Southern Copper Corp./

SCCO · NYSE · Materials · Copper

Next earnings: October 27, 2026

$203.92+1.2%Sep 25 close

1M: -2.8%
6M: +27.2%
1Y: +80.4%
5Y: +367.9%

Mines and processes copper and other metals in Peru and Mexico, then sells them to industrial customers.

Built from Southern Copper Corp./’s own filings with the SEC. Figures are as reported, with per-share history restated onto today’s share basis. This describes a business — it is not investment advice and not a recommendation to buy or sell anything.

Full financial statements →

About Southern Copper Corp./

Southern Copper mines copper ore and processes it into copper concentrates, refined copper cathodes, and copper rod. Its operations in Peru and Mexico also produce molybdenum, silver, zinc, gold, lead, and other materials. It sells these products mainly under contracts whose prices are tied to metal-market prices.

Head office: Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Founded: 1952 (incorporated)
Employees: 16,617 (December 31, 2025, high)
Listed on: New York Stock Exchange
Financial year ends: December 31

How it makes money

Mexican open-pit operations: copper, zinc, and by-products from the La Caridad and Buenavista mine complexes.56%
Peruvian operations: copper and by-products from the Toquepala and Cuajone mine complexes and their processing facilities.36%
Mexican underground operations: metals from the IMMSA unit’s underground mines and zinc refinery.7%

Shares of revenue are estimates for quarter ended March 31, 2026, not figures from a filing.

Competes with

What it sells6

Copper cathodes and other refined copper
High-purity copper produced by refining or by treating copper ore with a chemical leaching process and then recovering the copper.
Copper rod
Copper formed into rod at the company’s Mexican rod plant for use in industrial and electrical applications.
Copper concentrates
Copper-rich material made by processing mined ore; it is sold for further smelting and refining.

Show 3 more

Molybdenum concentrate
A metal product recovered during copper production and sold for uses including steel alloys.
Zinc and lead
Metals produced mainly by the Mexican underground mines; the company also refines zinc.
Silver and gold
Precious metals recovered from mining and processing, including at the company’s precious-metals plants.

Who buys it2

Industrial end users buy copper and other metals, generally through annual or longer-term contracts; contract prices refer to market prices for the relevant quotation period.
Copper concentrates are sold to customers who smelt and refine the material, while refined copper and copper rod are sold in more processed forms.

What it stands on, and what could break it

What the business leans on

1Revenue depends heavily on market prices for copper and other metals, which the company says are largely set by forces outside its control.
2Mining, processing, and sales depend on permits, concessions, water access, and political and community conditions in Peru and Mexico.
3Operations require substantial electricity, fuel, natural gas, water, equipment, and skilled labor; some Mexican electricity is purchased from a power company affiliated with Grupo Mexico.

How it compares with its industry

Three ratings, each a percentile against the 8 companies we cover in Copper. Deliberately kept apart rather than blended into one score — cheap, rising and well-run are three different facts, and a single number would hide which one is which.

Momentum

50of 100 in its industry

Middle of its industry

12 months to a month ago134.3%

6 months to a month ago3.2%

The most recent month is left out on purpose: returns tend to persist over 7–12 months and the newest one tends to reverse. This describes what the price has done, and says nothing about what it will do.

Value

38of 100 in its industry

Below most of its industry

Profit for the price3.34%

Cash for the price3.00%

Sales for the price9.28%

Assets for the price6.49%

Operating profit for the whole business4.56%

Yields, so higher means cheaper — a loss-making company ranks last instead of dropping out. Cheap is not the same as good: a high yield is often a price that fell for a reason. All five measures available.

Capital allocation

4/5Mostly disciplined

1 check not reported

Return on capital26.4%

Shareholder yield1.50%

Share count, 3 years7.9%

Net debt / EBITDA0.32x

Insiders, 12 months-$3.1M

What management does with the money — scored on whatever the filings answer, never as a share of the total.

The six capital-allocation checks

Return on the money invested26.4% on invested capital
Debt against earnings0.32x net debt to operating earnings
Cash returned to shareholders1.5% a year in buybacks and dividends
Share count over three yearsShare count 7.9% higher over three years
Payouts covered by cash flowFree cash flow covers what it pays out
Open-market insider buyingNet selling of $3.1M — not counted against the score

A description of where this company sits among its competitors, not a recommendation. Ratings updated Sep 26, 2026.

What could go wrong

1Changes in copper and other metal prices can materially affect sales revenue and financial results.
2Community actions, illegal mining, political changes, or problems obtaining and renewing permits and concessions in Peru or Mexico can delay or stop mine projects and operations.
3Lower-than-expected ore grades, equipment or process failures, and interruptions or higher costs for energy, fuel, water, labor, or supplies can reduce production or raise operating costs.