COPX needs higher copper

Article Excerpt

GLOBAL X COPPER MINERS ETF $15.44 (New York symbol COPX; buy or sell through brokers; www.globalxfunds.com) tracks the Solactive Global Copper Miners Index, which includes 20 to 40 international companies that mine, refine or explore for copper. Germany-based Structured Solutions AG created this index. Canadian firms make up 36.6% of the ETF’s holdings. They also include companies based in Australia (14.2%), Peru (5.1%), Mexico (5.0%) and China (4.5%). The fund’s MER is 0.65%. Its top holdings are Teck Resources at 7.7%; Oz Minerals, 7.0%; CST Mining Group, 6.5%; Glencore plc, 5.8%; First Quantum Minerals, 5.8%; Capstone Mining, 5.6%; Kaz Minerals plc, 5.5%; Lundin Mining, 5.0%; Southern Copper, 4.8%; Freeport-McMoran, 4.7%; Sandfire Resources, 4.5%; and Grupo Mexico, 4.5%. Copper prices have fallen from over $4.50 U.S. a pound at the start of 2011 to just $2.22 today. Over the long term, improving global economies and uncertain supply should push copper higher. In the near term, though, the metal’s outlook is uncertain…