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Who is Anthony Bernal?: The ‘indispensable’ Biden aide ditching House Oversight probe on his mental decline

Politics 4 Mins Read

The House Oversight Committee says it will subpoena top Biden family aide, Anthony Bernal, after the committee said he refused to testify as part of their investigation into former President Biden’s mental acuity and his use of an automatic signature tool that allowed aides to sign pardons, memos and other important documents on Biden’s behalf. 

‘Jill Biden’s longtime aide Anthony Bernal is DEFYING Congress and REFUSING to testify tomorrow about Joe Biden’s cognitive decline after the White House waived his executive privilege,’ the committee posted on X Wednesday after Bernal was expected to testify on Thursday morning.

‘He’s running scared. The cover-up is collapsing. We will subpoena him immediately.’

By proxy, as the first lady’s top aide, Bernal became one of the most influential people in the White House, according to recent reports, and he was expected to face tough questions about what he knew and when he knew about Biden’s mental decline.

‘No one spent more time, whether it was in the motorcade, on the plane, in the private residence at the White House, Camp David, and at both houses in Delaware, nobody spent more personal time around them and their family and the Biden family than Anthony,’ Democratic strategist Michael LaRosa, who served as press secretary to former first lady Jill Biden, told Fox News Digital. 

LaRosa told Fox News Digital that Bernal, former special assistant to Biden and deputy director of Oval Office Operations, was an ‘indispensable’ part of the Biden team whose top priority was ‘protecting the Bidens,’ even if it was politically harmful due to a ‘personal and emotional attachment’ that became more of a familial relationship than a professional one. 

Fox News Digital previously reported on how the book ‘Original Sin,’ by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson, described Bernal as one of the most influential people in the White House who wielded loyalty as a weapon to weed out the defectors.

During the pandemic, Biden traded the campaign trail for lockdown. Bernal and Annie Tomasini, who is expected to testify next month, found their way into Joe and Jill Biden’s pod, shifting the power dynamic of Biden’s so-called ‘Politiburo,’ the group of advisors who steered Biden’s political orbit, the book explained. 

‘The significance of Bernal and Tomasini is the degree to which their rise in the Biden White House signaled the success of people whose allegiance was to the Biden family – not to the presidency, not to the American people, not to the country, but to the Biden theology,’ the authors wrote. 

‘Their instincts, to hide the ball on often frivolous issues is what ultimately got them in trouble,’ LaRosa told Fox News Digital about the ‘bunker mentality’ from Bernal and other aides around Biden. 

‘Their reflexive need to hide and protect was a deficiency and a blind spot and I never understood it.’

A former White House staffer fired back against Tapper and Thompson’s allegations about Bernal in a statement to Fox News Digital earlier this year.

‘A lot of vignettes in this book are either false, exaggerated, or purposefully omit viewpoints that don’t fit the narrative they want to push. Anthony was a strong leader with high standards and a mentor to many. He’s the type of person you want on a team – he’s incredibly strategic, effective, and cares deeply about the people he manages,’ the former White House staffer said. 

Politico reported in 2021 that Bernal’s management style was viewed by some as ‘toxic’ and would sometimes lead to crying staffers. 

LaRosa told Fox News Digital that Bernal has a ‘big heart’ but acknowledged he was one of the more ‘challenging’ people he had to work with. 

Bernal’s appearance before the committee, if it happens, follows testimony from former Biden aide Neera Tanden, who said she was authorized to direct autopen signatures but was unaware of who in the president’s inner circle was giving her final clearance.

When Tanden was asked whether she ever discussed Biden’s health or his fitness to serve as president during her time as a top aide, including during the period of the former president’s widely criticized debate performance last summer, Tanden said she did not. Lawmakers laid out a list of names of officials she could have potentially discussed it with, and Tanden said ‘no’ to each name, according to a source familiar with her closed-door testimony. 

Fox News Digital’s Liz Elkind, Alec Schemmel and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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Politics

Senate GOP eyes Medicaid sweetener to save Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

Politics 4 Mins Read

The Medicaid debate among Senate Republicans continues to rage on, but a new proposal geared toward sating concerns over the survivability of rural hospitals could help to close the lingering fissures within the conference.

Senate Republicans are sprinting to finish their work on President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill,’ which is filled with key priorities like making his first-term tax cuts permanent, funding his immigration and border security agenda, and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse across a variety of programs.

But lawmakers are still at odds over changes made in the Senate’s version of the bill to the Medicaid provider tax rate and the effects that it could have on rural hospitals, threatening to derail the legislation near the finish line.

