Zacks Research Forecasts Lower Earnings for Freeport-McMoRan

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research dropped their FY2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Freeport-McMoRan in a research note issued on Monday, December 22nd. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the natural resource company will earn $1.49 per share for the year, down from their previous estimate of $1.51. The consensus estimate for Freeport-McMoRan’s current full-year earnings is $1.68 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Freeport-McMoRan’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.42 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $2.39 EPS.

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The natural resource company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.41 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $6.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.74 billion. Freeport-McMoRan had a return on equity of 7.84% and a net margin of 7.97%.Freeport-McMoRan’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.38 EPS.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. CICC Research reduced their price target on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $51.60 to $42.30 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 26th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Citigroup raised shares of Freeport-McMoRan from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $48.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. HSBC lowered their price target on Freeport-McMoRan from $50.00 to $48.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Hsbc Global Res upgraded Freeport-McMoRan from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $49.49.

Freeport-McMoRan Stock Performance

FCX stock opened at $51.87 on Wednesday. Freeport-McMoRan has a twelve month low of $27.66 and a twelve month high of $52.29. The firm has a market cap of $74.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.53, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.49. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $42.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $42.90. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 2.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Freeport-McMoRan Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.075 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 15th. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Freeport-McMoRan’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.13%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Freeport-McMoRan news, CAO Ellie L. Mikes sold 9,572 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.66, for a total transaction of $456,201.52. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 38,761 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,847,349.26. This trade represents a 19.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Stephen T. Higgins sold 28,423 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.99, for a total value of $1,364,019.77. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 105,294 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,053,059.06. The trade was a 21.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.79% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Freeport-McMoRan

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Freeport-McMoRan in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its holdings in Freeport-McMoRan by 1,962.9% in the third quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 722 shares of the natural resource company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 687 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan during the third quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Beacon Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 59.6% during the second quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 876 shares of the natural resource company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 327 shares in the last quarter. 80.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Freeport-McMoRan News

Here are the key news stories impacting Freeport-McMoRan this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $55 (from $47), citing the steel/copper backdrop and Freeport’s exposure; this provides analyst support for higher upside. Freeport‑McMoRan price target raised to $55 from $47 at Wells Fargo
• Positive Sentiment: Commodity tailwind: copper has rallied (reported at ~$12,000/ton), improving Freeport’s revenue and margin outlook given its large copper production profile. Market commentary views the rally as supportive of further profit upside. Copper Hits $12,000 a Ton. Time to Mine Freeport‑McMoRan for More Profits?
• Positive Sentiment: Market re‑rating/valuation work: analysts and commentators are reassessing FCX after a ~27% monthly surge, which supports higher multiples if copper stays strong. Freeport‑McMoRan (FCX): Reassessing Valuation After a 27% Monthly Surge and Strong Copper Price Support
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings preview/near‑term volatility: analysts and preview pieces note upcoming results will be watched closely for realized copper pricing, costs and production trends; guidance and quarter details could swing sentiment. Earnings Preview: What To Expect From Freeport‑McMoRan’s Report
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple securities‑fraud class action notices and lead‑plaintiff solicitations were filed/announced (class period generally Feb 15, 2022–Sep 24, 2025) with a Jan 12, 2026 lead‑plaintiff deadline — this raises legal risk, potential litigation costs and management distraction. Notices from several firms here: Levi & Korsinsky investor notice PR Newswire plaintiff solicitation Faruqi & Faruqi reminder Gross Law Firm notice
• Negative Sentiment: Small downward revisions to Q4/FY‑2026 EPS by Zacks (Q4 to $0.21 from $0.23; FY‑2026 to $1.74 from $1.75) slightly lower near‑term estimates — not large, but notable if trends continue. (Research note reported Dec 22‑23)

Freeport-McMoRan Company Profile

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.