FCX vs. WPM: Freeport-McMoRan vs. Wheaton Precious Metals Stock Comparison
How do Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) 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 Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) both belong to the Metals & Mining industry, though FCX is classified under Copper while WPM falls under Gold.
| Profile Item | FCX | WPM |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Freeport-McMoRan Inc. | Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. |
| Country/Region | United States | Canada |
| 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 | 61.91 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | July 10, 1995 | July 6, 2005 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | FCX | WPM |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 58.58% | 45.35% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 24.99% | 50.60% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 11.32% | 29.06% |
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 Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) is defensive at 0.49 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | FCX | WPM |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 48.40% | 52.11% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.37 | 0.49 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -51.26% | -43.29% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 12.34M | 2.01M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | FCX | WPM |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.12 | 0.79 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.61 | 1.14 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) at 23.10% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 15.72% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for WPM.
FCX
Materials industry group
15.72%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- FCX
- 15.72%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
WPM
Materials industry group
23.10%
- Max
- 52.88%
- WPM
- 23.10%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
Net Margin (TTM)
Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) at 60.39% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 13.03% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
FCX
Materials industry group
13.03%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- FCX
- 13.03%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
WPM
Materials industry group
60.39%
- WPM
- 60.39%
- 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 Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) at 66.70% 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%
WPM
Materials industry group
66.70%
- WPM
- 66.70%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | FCX | WPM |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 15.72% | 23.10% |
| ROA (TTM) | 7.99% | 15.22% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 13.03% | 60.39% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 35.26% | 66.70% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 38.86% | 86.61% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) at 80.18% 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 WPM.
EPS Growth
Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) at 177.85% 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 WPM.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | FCX | WPM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 1.81% | 80.18% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.39% | 29.53% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 16.92% | 177.85% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -14.00% | 29.83% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 2.02 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) at 0.57 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for WPM.
FCX
Materials industry group
2.02
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- FCX
- 2.02
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- 0.16
WPM
Materials industry group
0.57
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.45
- WPM
- 0.57
- Min
- 0.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 0.31 and Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) at 0.16 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
WPM
Materials industry group
0.16
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.47
- WPM
- 0.16
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | FCX | WPM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.02 | 0.57 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.31 | 0.16 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.60 | 0.50 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 1.04% and Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) at 0.57% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
FCX
Materials industry group
1.04%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- FCX
- 1.04%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WPM
Materials industry group
0.57%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- WPM
- 0.57%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 25.21% and Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) at 16.29% 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%
WPM
Materials industry group
16.29%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- WPM
- 16.29%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | FCX | WPM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.04% | 0.57% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 25.21% | 16.29% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 24.97 and Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) at 29.63 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
FCX
Materials industry group
24.97
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- FCX
- 24.97
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
WPM
Materials industry group
29.63
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- WPM
- 29.63
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 3.23 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) at 17.86 clears its benchmark range — WPM looks notably rich on sales.
FCX
Materials industry group
3.23
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- FCX
- 3.23
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
WPM
Materials industry group
17.86
- WPM
- 17.86
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 3.97 and Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) at 6.17 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
FCX
Materials industry group
3.97
- Max
- 6.59
- FCX
- 3.97
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
WPM
Materials industry group
6.17
- Max
- 6.59
- WPM
- 6.17
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | FCX | WPM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 24.97 | 29.63 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.23 | 17.86 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 3.97 | 6.17 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.19% | -5.11% |