A proposal making the rounds from the Senate Finance Committee obtained by Fox News Digital would create a separate stabilization fund that would go toward aiding and upgrading rural healthcare.

The committee’s proposal would allocate $3 billion annually to states that apply to the program over the next five fiscal years.

But that amount is too low for some senators and far too much for others.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has been working on a similar proposal but would prefer a much higher fund of $100 billion. That number is unlikely to pass muster with her colleagues and still isn’t high enough for her.

‘I don’t think that solves the entire problem,’ she said. ‘The Senate cuts in Medicaid are far deeper than the House cuts and I think that’s problematic as well.’

Collins would prefer a return to the House GOP’s proposed changes to the provider tax rate, rather than the Senate’s harsher crackdown.

The Senate changes to the provider tax rate hit close to home for Collins, whose state’s rural hospitals are already in jeopardy because the state of Maine failed to advance its budget in time, leaving roughly $400 million in Medicaid funding that would have gone to rural hospitals in limbo.

‘Obviously any money is helpful. But no, it is not adequate,’ she said.

Indeed, the changes to the Medicaid provider tax rate, which were a stark departure from the House GOP’s version of the bill, angered the Republicans who have warned not to make revisions to the health care program that could shut down rural hospitals and boot working Americans from their benefits.

The Senate Finance Committee went further than the House’s freeze of the provider tax rate, or the amount that state Medicaid programs pay to healthcare providers on behalf of Medicaid beneficiaries, for non-Affordable Care Act expansion states and included a provision that lowers the rate in expansion states annually until it hits 3.5%.

However, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and some Senate Republicans have argued that the provider tax rate is a scam rife with fraud that actually harms rural hospitals more than it helps.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., was in the same camp, and has argued that the rate should be nixed completely. He has similarly pushed for a separate fund but wasn’t keen on the cost of the current proposal.

‘I don’t know that we need $15 billion,’ he said. ‘But this needs to be run by CMS.’

And others wanted to see more money injected into a stabilization fund.

‘I think $5 billion a year would more than make them whole,’ Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said.

He contended that, as the only lawmaker who has run a rural hospital, there are only roughly 12 million people on Medicaid in rural America, and that lawmakers should ‘tighten things up’ when it comes to funding the health care program.

He said that being on Medicaid was ‘not the same as having healthcare,’ and added that ‘at best, two thirds of doctors accept Medicaid, and even many of the specialists, when they say they do, they won’t give you an appointment for six months or a year.’

‘Medicaid is not the solution,’ he said. ‘It’s the most broken federal system up here.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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Business

Nvidia CEO Huang sells $15 million worth of stock, first sale of $873 million plan

Business 2 Mins Read

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang sold 100,000 shares of the chipmaker’s stock on Friday and Monday, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The sales are worth nearly $15 million at Tuesday’s opening price.

The transactions are the first sale in Huang’s plan to sell as many as 600,000 shares of Nvidia through the end of 2025. It’s a plan that was announced in March, and it’d be worth $873 million at Tuesday’s opening price.

The Nvidia founder still owns more than 800 million Nvidia shares, according to Monday’s SEC filing. Huang has a net worth of about $126 billion, ranking him 12th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The 62-year-old chief executive sold about $700 million in Nvidia shares last year under a prearranged plan, too.

Nvidia stock is up more than 800% since December 2022 after OpenAI’s ChatGPT was first released to the public. That launch drew attention to Nvidia’s graphics processing units, or GPUs, which were needed to develop and power the artificial intelligence service.

The company’s chips remain in high demand with the majority of the AI chip market, and Nvidia has introduced two subsequent generations of its AI GPU technology.

Nvidia continues to grow. Its stock is up 9% this year, even as the company faces export control issues that could limit foreign markets for its AI chips.

In May, the company reported first-quarter earnings that showed the chipmaker’s revenue growing 69% on an annual basis to $44 billion during the quarter.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Business

Small-business AI use is lagging, but one firm is channeling Sherlock Holmes and knocking out ‘grunt work’

Business 4 Mins Read

Chris Schwegmann is getting creative with how artificial intelligence is being used in law.

At Dallas-based boutique law firm Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann, he sometimes asks AI to channel Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts or Sherlock Holmes.

Schwegmann said after uploading opposing counsel’s briefs, he’ll ask legal technology platform Harvey to assume the role of a legal mind like Roberts to see how the chief justice would think about a particular problem.

Other times, he will turn to a fictional character like Holmes, unlocking a different frame of mind.

