FCX vs. GFI: Freeport-McMoRan vs. Gold Fields Stock Comparison
How do Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Gold Fields (GFI) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Gold Fields (GFI) both belong to the Metals & Mining industry, though FCX is classified under Copper while GFI falls under Gold.
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) trades as ordinary local shares, while Gold Fields (GFI) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | FCX | GFI |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Freeport-McMoRan Inc. | Gold Fields Ltd. Sponsored ADR |
| Country/Region | United States | South Africa |
| GICS Sector | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry Group | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry | Metals & Mining | Metals & Mining |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Copper | Gold |
| Market Capitalization | 85.33 billion USD | 34.65 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | July 10, 1995 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | FCX | GFI |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 58.58% | 9.54% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 24.99% | 51.07% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 11.32% | 38.08% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) has an aggressive beta of 1.37, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Gold Fields (GFI) is defensive at 0.64 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | FCX | GFI |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 48.40% | 60.41% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.37 | 0.64 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -51.26% | -56.22% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 12.34M | 3.78M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | FCX | GFI |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.12 | 0.09 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.61 | 0.12 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Gold Fields (GFI) at 58.68% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 15.72%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
FCX
Materials industry group
15.72%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- FCX
- 15.72%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
GFI
Materials industry group
58.68%
- GFI
- 58.68%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
Net Margin (TTM)
Gold Fields (GFI) at 38.66% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 13.03%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
FCX
Materials industry group
13.03%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- FCX
- 13.03%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
GFI
Materials industry group
38.66%
- GFI
- 38.66%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 35.26% and Gold Fields (GFI) at 55.00% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
FCX
Materials industry group
35.26%
- Max
- 66.70%
- FCX
- 35.26%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
GFI
Materials industry group
55.00%
- Max
- 66.70%
- GFI
- 55.00%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | FCX | GFI |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 15.72% | 58.68% |
| ROA (TTM) | 7.99% | 28.52% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 13.03% | 38.66% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 35.26% | 55.00% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 38.86% | 57.77% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Gold Fields (GFI) at 68.24% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 1.81% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for GFI.
EPS Growth
Gold Fields (GFI) at 185.51% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 16.92% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for GFI.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | FCX | GFI |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 1.81% | 68.24% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.39% | 26.86% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 16.92% | 185.51% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -14.00% | 71.58% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 2.02 and Gold Fields (GFI) at 1.87 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.
FCX
Materials industry group
2.02
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- FCX
- 2.02
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- 0.16
GFI
Materials industry group
1.87
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- GFI
- 1.87
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- 0.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 0.31 and Gold Fields (GFI) at 0.29 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
FCX
Materials industry group
0.31
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.47
- FCX
- 0.31
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
GFI
Materials industry group
0.29
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.47
- GFI
- 0.29
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | FCX | GFI |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.02 | 1.87 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.31 | 0.29 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.60 | 0.06 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 1.04% pays an industry-typical yield; Gold Fields (GFI) at 5.65% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.
FCX
Materials industry group
1.04%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- FCX
- 1.04%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GFI
Materials industry group
5.65%
- GFI
- 5.65%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 25.21% and Gold Fields (GFI) at 31.81% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
FCX
Materials industry group
25.21%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- FCX
- 25.21%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GFI
Materials industry group
31.81%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- GFI
- 31.81%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | FCX | GFI |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.04% | 5.65% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 25.21% | 31.81% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Gold Fields (GFI) at 8.03 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 24.97 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for GFI, though growth and earnings durability still matter.
FCX
Materials industry group
24.97
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- FCX
- 24.97
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
GFI
Materials industry group
8.03
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- GFI
- 8.03
- Min
- 3.93
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 3.23 and Gold Fields (GFI) at 3.05 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
FCX
Materials industry group
3.23
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- FCX
- 3.23
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
GFI
Materials industry group
3.05
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- GFI
- 3.05
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 3.97 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Gold Fields (GFI) at 7.78 prices even higher, above its industry range.
FCX
Materials industry group
3.97
- Max
- 6.59
- FCX
- 3.97
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
GFI
Materials industry group
7.78
- GFI
- 7.78
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | FCX | GFI |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 24.97 | 8.03 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.23 | 3.05 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 3.97 | 7.78 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.19% | 12.05% |