FCX vs TGB: How Freeport-McMoRan and Trekor Metals Compare (2026)

Last updated August 2026

Short answer

FCX and TGB are similarly sized, but TGB trades noticeably cheaper on forward earnings (9.32x vs 15.32x): the market is paying up for FCX's profile and pricing TGB more conservatively, or for faster growth. Which you prefer comes down to the drivers you believe, and whether adding either over-concentrates what you already own.

FCX vs TGB: the tie-breaker metrics

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

MetricFCXTGBWhat it tells you
Forward P/E15.329.32Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up.
Trailing P/E30.70195.75Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price.
Beta1.362.01Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through.
Price vs 52-week range74% of range77% of rangeWhere today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why.
Price / book4.364.93How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price.

Reading it: TGB is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

Before you buy: how FCX and TGB affect your concentration

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. FCX and TGB share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined FCX and TGB exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

What does Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) do?

Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) is one of the world's largest publicly traded copper producers. It mines and sells copper, with significant byproduct gold and molybdenum, from large operations including the Grasberg district in Indonesia (among the biggest copper and gold deposits in the world) and major mines in North and South America. Copper is the company's core driver, and copper demand is closely tied to global growth, construction, the electrical grid, electric vehicles, and renewable-energy buildout, all of which are copper-intensive. As a commodity producer, Freeport's revenue and profits swing with copper and gold prices, which it does not control. The company has also pursued initiatives to recover additional copper from existing leach stockpiles to add lower-cost production. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Freeport is widely viewed as a leveraged way to invest in the long-term electrification and energy-transition thesis through the metal that wiring, motors, and grids depend on.

Full FCX guide

What does Trekor Metals (TGB) do?

Trekor Metals, which trades as TGB on NYSE American and as TKO in Toronto and London, is a copper producer with two operating assets it owns outright. Gibraltar, near Williams Lake in British Columbia, is one of the largest open-pit copper mines in Canada and produced about 30 million pounds of copper and roughly 0.6 million pounds of molybdenum in the second quarter of 2026, at a first-quarter total operating cost around US$2.63 per pound. Florence Copper in Pinal County, Arizona is the newer and more consequential asset: instead of digging and milling ore, it pumps a weak acid solution through a permeable oxide deposit and recovers copper from the returning solution through a solvent-extraction and electrowinning plant, producing LME grade A cathode on site. Florence poured its first commercial copper in early 2026, produced about 5.2 million pounds in the second quarter with roughly 110 wells running, and is guided at 30 to 35 million pounds for the full year against a design capacity near 85 million pounds. The company also holds the undeveloped Yellowhead, Aley and New Prosperity projects in British Columbia. The Taseko name was retired on 25 June 2026 after a shareholder vote, with the ticker unchanged.

Full TGB guide

FCX vs TGB: how do they differ?

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

  • FCX drivers: Copper and the energy transition; Tier-one assets and byproduct gold.
  • TGB drivers: The Florence ramp is the swing factor; Copper price and the US premium.

Which fits which kind of investor

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Freeport is a commodity producer, so its revenue and profits swing sharply with copper and gold prices, which it does not control and which fall in global slowdowns. For TGB, the dominant risk is that Florence's in-situ recovery does not scale as modelled: well-field hydrology, solution grade decay and recovery rates at commercial scale are still being demonstrated, and a shortfall would hit both cash flow and the growth narrative embedded in the share price.

FCX or TGB: which should you pick?

Pick FCX if you believe its drivers more; TGB if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the FCX and TGB guides.

FCX vs TGB: the full fundamentals

FCX. Freeport's valuation is inherently cyclical because earnings move with copper and gold prices the company does not control. A normal P/E can look low at the top of the copper cycle and high or not meaningful at the bottom, so the stock often trades on the copper-price outlook rather than trailing earnings. Byproduct gold and molybdenum credits affect its effective copper costs. Figures are approximate and move sharply with commodity prices; verify current numbers before relying on them.

TGB. The gap between roughly $115 million of trailing EBITDA and only about $11 million of trailing net income is mostly depletion, interest on the 2030 notes and the cost of starting Florence, which is why the trailing P/E is meaningless and the forward multiple near 14x is doing all the work. That forward number assumes Florence keeps ramping and copper holds near current levels, so it is a forecast rather than an observation. Second-quarter figures land after the close on 5 August 2026 and will be the first quarter with a full three months of Florence cathode in the revenue line.

Headline figures (approximate, early 2026): FCX shows revenue (ttm) ~$25 billion (varies with metal prices), primary product copper, with byproduct gold and molybdenum, flagship asset Grasberg district, Indonesia, net income highly cyclical with copper and gold prices; TGB shows revenue (ttm) ~$552M, q1 2026 revenue / adjusted ebitda ~$237M / ~$94M, net income (ttm) ~$11M (~$0.03 per share), market cap / enterprise value ~$2.9B / ~$3.3B.

The bottom line: FCX vs TGB

FCX and TGB are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined FCX and TGB exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.

Wondering how FCX or TGB fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.

Investing in Freeport-McMoRan with AI

Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how FCX fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.

FAQ

What is the difference between FCX and TGB?

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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) is one of the world's largest publicly traded copper producers. Trekor Metals, which trades as TGB on NYSE American and as TKO in Toronto and London, is a copper producer with two operating assets it owns outright. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.

Is FCX or TGB the better stock?

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Neither is universally better; they suit different views and risk levels. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.

Which is cheaper, FCX or TGB?

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On forward P/E (as of August 2026), FCX trades at 15.32x and TGB at 9.32x, so TGB is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.

Should you own both FCX and TGB?

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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.

What are the risks of FCX vs TGB?

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FCX: Freeport is a commodity producer, so its revenue and profits swing sharply with copper and gold prices, which it does not control and which fall in global slowdowns. A meaningful share of production comes from Indonesia, exposing it to country-specific political, regulatory, tax, and ownership risks (including government stakes and export rules). Mining is capital intensive and carries operational, environmental, and permitting risks. Costs can rise with energy and labor inflation. The stock is high beta and tied to Chinese and global demand. It is a cyclical position, not a steady income or defensive holding. TGB: The dominant risk is that Florence's in-situ recovery does not scale as modelled: well-field hydrology, solution grade decay and recovery rates at commercial scale are still being demonstrated, and a shortfall would hit both cash flow and the growth narrative embedded in the share price. Financial risk is real given roughly $540 million of total debt, including US$500 million of 8.25% senior secured notes due 2030, against cash near $170 million at the end of the first quarter, plus contingent payments owed on the Gibraltar buyout. Hedging cuts both ways: the copper collars carry ceilings (for example a US$5.40 per pound cap on 27 million pounds in the second quarter of 2026) that can leave realized prices well below spot when copper rallies. Concentration is high, since two assets in two jurisdictions generate all revenue, and Gibraltar is an aging mine facing diesel and explosives inflation. Finally, US copper tariff policy, Arizona permitting and community opposition history at Florence, and the ordinary volatility of a small-cap miner after a roughly 150% one-year run all add to the range of outcomes.

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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell FCX or TGB; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.

    FCX vs TGB: How Freeport-McMoRan and Trekor Metals Compare (2026) - Walnut AI Investing App