Hudbay Minerals Closes $600M JV with Mitsubishi for Copper World Project
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 12 2026
0mins
Should l Buy HBM?
Source: seekingalpha
- Strategic Investment Closed: Hudbay Minerals announced the completion of a strategic investment with Mitsubishi, which will inject $420M into the Copper World project in Arizona, significantly enhancing the project's funding base and development potential.
- Future Funding Commitment: Mitsubishi will also contribute an additional $180M within 18 months to complete its initial investment and cover its 30% share of future equity capital contributions required for construction, ensuring smooth project advancement.
- Use of Funds: Hudbay stated that the $420M from Mitsubishi will be directly allocated to fund the feasibility study and pre-development costs of the Copper World project, ensuring timely progress and risk mitigation.
- Feasibility Study Progress: The feasibility study for the Copper World project is expected to be completed by mid-2026, and Hudbay considers the successful closing of the $600M joint venture transaction a significant milestone in advancing Copper World, further validating the long-term value of this world-class asset.
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Analyst Views on HBM
Wall Street analysts forecast HBM stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for HBM is 20.63 USD with a low forecast of 17.24 USD and a high forecast of 24.79 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
10 Analyst Rating
10 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 23.500
Low
17.24
Averages
20.63
High
24.79
Current: 23.500
Low
17.24
Averages
20.63
High
24.79
About HBM
Hudbay Minerals Inc. is a Canada-based copper-focused critical minerals company with three operations and a pipeline of copper growth projects in tier-one mining jurisdictions of Canada, Peru and the United States. The Company's operating portfolio includes the Constancia mine in Cusco (Peru), the Snow Lake operations in Manitoba (Canada) and the Copper Mountain mine in British Columbia (Canada). The Company's growth pipeline includes the Copper World project in Arizona (United States), the Mason project in Nevada (United States), the Llaguen project in La Libertad (Peru) and several expansion and exploration opportunities near its existing operations. The Copper Mountain Mine, located south of Princeton, British Columbia, is a conventional open pit, truck and shovel operation. The Constancia mine is located in the province of Chumbivilcas in southern Peru. Its primary production is copper, complemented by gold production and by-products, such as zinc, silver, and molybdenum.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Equity Option: Under the agreement, JOGMEC will receive an option to purchase a 10% stake in three projects, with Hudbay acting as the operator, ensuring smooth exploration activities over the next three years and further solidifying its market position.
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- Joint Venture Prospects: Should JOGMEC and Marubeni successfully fulfill their investment obligations and choose to exercise their options, a three-party joint venture will be formed, with Hudbay holding a 70% stake, further enhancing its control in resource development.
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- New Investment Position: Louisbourg Investments acquired 263,900 shares of Hudbay Minerals in a trade valued at approximately $5.25 million, representing 1.05% of its U.S. equity portfolio, indicating a sustained interest in the mining sector.
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- Strategic Asset Allocation: The new stake positions Hudbay Minerals at just over 1% of Louisbourg's portfolio, suggesting a targeted allocation strategy rather than a speculative high-risk investment, balancing exposure to real assets.
- Copper Price Growth Drivers: Hudbay has benefited from rising copper prices and improved operational leverage across its North and South American assets, with growing investor focus on long-term copper supply, indicating strong recognition of its fundamentals.
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- New Investment Position: On January 16, Louisbourg Investments disclosed a new position in Hudbay Minerals, acquiring 263,900 shares for approximately $5.25 million, indicating confidence in the company's prospects.
- Asset Allocation Ratio: This investment represents 1.05% of Louisbourg's assets under management, highlighting a strategic emphasis on the mining sector, particularly the potential in the copper market.
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- Market Trend Impact: Hudbay has benefited from rising copper prices and improved operational leverage, with increasing investor focus on long-term copper supply, making Louisbourg's decision to increase exposure at this time strategically significant.
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- Consistent Achievement: Hudbay achieved approximately 118,188 tonnes of copper and 267,934 ounces of gold in 2025, marking the 11th consecutive year of meeting annual copper production guidance and the 5th year for gold, demonstrating resilience amid challenges like wildfire evacuations.
- Strong Q4 Performance: In Q4 2025, Hudbay produced about 33,069 tonnes of copper and 84,298 ounces of gold, particularly exceeding gold production guidance in Peru's Pampacancha satellite deposit, further solidifying its market position.
- Robust Cash Flow: As of December 31, 2025, Hudbay reported approximately $992 million in cash and cash equivalents, with total liquidity exceeding $1.4 billion when including undrawn credit facilities, providing strong support for future investments and operations.
- Operational Optimization: The company optimized its mine plan in the second half of 2025 by prioritizing Pampacancha mining, maintaining stable production despite unexpected downtimes, and is expected to see higher production levels in 2026 compared to 2025.
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