Copper longer-term is the best commodity out there, says Carlyle’s Jeff Currie

Mining
Wednesday, May 29th, 2024 9:16 pm EDT

Key Points

  • Strong Long-Term Demand: Currie emphasizes that copper is critical for green technologies and the energy transition, leading to sustained long-term demand.
  • Supply Constraints: There are significant supply challenges due to underinvestment in new mining projects and geopolitical issues, contributing to a supply-demand imbalance.
  • High Price Potential: Given these factors, Currie predicts copper prices could soar, potentially reaching up to $15,000 per ton in the coming years.

In the CNBC interview, Jeff Currie of The Carlyle Group highlights copper as the most promising commodity for the long term. He emphasizes that several macroeconomic and structural trends support this bullish outlook.

Currie points to three primary factors driving the strong demand for copper:

  1. Redistribution Policies: Government efforts to redistribute wealth to lower-income groups are expected to boost overall commodity consumption, including copper.
  2. Environmental Policies: The push for green technologies, which rely heavily on copper, is significantly increasing demand. This includes the use of copper in electric vehicles, solar panels, and other renewable energy technologies.
  3. Deglobalization: The shift towards deglobalization, coupled with increased military spending and infrastructure development, further stresses the copper supply chain. Mining output has struggled to keep up due to political and financial challenges, leading to lower inventories and higher prices.

Currie predicts that these factors will create a substantial supply-demand imbalance, potentially driving copper prices to as high as $15,000 per ton in the coming years. He draws parallels to the early 2000s, suggesting that the current market conditions could lead to a similar investment boom in the copper market​ (OilPrice.com)​​ (ICARO)​​ (BNN)​.

For the full original video link from CNBC, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/05/29/copper-longer-term-is-the-best-commodity-out-there-says-carlyles-jeff-currie.html?&qsearchterm=copper