Normalized Copper Production And Argentina Projects Will Shape Future Success

Key Takeaways

• Rising copper production, new projects, and disciplined supply management position Glencore for sustained revenue and earnings growth amid strong electrification and EV demand.
  
• Ongoing efficiency initiatives and portfolio optimizations enhance margins, bolster cash flow resilience, and provide capital flexibility despite inflationary and geopolitical pressures.
  
• Decarbonization, regulatory and legal risks, volatile marketing returns, and ESG pressures threaten Glencore's earnings stability, project execution, and access to capital.

Catalysts

Engages in the production, refinement, processing, storage, transport, and marketing of metals and minerals, and energy products in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

• A significant uplift in copper production volumes is expected in the second half of 2025 and beyond, as operational bottlenecks and mine sequencing normalize across key sites, with a clear pathway to 1 million tonnes of annual copper by 2028 and new low-capex, high-return brown/greenfield projects in Argentina (MARA, El Pachón) progressing-supporting sustained, long-term revenue and EBITDA growth in alignment with continued global electrification and EV adoption.
  
• Structural cost savings of ~$1 billion annually by 2026 are being delivered through over 300 efficiency and organizational optimization initiatives across Glencore's industrial portfolio, with more than half expected to be banked in H2 2025 and the remainder by 2026. This recurring benefit should materially improve net margins and operating leverage, offsetting inflationary pressures relative to peers.
  
• The upgraded marketing EBIT range (from $2.3–3.5bn, midpoint +16%) reflects robust performance in metals trading, particularly copper, and Glencore's ability to capitalize on persistent supply chain dislocations, trade realignments, and arbitrage opportunities amid tighter global supply and rising geopolitical focus on critical minerals-driving cash flow resilience and margin expansion over the cycle.
  
• Recent portfolio enhancements, including the integration of Tier 1, long-life, low-cost assets such as EVR and stakes in profitable industrials (e.g., Alunorte, Century), are poised to deliver incremental earnings and cash flows, with further monetization potential from Bunge shareholding and potential infrastructure asset sales, providing both downside protection and future capital return flexibility.
  
• The trend of disciplined supply management (e.g., targeted curtailments in coal, ferrochrome, and smelting) positions Glencore to benefit from shrinking capacity and slowing project development industry-wide-likely resulting in persistent supply deficits and structurally higher realized prices for battery and base metals, supporting long-term revenue growth and EBITDA uplift.

Glencore Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

• Analysts are assuming Glencore's revenue will grow by 1.7% annually over the next 3 years.
• Analysts assume that profit margins will increase from -0.9% today to 2.2% in 3 years time.
• Analysts expect earnings to reach $5.2 billion (and earnings per share of $0.43) by about September 2028, up from $-2.1 billion today. However, there is a considerable amount of disagreement amongst the analysts with the most bullish expecting $5.9 billion in earnings, and the most bearish expecting $4.3 billion.
• In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 13.6x on those 2028 earnings, up from -22.2x today. This future PE is greater than the current PE for the GB Metals and Mining industry at 11.7x.
• Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to decline by 1.94% per year for the next 3 years.
• To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 8.48%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Glencore Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

• Weakness in first-half commodity prices, particularly for coal and copper, led to a significant decrease in industrial EBITDA; if this persists due to long-term global decarbonization or accelerated renewables adoption (limiting fossil fuel demand), Glencore's revenues and earnings from coal could structurally decline.
  
• Ongoing geopolitical and regulatory risks-including cobalt export bans in the DRC, uncertain Argentine regulatory frameworks for major copper projects (MARA, El Pachón), and potential global resource nationalism-could delay project execution, increase costs, or impede access to strategic minerals, ultimately impacting revenue growth and profit margins.
  
• Exposure to legacy coal operations and related carbon-intensive assets raises the risk of stranded assets, negative ESG sentiment, and shrinking access to ESG-linked capital as global investors increasingly shun fossil-fuel companies, potentially leading to higher cost of capital and reduced net margins.
  
• Marketing business returns have become more volatile and are increasingly reliant on short-term arbitrage opportunities driven by tariff uncertainty and market dislocations; if global trade becomes more stable, or commodity market regulations tighten further, structural profitability of the marketing business may become less predictable, pressuring Glencore's earnings and cash flow stability.
  
• Legal and remediation liabilities, particularly regarding historical corruption/bribery investigations and rising costs for environmental reclamation, mine closure, and water management, present material risks; future fines, tightening environmental standards, or new compliance mandates could create unpredictable headwinds for net earnings and increase operational expenditures.

Valuation

• The analysts have a consensus price target of £3.712 for Glencore based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of £4.61, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just £3.09.
• In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be $243.3 billion, earnings will come to $5.2 billion, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 13.6x, assuming you use a discount rate of 8.5%.
• Given the current share price of £2.87, the analyst price target of £3.71 is 22.7% higher.
• We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.