How to invest in copper: Buying copper for beginners in 2025

Investing in copper is a simple process and there are several ways to put your money into this popular commodity. This beginner’s guide takes you through the basics of how to invest in copper.

How can I invest in copper?

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There are several options available, ranging from investing in copper stocks to buying copper bars or coins. The right approach depends on your personal budget, risk tolerance, and timeline for seeing returns. Here’s a look at the various ways you can invest in copper online.

Buy copper stocks 

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An easy way to invest indirectly is through buying stocks in publicly traded companies that are involved in the copper industry. This can include copper mining companies, explorers, manufacturers, and more. The best copper stocks often focus on more than copper alone, meaning you’ll also gain exposure to other metals and materials. 

Here are some of the top copper stocks to buy in 2025. 

• Freeport-McMoRan Incorporated (NYSE: FCX). Freeport-McMoRan is an exploration company with diverse assets of copper, gold, and molybdenum.
• Southern Copper Corporation (NYSE: SCCO). Southern Copper Corporation is an American copper mining company. 
• Rio Tinto Limited (LON: RIO). Rio Tinto is the world’s second-largest metals and mining company. 

Invest in copper ETFs

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Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are possibly the easiest way to invest in copper. ETFs are just like regular stocks and trade on exchanges across the world. The key difference is an ETF is a collection of stocks within the same industry, in this case, copper. 

ETFs give you broad exposure to the value of copper, as many of the companies included in the fund often rise and fall in line with the price of the metal. If you’re a beginner wanting to invest in copper, ETFs are the best option and an excellent way to cover the broader market. 

Below are some of the top copper ETFs available in 2025. 

• WisdomTree Copper ETF (LSE: COPA). COPA gives investors exposure to copper by tracking the Bloomberg Copper Subindex.
• Global X Copper Miners ETF (NYSEARCA: COPX). As its name suggests, COPX invests in copper mining companies. 
• The United States Copper Index Fund (NYSEARCA: CPER). This ETF gives you exposure to copper futures.  

Invest in copper mutual funds

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Mutual funds operate similarly to ETFs with the main difference being a fund manager decides what to invest in. Mutual funds typically invest in a basket of securities, aiming for diversification and risk management. 

As copper is a single asset, there are no mutual funds that focus solely on copper. There are, however, many metals mutual funds which may offer exposure to copper. If you’re looking to invest in copper via a fund, opting for a copper ETF is the best option. 

Buy copper bars or coins 

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The best way to invest in copper if you want actual physical ownership of the metal is to buy copper bars (bullion) or coins. Investing in copper this way gives you a tangible asset that you can keep entirely outside of the banking system if you want to.

There are a few different ways of owning physical copper. Here’s a rundown of the types of copper you can buy online:

• Copper bars. Copper bars are rectangular or square shapes of copper that range in weight from a few kilograms to potentially tens of kilograms. Often, online retailers that sell copper bars have minimum purchase quantities, which might not be ideal for investors wanting a small amount of copper. 
• Copper coins and rounds. Copper coins are sometimes marketed as collectables and come in various shapes and weights. Many resemble traditional coins and can be bought relatively cheaply. However, it is important to remember that the value of coins might not directly represent the spot price of copper due to markup and uniqueness. 

How to invest in copper online – a step-by-step guide

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Investing in copper is a simple process. Before you begin, you’ll need to register with a trusted online broker to access the copper market. Follow the steps below to learn how to invest in copper.

Step 1. Open a copper investment account

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Choose an online broker that offers a way to invest in the copper market. We recommend Plus500 as the best copper investing platform. You can invest in a range of copper stocks, copper ETFs, and copper mutual funds. 

Step 2. Choose your copper investment vehicle

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You can invest in copper using various methods. Most investors prefer to invest in copper stocks, ETFs, or funds. You can also directly invest in copper through futures contracts or even physical bars or coins. Our guide below explains more about each option. 

Step 3. Make your investment in copper

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Once you decide how to invest your money into copper, it’s time to make your investment. To do this, simply log into your online brokerage account and use the search bar to find your chosen investment. For example, if you’re planning to invest in a copper ETF, just type its name or ticker symbol and you’ll be taken to its trading page. 

Fill out your order details on the trading page and hit the buy button. You’ll usually be able to decide how many shares you want to buy if using stocks, ETFs, or funds. Alternatively, you can enter a dollar amount and the brokerage platform will take care of the rest.