“Harvey, ChatGPT … they know who those folks are, and can approach the problem from that mindset,” he said. “Once we as lawyers get outside those lanes, when we are thinking more creatively involving other branches of science, literature, history, mythology, that sometimes generates some of the most interesting ideas that can then be put, using proper legal judgement, in a framework that works to solve a legal problem.”

It’s just one example of how smaller businesses are putting AI to work to punch above their weight, and new data shows there’s an opportunity for much more implementation in the future.

Only 24% of owners in the recent Small Business and Technology Survey from the National Federation of Independent Business said they are using AI, including ChatGPT, Canva and Copilot, in some capacity.

Notably, 98% of those using it said AI has so far not impacted the number of employees at their firms.

At his trial litigation firm of 50 attorneys, Schwegmann said AI is resolving work in days that would sometimes take weeks, and said the technology isn’t replacing workers at the firm.

It has freed up associate lawyers from doing “grunt work,” he said, and also means more senior-level partners have the time to mentor younger attorneys because everyone has more time.

The NFIB survey found AI use varied based on the size of the small business. For firms with employees in the single digits, uptake was at 21%. At firms with fifty or more workers, AI implementation was at nearly half of all respondents.

“The data show clearly that uptake for the smallest businesses lags substantially behind their larger competitors. … With a little attention from all the relevant stakeholders, a more equal playing field is possible,” the NFIB report said.

For future AI use, 63% of all small employers surveyed said the utilization of the technology in their industry in the next five years will be important to some degree; 12% said it will be extremely important and 15% said it will not be important at all.

Some of the most common uses in the survey were for communications, marketing and advertising, predictive analysis and customer service.

“We still have the need for the independent legal judgment of our associate lawyers and our partners — it hasn’t replaced them, it just augments their thinking,” Schwegmann said. “It makes them more creative and frees their time to do what lawyers do best, which is strategic thought and creative problem solving.”

The NFIB data echoes a recent survey from Reimagine Main Street, a project of Public Private Strategies Institute in partnership with PayPal.

Reimagine surveyed nearly 1,000 small businesses with annual revenue between $25,000 and $50,000 and also found that a quarter had already started integrating AI into daily workflows.

Schwegmann said at his firm, AI is helping to even the playing field.

“One of the things Harvey lets us do is review, understand and incorporate and respond much faster than we would prior to the use of these kinds of AI tools,” he said. “No longer does a party have an advantage because they can paper you to death.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Stock

Offense vs. Defense: How Geopolitical Tensions Shape Market Trends

Stock 4 Mins Read

As the cycle of uncertainty continues to yield confusion than clarity, investors are again caught having to decide between taking an offensive and defensive posture in the market. The tough part in today’s market environment is how fast situations can shift. With headlines driving the action, sentiment can flip on a dime. So how do you position yourself when breaking news drives the market?

No one can predict how the stock market will play out in the coming months. But keeping an eye on the ratio of “offense” to “defense” stocks can offer some clues. This may not give you a decisive trade scenario, but it can provide a clearer context that can help you form a more bullish or bearish decisive bias.

For this article, let’s refer to the StockCharts Market Summary tool and zoom in on the Technology vs. Utilities ratio (XLK:XLU), which you can find in the Key Ratios – Offense vs Defense panel.

Why XLK:XLU Ratio Matters

This ratio compares the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) with the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU), both being sector proxies (see the one-year ratio chart below).

FIGURE 1. TECH VS UTILITIES RATIO: From a one-year perspective, utilities have outperformed tech.

The key question is whether capital will continue chasing innovation and growth or seek shelter in the relative stability of power grids and water systems. The answer, when it eventually comes, could signal the economy’s next move.

On the one-year chart, the XLK:XLU ratio shows an attempted recovery from a general decline. Note how the ratio percentage is negative. That’s because, over the past year, utilities have generally performed stronger than tech. But we’re seeing tech’s performance strengthening, and a sustained move toward (and eventually into) positive territory would suggest a stronger shift in bullish sentiment.

Notably, XLK and XLU are trading at their respective highs, with XLK already breaking above it. The question remains which sector may be topping or outpacing the other in a more sustained manner.

XLK Breaks Higher: A Bullish Signal?

Here’s a daily chart of XLK.

FIGURE 2. DAILY CHART OF XLK. A proxy for the tech sector, XLK has broken above resistance. The key question now is whether it can hold above this level and follow through, or if it’s topping out amid the current geopolitical uncertainties.

