In this article, we look at the 10 Best Copper Stocks to Buy for the AI and Electrification Boom.
Copper has moved from a traditional industrial-cycle commodity to one of the key materials behind the AI and electrification buildout. The metal sits inside the same physical bottleneck that is now shaping data centers, power grids, electric vehicles, renewable energy, transmission equipment, and industrial electrification. S&P Global expects copper demand from data centers to rise from 1.1 million metric tons in 2025 to 2.5 million metric tons by 2040, with AI training data centers accounting for 58% of total data-center copper demand by 2030. The International Energy Agency has also highlighted the scale of the power challenge, noting in April 2026 that electricity demand from data centers rose 17% in 2025, while AI-focused data centers grew even faster.
The broader electrification picture adds another layer to the copper case. In its Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025, the IEA projected copper demand to grow 30% by 2040 and warned that expected mined supply from announced projects could fall 30% short of demand by 2035 under stated policies. For investors, that makes copper stocks a way to track both the AI infrastructure cycle and the longer-term expansion of global electrical systems.
Methodology
For this article, we selected copper-focused stocks with exposure to the AI and electrification boom through copper production, copper growth projects, or copper supply chains tied to grid expansion, data centers, EVs, and industrial electrification. The stocks were ranked in descending order of short interest as a percentage of float.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Insider Monkey’s quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 599.2% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 372 percentage points (see more details here).
10. Ero Copper Corp. (NYSE:ERO)
Short Percentage of Float: 3.15
Ero Copper Corp. (NYSE:ERO) is one of the best copper stocks to buy for the AI and electrification boom. On June 10, 2026, the company reported new assay results from an additional 24,000 meters of drilling at its Furnas Copper-Gold Project in Brazil. Ero said it had completed more than 75,000 meters of drilling through the end of May, with 10 drill rigs operating at the project and the deposit still open to depth and along strike.
The update strengthens Ero’s long-term copper growth case at a time when electrification, grid investment, and AI-related power demand are keeping copper supply in focus. Furnas is still a development-stage asset, but Ero said permitting, engineering, metallurgical, geotechnical, hydrogeological, and environmental workstreams are advancing toward a pre-feasibility study expected in 2027. That gives the stock a copper expansion angle rather than direct data-center exposure.
Ero Copper Corp. (NYSE:ERO) is a Vancouver-based copper and gold mining company focused on operations and development projects in Brazil.
9. Hudbay Minerals Inc. (NYSE:HBM)
Short Percentage of Float: 3.04
Hudbay Minerals Inc. (NYSE:HBM) is one of the best copper stocks to buy for the AI and electrification boom. The company’s latest investor-relevant update came on May 28, 2026, when the Toronto Stock Exchange approved Hudbay’s normal course issuer bid. Under the program, Hudbay can repurchase up to 19.9 million shares, representing 5% of its issued and outstanding shares as of May 21, 2026, over a 12-month period beginning June 1.
The buyback approval followed a strong quarterly update earlier in May, giving investors both a capital-return signal and a clearer operating base for the copper story. On May 1, 2026, Hudbay reported Q1 revenue of $757.3 million, adjusted EBITDA of $421.9 million, and consolidated copper production of 27,929 tonnes. The company also reaffirmed 2026 consolidated copper production guidance of 110,000 to 138,000 tonnes. Hudbay is not a direct data-center supplier, but its copper output and U.S. growth pipeline, including Copper World and Cactus in Arizona, make it relevant to the broader AI power infrastructure and electrification demand theme.
Hudbay Minerals Inc. (NYSE:HBM) is a Toronto-based mining company focused on copper, gold, silver, zinc, and molybdenum assets across the Americas.
8. Capstone Copper Corp. (OTC:CSCCF)
Short Percentage of Float: 2.42
Capstone Copper Corp. (OTC:CSCCF) is one of the best copper stocks to buy for the AI and electrification boom. Capstone Copper’s June analyst sentiment remained broadly constructive, with Jefferies, RBC Capital, and CIBC all updating their views on the stock. On June 9, Jefferies maintained a Buy rating and raised its price target to C$22, the highest among the recent calls. RBC Capital also stayed bullish on June 3 with a Buy rating and C$18 target, while CIBC took a more measured stance on June 1, lifting its target to C$16 from C$15.50 but keeping a Neutral rating.
The mixed but generally positive read followed a strong first quarter. On April 29, Capstone reported record adjusted EBITDA of $329.1 million, its sixth straight quarterly record, as higher realized copper prices helped offset lower production. Net income attributable to shareholders reached $102.5 million, compared with a year-earlier loss, while 2026 guidance remained unchanged at 200,000 to 230,000 tonnes of copper production, keeping the near-term growth case intact despite operating noise.
Capstone Copper Corp. (OTC:CSCCF) is a copper mining company with operations and development assets across the Americas, including projects in Chile, Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
7. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX)
Short Percentage of Float: 1.99
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) is one of the best copper stocks to buy for the AI and electrification boom. The company’s most recent investor-relevant update came on May 8, 2026, when Reuters reported that Freeport Indonesia had pushed back the full recovery timeline for the Grasberg Block Cave mine to early 2028. The update followed repairs and infrastructure changes after a mudflow incident, with production in undamaged areas running at about 40% to 50% of capacity.
The delay highlights the execution risk attached to one of Freeport’s most important copper assets, but it also keeps the stock central to the copper supply story. Freeport remains one of the world’s largest publicly traded copper producers, with major assets including Grasberg in Indonesia, Morenci in Arizona, and Cerro Verde in Peru. For investors tracking AI power infrastructure and electrification, FCX offers direct copper-price and copper-supply exposure rather than a direct data-center customer angle.
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) is a Phoenix-based mining company focused on copper, gold, and molybdenum across North America, South America, and Indonesia.
6. Taseko Mines Limited (NYSE:TGB)
Short Percentage of Float: 1.77
Taseko Mines Limited (NYSE:TGB) is one of the best copper stocks to buy for the AI and electrification boom. The company’s freshest investor-relevant update came on May 6, 2026, when it said Florence Copper produced 1.5 million pounds of LME Grade A copper cathode in the first quarter, with sales of 619,000 pounds. Taseko also maintained its 2026 Florence Copper production outlook of 30 million to 35 million pounds, giving investors a clearer ramp-up story for one of the newer sources of U.S. copper supply.
Florence is central to the stock’s appeal because copper demand tied to electrification, grid expansion, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing increasingly depends on a secure domestic supply. Taseko’s earlier first-cathode announcement also linked Florence’s LME Grade A copper cathode to U.S. manufacturing sectors, including automotive, semiconductors, defense/aerospace, and AI data centers, making the project relevant to both electrification and AI infrastructure demand.
Taseko Mines Limited (NYSE:TGB) is a Canadian mining company focused on copper operations and development projects in North America, including Gibraltar in British Columbia and Florence Copper in Arizona.
While we acknowledge the potential of TGB to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some other AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TGB and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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