# Southern Copper Corp./ (SCCO)

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

- Exchange: New York Stock Exchange · Sector: Materials · Industry: Copper
- Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona, United States
- Founded: 1952 (incorporated)
- Employees: 16,617 (December 31, 2025)
- SEC CIK: 0001001838 ([filings on EDGAR](https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0001001838))
- Full page: https://inspectstocks.com/stocks/scco
- Data as of: price 2026-09-28; newest filing used 2026-07-31; latest fiscal period ended 2026-06-30

## Grade

**A+** on the growth-and-cash rubric, 5 of 5 checks passed.

| Check | Result | Now | Before |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Revenue growing overall | passed | $15.8B | $10.1B |
| Revenue growing recently | passed | $15.8B | $13.4B |
| Free cash flow positive | passed | $5.1B |  |
| Free cash flow growing overall | passed | $5.1B | $2.6B |
| Free cash flow growing recently | passed | $5.1B | $3.4B |

Business quality (the + / − mark): 6 of 6 checks passed.

| Check | Result | Now | Before |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Profitable | passed | 36.0% |  |
| Healthy profit margin | passed | 36.0% |  |
| Strong operating margin | passed | 56.9% |  |
| Good return on equity | passed | 51.4% |  |
| Debt under control | passed | 0.67 |  |
| Turns sales into cash | passed | 32.3% |  |

How the grade works: the letter counts failed checks (none → A, one → B, two → C, three → D, four or more → F). It is built from SEC filings only — the share price never enters it — and describes the business, not whether the stock is worth buying.

## Key figures

In US dollars, as filed.

| Measure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Revenue, trailing twelve months | $15.8B |
| Net income, trailing twelve months | $5.7B |
| Free cash flow, trailing twelve months | $5.1B |
| Net margin | 36.0% |
| Operating margin | 56.9% |
| Return on equity | 51.4% |
| Debt to equity | 0.67 |
| Diluted EPS, trailing twelve months | $6.81 |
| Share price | $202.61 |
| Market value | $169B |
| Price / earnings | 29.8x |
| Price / sales | 10.7x |

## What the business does

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.

### How it makes money

- **Mexican open-pit operations: copper, zinc, and by-products from the La Caridad and Buenavista mine complexes.** (56.3% (quarter ended March 31, 2026)) — Revenue comes from selling mined and processed metals, including copper and zinc, to customers under contracts priced by reference to prevailing market prices.
- **Peruvian operations: copper and by-products from the Toquepala and Cuajone mine complexes and their processing facilities.** (36.4% (quarter ended March 31, 2026)) — Revenue comes from sales of copper and by-products including molybdenum and silver; the operations also smelt and refine copper.
- **Mexican underground operations: metals from the IMMSA unit’s underground mines and zinc refinery.** (7.3% (quarter ended March 31, 2026)) — Revenue comes from selling zinc, lead, copper, silver, and gold produced by the underground mines and processing facilities.

### Products

- **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.
- **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.

### Customers

- 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.

### Competitors

- Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (FCX) — Produces and sells copper, including copper mined in the Americas.
- BHP Group Limited (BHP) — Produces and sells copper from mines in multiple countries.
- Rio Tinto plc (RIO) — Produces and sells copper from mines in multiple countries.

### What it depends on

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

### What could go wrong

- Changes in copper and other metal prices can materially affect sales revenue and financial results.
- Community 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.
- Lower-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.

## More on this company

- [Overview](https://inspectstocks.com/stocks/scco)
- [Financial statements](https://inspectstocks.com/stocks/scco/financials)
- [Competitors](https://inspectstocks.com/stocks/scco/peers)
- [Earnings](https://inspectstocks.com/stocks/scco/earnings)

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Source: InspectStocks, built from the company’s own SEC filings. This describes a business — it is not investment advice and not a recommendation to buy or sell anything.