XLK’s surge from its April bottom, including the gap above $243, signals bullish momentum. It’s also trading above the 200-day simple moving average (SMA) while its StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR) score has climbed above 76, signaling technical strength. Volume-wise, the Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) shows renewed strength in buying pressure, though CMF levels are down considerably since their highest levels in May.

XLU’s Rally: Strong, But Losing Steam

Compare XLK’s chart to XLU’s daily chart.

FIGURE 3. DAILY CHART OF XLU. The Utilities sector is challenging its highs, but is XLU losing steam, and will XLK eventually outpace it?

XLU is attempting to challenge its highs near the $82.50 range, though it hasn’t penetrated the top. Its SCTR score is also bullish at 77, though it’s not as convincing as that of XLK. XLU’s CMF reading also shows weakened buying pressure, as its levels are barely hovering above the zero line.

What These Charts Are Saying

Taken together, these charts aren’t about calling the next big trade. They’re about reading near-term sentiment and getting a feel for where investors think the economy is headed amid this tense geopolitical backdrop.

When both offense and defense are rising, it suggests uncertainty, with capital flowing in both directions. But when one sector pulls ahead, it may signal where institutional money is placing its bets. Whether you’re a short-term trader or long-term investor, tracking this ratio can help anchor your outlook, especially as global events continue to fuel market volatility.

Keep XLK and XLU on your ChartLists and continue to monitor this ratio, along with other comparative tools on the Market Summary page. Also, pay close attention to news developments.

At the Close

The XLK:XLU ratio might not give you the most comprehensive or surefire signal about investor sentiment, but it’s an important piece of the puzzle. It can help you see the bigger picture, which is a crucial step before placing any trades.

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

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Stock

How to Use Fibonacci Retracements to Spot Key Levels

Stock 1 Min Read

Join Dave as he shares how he uses the power of Fibonacci retracements to anticipate potential turning points. He takes viewers through the process of determining what price levels to use to set up a Fibonacci framework, and, from there, explains what Fibonacci retracements are telling him about the charts of NCLH, RTX, and the S&P 500

This video originally premiered on June 24, 2025. Watch on StockCharts’ dedicated David Keller page!

Previously recorded videos from Dave are available at this link.

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Stock

Shifting Tides in the Stock Market: A New Era for Bulls?

Stock 5 Mins Read

The stock market has been on quite the rollercoaster of late, thanks to news headlines. But investors seem to have shrugged off the past weekend’s geopolitical tensions, at least for now. 

On Tuesday, we saw a surge of enthusiasm. Investors were diving back into stocks and selling off their oil and precious metals holdings. Last week, oil prices spiked amid Middle East tensions, but have now fallen to pre-conflict levels. After what felt like a few weeks of the market moving sideways, maybe the stock market got the catalyst it needed to push the major indexes out of their trading range. A ceasefire between Israel and Iran was enough to get things going.

Stocks Get a Boost

Tuesday’s positive tone helped move the stock market higher, with the S&P 500 ($SPX) closing up 1.1%, finally breaking above the top of its trading range. The Nasdaq Composite ($COMPQ) followed suit, with both indexes within spitting distance of their all-time highs. The Nasdaq 100 ($NDX), which closed 1.53% higher, hit a new all-time high. And let’s not forget the Dow Industrials ($INDU), which is also making a strong attempt to push through key resistance levels, even though it’s a little bit further from its all-time high.

Given the Nasdaq 100’s strong performance on Tuesday, it’s worth taking a closer look at the daily chart of the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ).

FIGURE 1. DAILY CHART OF QQQ. The ETF hit a new high on June 24 with a potential Golden Cross. If the relative strength index and percentage price oscillator confirm upside momentum, QQQ could rise higher.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Besides hitting a new high, note that the 50-day simple moving average (SMA) crossed above the 200-day SMA. This is referred to as a Golden Cross and can be an early sign of bullishness. While it’s not a guaranteed “green light” at such an early stage, it’s worth watching to see if the 50-day SMA continues to stay above the 200-day SMA.

The relative strength index (RSI) is getting closer to overbought territory. If it crosses above 70, it would be another sign of strong bullish momentum. Similarly, the percentage price oscillator (PPO) needs to move into positive territory, meaning the shorter moving average should cross above the longer one. They’re close, but remember these are lagging indicators, meaning they’ll confirm trends that are already underway. Thus, if the 50-day SMA remains above the 20-day SMA, RSI crosses above 70, and PPO confirms upside momentum, it would confirm further upside move in QQQ.

