The Next SanDisk: 5 Potential Breakout AI Stocks You Shouldn’t Miss

In this article, we will discuss The Next SanDisk: 5 Potential Breakout AI Stocks You Shouldn’t Miss. Please visit The Next SanDisk: 9 Potential Breakout AI Stocks You Shouldn’t Miss, if you would like to see the extended list and the methodology behind it.

5. The Metals Company (NASDAQ:TMC)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 24

The Metals Company (NASDAQ:TMC) is down about 20% so far this year but Redditors believe the stock can rebound massively in the long term and should be bought on the dip. Why? It’s a deep-sea mining company that wants to be the first to extract polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor. The nodules contain manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper.

Why are they important? These are critical minerals the U.S. desperately needs but currently imports almost entirely from Russia, China, and Indonesia. Trump made energy independence a major priority. He’s been pushing hard to get the U.S. to 100% self-reliant on critical minerals instead of depending on hostile countries. That’s where The Metals Company (NASDAQ:TMC) comes in.

TMC has filed a consolidated permit application covering 65,000 square kilometers of ocean floor. The Metals Company (NASDAQ:TMC) plans to produce 10.8 million tons of nodules annually. Reports suggest the company expects to receive a commercial recovery permit by the end of 2026 or early 2027 and production is targeted to start in Q4 2027.

The upside is huge. Mining companies get valued on the net present value of what they can mine. The Metals Company’s (NASDAQ:TMC) territories have an estimated NPV of at least $10 billion, possibly up to $23.6 billion. The stock is trading at a $2.35 billion market cap. If the company gets the permit and proves it can mine at scale, the stock should move way higher.

However, risks include execution. The Metals Company (NASDAQ:TMC) is pre-revenue. The permit isn’t 100% guaranteed even with Trump’s backing. There are also regulatory and international legal risks. Processing agreements with partners in Japan and Switzerland could face complications. But if it works out, this could be a massive multi-bagger.