macquarie fined?

Macquarie shares are in the spotlight today after ASIC fined the bank $4.99 million for failing to stop clients from manipulating energy markets through several on-market trades.

According to ASIC, these transactions took place from January to September 2022, a period when global energy prices surged due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The regulator said that during that time, the bank "breached market integrity rules by permitting three of its clients to place suspicious orders" on 50 occasions.

Each order displayed characteristics of an intention to 'mark the close', meaning each order was placed within the last minute of market close, impacting the daily settlement price, in a direction favourable to the client's existing interest in that contract.  

The issue was linked to a technical failure in Macquarie's surveillance system, which monitors suspicious activity among various financial and commodity markets.

The system apparently shut down at 4.30pm instead of 4pm, enabling clients to place trades after market monitoring had ended. The ASX closes trading at 4pm.

The 'mark the close' tactic was used to manipulate the settlement price in favour of the client. ASIC says the bank should have suspected something was fishy but didn't.

And despite six direct warnings from ASIC, Macquarie allowed over 40 such trades to go through.

ASIC Chair Joe Longo stressed that this kind of manipulation could impact energy prices downstream.

He said Macquarie played a large role in Australia's energy derivatives market and that the bank "must ensure suspicious orders are not permitted to be placed on our markets".

The record penalty imposed by the MDP reflects the serious, prolonged and potential systemic failures by Macquarie to detect and prevent suspected manipulation in the ASX 24 market for energy derivatives.

We put Macquarie on notice about suspicious orders placed by its clients on numerous occasions and it repeatedly failed to take timely action to address the conduct of its clients and the gap in its surveillance capability. As a consequence, it permitted further suspicious orders to be placed on the market.

What's next for Macquarie shares?

Macquarie shares have performed well this year, and this $5 million penalty is unlikely to have a major impact on the company's fundamentals. Financially, Macquarie remains strong.

Its recent $24 billion sale of data centre giant AirTrunk is expected to deliver more than $1 billion in performance fees, according to JP Morgan analysts.

While the fine is a setback, analysts remain optimistic about Macquarie shares. The stock is rated a moderate buy from consensus, according to CommSec.

The post Macquarie shares in spotlight after $5 million fine appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.