Another interesting point to note: The Cboe Volatility Index ($VIX) closed at 17.48, which suggests investors are relatively complacent. The VIX was relatively subdued during the Middle East conflict, hitting a high of around 22. With less fear, the charts of the major indexes look like they’re going to hit fresh highs. On Tuesday, Technology, Financials, and Communication Services were the top-performing sectors.

Tech Regains Lead

The Technology sector was powered by semiconductors, which have been driving the market lately. The VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) has broken above the range it’s been trading within for the last couple of weeks and is now close to its 52-week high (see daily chart of SMH below).

FIGURE 2. DAILY CHART OF SMH. Semiconductors have been driving the stock market lately and broke out above the range from the last couple of weeks.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Looking at individual stocks, NVIDIA Corp. (NVDA) was the most actively traded S&P 500 stock. A handful of big names are hitting new all-time highs, too; this includes Broadcom, Inc. (AVGO), Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO), International Business Machines (IBM), JP Morgan Chase (JPM), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), and Netflix Inc. (NFLX), just to name a few. For the complete list, check out the “New Highs” panel in your StockCharts Dashboard; you’ll likely notice a significant percentage of tech stocks on the list.

The positive price action on Tuesday suggests investors are rotating into growth stocks, which signals further upside moves in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq stocks. Here’s a more encouraging sign: even the S&P 500 Equal-Weighted Index ($SPXEW) is breaking out and moving towards its highs. This indicates that the market’s strength isn’t limited to a few big, heavily-weighted growth stocks; participation is much broader.

Travel Stocks Get a Lift

Beyond tech stocks, consumer discretionary stocks also traded higher. The top three performers in the Consumer Discretionary sector were Carnival Corp. (CCL), Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings (NCLH), and Caesars Entertainment (CZR). The MarketCarpet for the Consumer Discretionary sector below shows travel stocks were strong performers on Tuesday.

FIGURE 3. MARKETCARPET FOR THE CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY SECTOR. The table on the right shows CCL, NCLH, and CZR were the top performers.Image source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

CCL’s stock price gapped up after the company reported strong earnings and guidance. An increase in cruise line bookings indicates consumer sentiment is strong. As a result, cruise lines and travel stocks traded higher. This goes against June’s Consumer Confidence report, which showed weakening confidence. It didn’t seem to impact the market, but it may come back to bite us depending on what news headlines we are likely to receive on Wednesday.

Closing Position

Tuesday’s price action suggests that equities are back on their bullish track after a period of consolidation. Will the upside move hold, or will a negative news headline bring the bears back into the market?

This is where your StockCharts tools come in handy! Keep a close eye on the performance of the major indexes and other helpful indicators such as the RSI and PPO. By using these tools, you can stay on top of the stock market and make investment decisions with greater confidence.

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

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Investing

Top 10 Copper-producing Companies

Investing 10 Mins Read

Copper miners with productive assets have much to gain as supply and demand tighten.

In May 2024, the copper price hit a new all-time high of US$10,954 per metric ton (MT) on the London Metal Exchange and US$5.20 per pound on the COMEX on the back of increasing demand and growing supply concerns.

Copper is one of the most important resources for the energy transition. However, in recent years, demand for the red metal has outpaced mining supply. While construction and electrical grids have long been major markets for copper, today the rise in demand for electric vehicles, EV charging infrastructure and energy storage applications are emerging drivers of copper consumption.

Another trend driving future copper demand is the rapid urbanization in the Global South, as rural populations migrate to cities, putting pressure on electricity grids.

Due to the challenges associated with finding, developing, permitting and mining copper deposits, the higher demand is being met by slow growth of new supply. Mines that are in operation tend to be quite large and operate for decades as copper producers concentrate on mine expansions and brownfield projects aimed at extending mine lifetimes.

Given those factors, investors should keep an eye on the world’s top copper miners and their operations.

This list of the 10 largest copper-mining companies in the world is ranked by attributable copper production for 2024.

1. BHP (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP)

Copper production: 1.46 million metric tons

BHP is one of the world’s largest mining companies, and its global portfolio of assets includes significant copper mining operations in Chile, Australia and Peru.

According to the company’s quarterly operational review data, the mining giant reported consolidated copper production of 1.46 million metric tons across the calendar year 2024.

Its most significant copper asset is the Escondida mine, the world’s largest copper mine. BHP holds a 58 percent stake in the Chilean operation, which, according to MDO data, produced 2.04 billion pounds of copper in 2024. The company wholly owns the Pampa Norte operations in Chile, which produced 586 million pounds of copper in 2024.