Step 4. Monitor your investments

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Regularly review your investment portfolio and its performance. Keep an eye on the copper price to stay updated with the latest changes. If its price drops, you could use it as an opportunity to add to your investment. If it rises, you may want to consider taking some profit. 

Where can I start investing in copper?

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To invest in copper, you need to register with a copper investing platform. These are the best copper investing platforms, ranked by our team of commodity experts according to their value for money, user experience, and security features.

Why invest in copper?

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Copper has many reasons that make it a good investment, espcailyl for the long term. Copper is an essential element in modern infrastructure, construction, and technology. With renewable energy sources like solar and wind heavily relying on copper for electrical wiring and components, demand for the metal looks set to outpace supply. 

Another reason that makes copper an excellent choice for investors is its positive correlation with inflation. When inflation rises, the price of copper often increases as well. This can make it a good investment for those seeking to hedge against inflation. 

Copper is also a top way to diversify your portfolio. Spreading your investments across varios asset classes can help mitigate risk. 

Is investing in copper safe?

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Although there is no such thing as a ‘safe’ investment, copper is considered less risky than other assets. It’s important to use a trusted and regulated commodity trading platform when buying copper as an investment. By doing this, you’ll often benefit from added regulatory protection and even compensation should your broker fall on hard times. 

How much does copper investing cost?

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It depends on the investment vehicle you use when investing in copper. The most popular ways to invest in copper include stocks and ETFs. These assets come with their own costs and sometimes taxes. You’ll also have broker fees and commissions to consider, which can range between 1% – 5% of your total investment. 

If you buy physical copper bars or coins, you’ll have the added costs of storage and possibly insurance, although this will largely depend on the amount of copper you buy. Storage and insurance can eat into your profits, so make sure you do your calculations before buying copper. All copper dealers have a slightly different fee schedule. 

How do I store copper bars? 

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When you buy physical copper one thing you need to consider is how you’ll store it. As it’s a tangible asset of value, you’ll also need to think about insurance. There are several options available to store copper securely. You can use an online storage service, or keep it at home.

Here’s a look at the various copper storage options. 

Online storage

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Most reputable online copper sellers will also offer storage services in a secure vault. Just consider the size of your copper portfolio first: If your total copper investing budget is less than $1,000, a significant chunk of that amount (at least $100 per year) would be spent paying the seller to store the copper for you. 

Online storage is the easiest way to store your copper. The dealer will take care of everything for you and all you have to do is pay a monthly or yearly fee. You’ll probably never even see or hold your copper in your own hands if using a third party copper storage company. 

Home storage

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You can also receive home delivery of copper, and then find a secure storage space in your home. Some investors feel better knowing that their copper is always within arm’s length. 

Plus if you plan to hold copper long-term, you only need to invest in a vault once, rather than pay storage fees year after year. The downside is that your risk of theft goes up if you store such valuables in your home. You’ll also need to buy insurance to protect your investment, adding to your total cost.

Besides insurance, you’ll also need to think about where you’ll store your copper in your home. You could buy a safe or vault, although this would add to your costs. It’s important to find a safe place within your home to securely store your copper bars or coins. 

High street brokers

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If you want to store your copper somewhere that’s not your home but also prefer not to transact online, visit a local High Street broker to talk to a real, live human face-to-face and explain your storage needs. 

High Street brokers will process your copper purchase, and then take care of storage for you, erasing the hassle and security worries that come with stashing copper in your home. 

Banks

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Like high street brokers, you may be able to visit your local bank and purchase and store copper directly with them. Lots of leading banks offer the ability to buy copper bars and also take care of storage and insurance for you. However, this will come at a cost as you’ll have to pay fees to the bank to keep your copper bullion secure. 

Bottom line

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As we’ve discussed in this guide, copper can make an excellent investment and addition to your portfolio. With such a wide range of methods you can use to buy copper, there’s an investment vehicle for everyone. Beginners will find copper stocks and copper ETFs the most suitable option. 

One of the benefits of investing in copper is the ability to buy it in its physical form. This allows you to invest in a tangible asset, something that very few other investments offer. Whatever you decide to do, you must weigh the pros and cons of copper investing before making a purchase. 

FAQs

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