Rare Earth Royalty: Meet The Power Players Shaping The Industry

The rare earth sector is in the spotlight and driven by the global race for critical minerals essential to clean energy, defense and high-tech industries. Here's a guide to five standout stocks shaping the future of rare earth materials:

MP Materials

• Ticker: MP (NYSE)
• Market Cap: ~$7.4B
• Headquarters: Las Vegas, Nevada
• Focus: Rare earth mining and magnetics
• Flagship Asset: Mountain Pass Mine, California

Last week, MP Materials Corp. MP announced a public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense consisting of a multi-billion dollar package of investments and long-term commitments.

As part of the partnership, MP Materials will construct a second U.S. magnet manufacturing facility—dubbed the “10X Facility”—to serve defense and commercial customers, with commissioning expected in 2028. 

Read Next: UnitedHealth Hits Reset: New Head Of Medicaid Appointed As CEO Reshapes Team 

MP Materials on Tuesday announced a $500 million deal with Apple, Inc. AAPL under which it will provide Apple with rare earth magnets made from 100% recycled materials, manufactured in the U.S.

MP is the second-largest producer of rare earths in the world and the only fully integrated mine-to-magnet operation outside of China. The company's Mountain Pass facility is a strategic asset that supplies materials for EVs, electronics, and defense. 

Shares of MP have skyrocketed on the DoD and Apple deals, gaining nearly 100% over the past week.  

USA Rare Earth

• Ticker: USAR (NASDAQ) 
• Market Cap: ~$1 billion 
• Headquarters: Stillwater, Oklahoma
• Focus: Vertically integrated rare earth mining and NdFeB magnet manufacturing
• Flagship Asset: Round Top Mountain, Texas

USA Rare Earth, Inc. USAR is another U.S.-based company involved in the mining, processing and supply of rare earth elements and other critical minerals. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USARE is working to develop a vertically integrated domestic supply chain for rare earth element magnet production.

The company holds mining rights to the Round Top Mountain deposit in West Texas, which is rich in neodymium, dysprosium, terbium, gallium, beryllium, lithium, and other essential minerals. 

USAR stock has gained more than 50% over the past five days, moving in sympathy with MP Materials.  

NioCorp

• Ticker: NB (NASDAQ)
• Market Cap: ~$175 million 
• Headquarters: Centennial, Colorado
• Focus: Niobium, scandium, titanium and rare earths
• Flagship Asset: Elk Creek Project, Nebraska

NioCorp Developments, Ltd. NB is developing the Elk Creek project, one of the world's largest potential sources of niobium and scandium, both vital for advanced alloys and clean technologies. 

The company's focus on critical minerals diversification makes it a unique play in the rare earths space, with strong analyst support and upside potential.

Last Friday, Maxim Group analyst Tate Sullivan maintained a Buy rating on NioCorp stock and raised the price target from $4 to $5.

Read Next: Joby Aviation Stock Goes Vertical As Secret, Massive Drone Achieves 9-Hour Flight

TMC the metals company

• Ticker: TMC (NASDAQ)
• Market Cap: ~$2.5 billion 
• Headquarters: Vancouver, British Columbia
• Focus: Deep-sea polymetallic nodules (nickel, copper, cobalt, manganese)
• Flagship Asset: Clarion Clipperton Zone, Pacific Ocean

The Metals Company, Inc. TMC is pioneering deep-sea mining, targeting polymetallic nodules rich in battery metals. Its operations in the Clarion Clipperton Zone, located in international waters, could unlock vast resources for the EV and renewable energy sectors. 

TMC's unique approach and strong technical ratings have made it one of the best-performing rare earth-related stocks in the past year.  TMC stock has gained more than 550% in 2025. 

American Resources 

• Ticker: AREC (NASDAQ)
• Market Cap: ~$91M
• Headquarters: Fishers, Indiana
• Focus: Rare earth and critical mineral concentrates, recycling
• Segments: American Infrastructure, ReElements, Electrified Materials

American Resources Corp. AREC is carving out a niche by producing high-purity rare earths from both recycled and virgin sources. 

Its ReElements segment is already delivering separated rare earths for U.S. commercial and defense supply chains. 

AREC stock has gained more than 50% over the past five days as the rare earth sector received attention following announcements from the Trump administration and MP Materials. 

Read Next: 

• Get Ready For 800 Hours Of Blackouts, Trump’s DOE Warns 

Image: Shutterstock