BHP also owns the Olympic Dam polymetallic mine, the largest mine in Australia. The South Australian mine hosts one of the world’s largest copper deposits as well as the largest uranium deposit. In 2023, BHP expanded its portfolio in the state with its acquisition of OZ Minerals and its Prominent Hill and Carrapateena copper operations.

2. Codelco

Copper production: 1.44 million metric tons

The Chilean state-owned Codelco is the world’s third-largest producer with copper production of 1.44 million metric tons in 2024. According to its 2024 annual report, its copper output increased 1.2 percent from 1.42 million metric tons in 2023.

Its largest asset is the Chuquicamata mine located in Northern Chile, between 2017 and 2021 annual production was in the 700 million to 850 million pound range. However, lower grades in recent years have led to production falling below 600 million pounds. In 2024, Chuquicamata increased slightly to 637 million pounds.

The mine transitioned from an open pit to an underground mine beginning in 2019. In its report, the company stated that phase one of its continuity infrastructure project had reached 73 percent completion and that plans for the second phase were undergoing feasibility studies.

The company’s other significant Chilean mines include El Teniente, Quebrada Blanca and Andina.

3. Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX)

Copper production: 1.26 million metric tons

Freeport-McMoRan is consistently ranked among the world’s top copper producers, and its share of copper production from its mines totaled 1.26 million metric tons of copper in 2024. The company reported producing 4.21 billion pounds, or 1.9 million metric tons, of the red metal, calculated on a 100 percent basis for all operations except its Morenci joint venture.

The largest contributor to its output is the Grasberg copper-gold mine in Indonesia. The mine itself is a joint venture between Freeport and state-owned Indonesia Asahan Aluminum, with the entities holding interests of 48.76 percent and 51.24 percent respectively. According to MDO, copper output for the mine in 2024 totaled 1.8 billion pounds.

Grasberg has undergone a transition from an open pit to an underground block cave, and expansion work continues at the site. As of the close of 2024, the mine had 469 open drawbells.

Additionally, Freeport holds a 55 percent stake in the Cerro Verde copper-molybdenum complex in Peru. The mine routinely produces between 800 million and 1 billion pounds of copper and is expected to be in operation until 2052.

Its largest US based operation is its 72 percent owned Morenci mine in Arizona, which produced 700 million pounds in 2024. It also owns the Safford and Sierrita mines in the same state.

4. Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF)

Copper production: 951,600 metric tons

Mining major Glencore’s copper production dipped by 6 percent in 2024 to 951,600 metric tons from the 1.01 million metric tons produced in 2023. The company’s 2024 annual report attributed the decline to lower planned production at its Antapaccay and Collahuasi mines due to factors including lower grades, water constraints and geotechnical challenges.

Located along Chile’s coast, Collahuasi is the company’s largest operation, a 44/44/12 joint operation between Glencore, Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:NGLOD) and Japan’s Mitsui & Co. (OTC Pink:MITSF,TSE:8031). The mine produced 558,600 metric tons of copper in 2024.

The partners are working to build a large-scale desalination plant designed to help overcome water shortage issues. The plant reached 86 percent completion in 2024 and is expected to begin operating in 2026. Once open, it will provide 1,050 litres of desalinated water per second to the mine via a 194 kilometer pipeline.

Other significant copper-producing assets in the company’s portfolio include Antamina in Peru, Mount Isa in Australia and the Katanga Complex in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

5. Southern Copper (NYSE:SCCO)

Copper production: 883,462 metric tons

A majority-owned, indirect subsidiary of Grupo Mexico (OTC Pink:GMBXF), Southern Copper recorded 883,462 metric tons of total copper production for 2024, a 6.9 percent increase over 2023. In the company’s 2024 results, the company attributed the increase to higher production across all operations, with a 10.7 percent increase from its Peruvian assets and a 4.3 percent increase from Mexican production.

The company operates major copper mines in Peru and Mexico and has exploration projects in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru.

Its largest copper-producing asset is the Buenavista mine in Northern Mexico, which sits atop one of the world’s largest porphyry copper deposits. According to MDO, the site produces approximately 700 billion to 750 billion pounds of copper per year.

Its other copper operations include the Cuajone and Toquepala mines in Peru and the La Caridad mine in Mexico.

6. Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:NGLOD)

Copper production: 772,700 metric tons

British miner Anglo American reported a 6.5 percent decrease in copper production to 772,700 metric tons from 826,200 metric tons in 2023.

