Seeking Alpha: Taseko Mines Far From Knocked Out

Both of the Canadian copper miners I liked in December of 2013, First Quantum (OTCPK:FQVLF)(FM.TO) and Taseko (NYSEMKT:TGB)(TKO.TO) have done all right since my initial recommendations (here and here). First Quantum is up almost 45% despite an August pull-back, while Taseko is up more than 20% even with the February rejection of its New Prosperity permit. Relative to Taseko (and the wider base metal sector), I still see meaningful upside in Taseko shares. New Prosperity is very much a long shot now, but Gibraltar is a worthwhile asset and Aley is looking better and better. Add in the potential of a value-creating acquisition and I still believe there is money to be made from Taseko shares.

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Taseko Mines Far From Knocked Out

Seeking Alpha: Thompson Creek Walking A Very Fine Line

While a lot of investors seem to love David-versus-Goliath underdog stories, I think they too often forget a key detail - what makes that story so special is how unlikely the outcome was; normally David gets absolutely pasted and ends up either with a bunch of tubes coming out of him or in a box. In the case of a stock like Thompson Creek (TC), then, I think investors are often too willing to look past the serious operational and macro risks that go capacity expansion stories at small miners.

That grim opening probably suggests that I'm bearish on Thompson Creek Metals. In point of fact, I'm not. I think Thompson Creek is a very interesting speculation at this point. But I do believe it's important for investors considering these shares to appreciate that there are sizable risks here and a happy ending is far from guaranteed.

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Thompson Creek Walking A Very Fine Line

Copper ... It's Back

Gold gets all the attention, but copper has staged a pretty remarkable recovery from its early summer lows. After bottoming out below $2.80 a pound, the December contract is near $3.70 and the highs of 2008 are in sight. Considering just how useful copper is in so many industrial, construction and communications applications, an ongoing global economic recovery should be a solid demand driver.

Most of the major copper producers have already run up in concert with the price of the metal, but investors may want a refresher course on the major players with an eye toward buying the inevitable dips.

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX)
These are the fat times for Freeport-McMoRan, as this company is not only a major copper producer, but a major gold miner as well. At current prices, the 83 billion pounds of copper and nearly 34 million ounces of gold in Freeport's reserves are worth over $800 per share. Of course, that does not include the costs of extracting those resources (nor the risk of lower future prices), but it should give investors a sense of the magnitude of Freeport's resources. Freeport has long since diversified its reliance upon its Indonesia mine to a tolerable level, and the company produces more than 10% of the world's annual copper output. (For more, see Taking A Shine To Copper.)

For the full article, please click on the link below:
http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2010/Copper---Its-Back-FCX-SCCO-TGB-TCK-RTP-BHP1011.aspx