The company attributed the decline to lower recovery and grades at the Collahuasi and Los Bronces operations in Chile, noting that the planned closure of the Los Bronces processing plant also impacted production. The company holds a 44 percent stake in Collahuasi and 50 percent in Los Bronces.

In addition to Collahuasi, the company also owns a 60 percent stake in the Quellaveco mine in Peru, with Mitsubishi owning the remaining 40 percent. The open pit mine started operating in 2022 and, according to MDO, produced 675 million pounds of copper in 2024.

It also owns a 50 percent stake in the El Soldado mine in Chile, which it operates in partnership with Mitsui, which holds a 30 percent stake, and Mitsubishi Materials (OTC Pink:MIMTF), which holds the remaining 20 percent. Data from MDO shows that the mine produced 48,200 metric tons of copper in 2024.

7. KGHM Polska Miedz (FWB:KGHA.F)

Copper production: 729,700 metric tons

Poland’s KGHM Polska Miedz Group has operations in Europe, North America and South America, and says that it controls over 40 million metric tons of copper ore resources worldwide. In 2024, KGHM produced 729,700 metric tons of copper, a slight increase from the 710,900 metric tons of copper produced in 2023.

According to MDO, KGHM’s largest operation is the Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine in Western Poland. The mine has been in operation since 1968 and produces approximately 430 million to 440 million pounds of copper annually.

The company’s Polish operations also include the Rudna mine, which produced 338 million pounds of copper last year, and the Lubin mine, which produced 156 million pounds.

Other options under the KGHM banner include the Robinson mine in Nevada, United States, and the 55 percent owned Sierra Gorda mine in Chile.

8. CMOC Group (OTC Pink:CMCLF,HKEX:3993)

Copper production: ~502,600 metric tons

CMOC Group is a new addition to the top 10 after its copper production jumped significantly in 2024, with its share of production from its joint venture copper-cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo totaling approximately 502,600 metric tons. On a 100 percent basis, the company reported annual copper production of 650,161 metric tons.

The majority of CMOC’s copper production came from its Tenke Fungurume copper-cobalt mine, an 80/20 joint venture with the state-owned mining firm Gecamines. According to MDO data, the mine has experienced significant growth over the past few years, ramping up from 400 million pounds of copper in 2020 to 618 million pounds in 2023. In 2024, Tenke Fungurume’s copper production soared to 992 million pounds, or 450,138 metric tons.

Its other DRC mine is Kisanfu, a 71/24/5 joint venture with Chinese battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology (SZSE:300750) and the DRC government. The mine produced 200,013 metric tons of copper cathode in 2024, up substantially from 114,000 in 2023.

9. Antofagasta (LSE:ANTO)

Copper production: 448,800 metric tons

Antofagasta’s share of copper production from its four joint venture operations in Chile totaled 448,800 metric tons in 2024.

The company’s largest operation is its 60 percent owned Los Pelambres mine, a joint venture with Mitsubishi. According to MDO, Los Pelambres’ copper production totaled 320,000 metric tons in 2024, up from 300,000 the previous year.

Its Centinela mine is another significant producer, with 224,000 metric tons of copper mined in 2024. The company is constructing a second concentrator at Centinela that, once it comes online in 2027, should add 144,000 metric tons of copper production annually and extend Centinela’s mine life by 15 years to 2051.

The company’s other Chilean joint ventures are the Antucoya and Zaldivar mines.

10. Teck (TSX:TECK.A,TECK.B,NYSE:TECK)

Copper production: 358,910 metric tons

Rounding out the top 10 is Canada’s Teck, which increased consolidated copper production by 50 percent in 2024, reaching 446,000 metric tons. On an attributable basis, the copper company’s production totaled 358,910 metric tons in 2024.

Much of the gain came from the ramp-up of the Quebrada Blanca mine in Chile. The mine started production in 2023 and produced just 122 million pounds of copper that year. 2024 saw a significant advancement, with the mine producing 458 million pounds of the red metal.

Teck holds a 60 percent ownership stake in the mine, while Japan’s Sumitomo (OTC Pink:SSUMF,TSE:8053) controls a 30 percent stake and Chile’s state-run Codelco owns the final 10 percent.

Teck also owns the Highland Valley mine in British Columbia, Canada. The mine is one of the largest open pit mines in Canada and produced 226 million pounds of copper in 2024.

Other copper operations in the Teck portfolio include Antamina in Peru and Carmen de Andacollo in Chile.

Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Germany, Italy Face Pressure to Repatriate US$245 Billion in Gold as Trust in US Custody Wavers

Investing 5 Mins Read

Germany and Italy are facing mounting domestic pressure to repatriate more than a third of their gold reserves — worth an estimated US$245 billion — currently held in New York by the US Federal Reserve.

Germany and Italy hold the world’s second and third largest gold reserves, trailing only the US. A substantial portion of this metal is stored overseas, primarily in Manhattan’s Federal Reserve Bank.

This longstanding arrangement, based largely on postwar financial realities and New York’s role as a major global gold-trading hub, is now being questioned by officials and commentators across Europe’s political spectrum.

Fabio De Masi, a former member of European Parliament now affiliated with Germany’s new left-wing populist BSW party, told the Financial Times there are “strong arguments” to bring more of Germany’s bullion back home.

Taxpayers Association of Europe (TAE) President Michael Jäger echoed the same sentiments last month: ‘Trump wants to control the Fed, which would also mean controlling the German gold reserves in the US,’ he told Reuters.

‘It’s our money, it should be brought back.’

Similar calls are being echoed in Italy, where economic commentator Enrico Grazzini recently warned that “leaving 43 per cent of Italy’s gold reserves in America under the unreliable Trump administration is very dangerous for the national interest.’ He was writing in Il Fatto Quotidiano ahead of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Washington.

Fueling this renewed concern are statements made by US President Donald Trump, who earlier this month warned that he may have to “force something” if the US Federal Reserve does not lower interest rates.

Trump has also made direct appeals to the Department of Energy to stimulate oil production, signaling what critics interpret as increasing politicization of independent institutions like the Fed.

The TAE has urged both Germany and Italy to reconsider their reliance on the Fed. “We are very concerned about Trump tampering with the Federal Reserve Bank’s independence,” Jäger said. “Our recommendation is to bring the (German and Italian) gold home to ensure European central banks have unlimited control over it at any given point in time.”

Public skepticism over the safety of foreign gold holdings is not new.

In Germany, a grassroots movement that began in 2010 eventually prompted the Bundesbank to repatriate 674 metric tons of gold from New York and Paris between 2013 and 2017. The operation, which cost 7 million euros, resulted in half of Germany’s reserves being stored domestically by 2020. Nevertheless, 37 percent of its gold remains in the US.

Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party once echoed similar sentiments while in opposition, pledging in 2019 to bring Italy’s gold back home. But since assuming power in 2022, Meloni has largely gone silent on the issue.

Skepticism about US stewardship is not limited to political rhetoric.

According to the World Gold Council’s latest survey on central bank gold reserves, 43 percent of the central banks surveyed plan to increase their gold holdings in the coming year — a record high.

The overwhelming majority of respondents (95 percent) expect global central bank gold reserves to keep rising, citing gold’s performance during crises, its inflation-hedging capabilities and its role as a diversifier. Notably, 59 percent of central banks surveyed reported holding at least part of their gold reserves domestically, up from 41 percent in 2024.

Although the Bank of England remains the most popular vaulting location, the World Gold Council’s survey reveals growing caution over US custodianship: only 7 percent of respondents said they planned to increase domestic storage last year, but the figure jumped significantly in 2025.

New bill calls for US gold audit

Adding another layer of complexity is the push in Washington for greater transparency about America’s gold reserves. House Bill 3795, introduced by Representative Thomas Massie and backed by three co-sponsors, calls for the first comprehensive audit of US gold holdings in over six decades.

The bill would mandate a full inventory and assay of gold stored at Fort Knox, West Point and the Denver Mint, as well as a forensic accounting of all transactions involving US gold over the last 50 years.

“The question as to who actually owns the bars outright is really the most crucial question. And if it is shown that America does not actually own the gold, if the gold is there, but America does not own it, (or) if it has been pledged or leased or swapped or otherwise encumbered in any way … this would be a huge, huge detriment to the US and the global economy.”

Cortez emphasized that prior audits of US gold reserves have been insufficient.

“These aren’t audits that have been done on the metal itself, but rather the storage containers that the metal is supposedly stored in,’ he said. “Owners or operators of a depository who functioned like this would go to jail.”

He also pointed out that much of the gold held by the US government is impure by modern market standards, having been melted down from older coinage. That means even if the bars are there, refinement questions will remain.

While Trump has not explicitly endorsed HB 3795, he has expressed interest in the issue, stating, ‘We’re actually going to Fort Knox to see if the gold is there. Because maybe somebody stole the gold. Tons of gold.’

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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