Geopolitical tensions and the race for critical minerals are driving renewed interest in rare earth stocks. The U.S. and allies are rebuilding domestic supply chains for materials essential to AI, defense systems, and energy independence. Three companies are positioned across different parts of the rare earth ecosystem: Solvay (processing), Perpetua Resources (mining with antimony byproduct), and The Metals Company (deep-sea polymetallic nodule extraction).

Antimony is gaining strategic importance in the critical minerals sector, with the global market expected to grow from $2.5B to $4.3-4.4B by 2035. Limited supply, rising defense and electronics demand, and concerns about China's dominance are driving Western interest in domestic production. Key developments include American Antimony's strong metallurgical test results (63% concentrate at 97% recovery), a new joint venture between US Antimony and Americas Gold and Silver, and progress on major projects by Perpetua Resources, Lithium Americas, and MP Materials.

Margaret McKinsey Lyon, Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Perpetua Resources, sold 43,722 shares worth approximately $1.21 million on Feb. 12, 2026, to cover tax withholding obligations from vesting equity awards. This represents the largest single-day sale by the insider. Despite the sale, the stock has surged 332% over the past year and nearly 50% in 2026, driven by increased U.S. domestic mining focus and Pentagon investment in critical minerals. The company is expected to report Q4 FY 2025 earnings on March 18.

The Pentagon allocated $4.5 billion to critical minerals in late 2025, with government backing for strategic mineral projects expected to reach record levels in 2026. This trend is driving investment in companies developing domestic sources of critical minerals including copper, graphite, uranium, antimony, and aluminum to reduce U.S. dependence on imports and strengthen national security.

A director at Perpetua Resources sold 13,148 shares worth $356,192 on January 5-7, representing 44.57% of direct holdings. This was the director's first open-market sale following a 145% stock price surge over the past year. The sale stemmed from exercising options and likely reflects personal portfolio management rather than loss of conviction, as the company recently broke ground on its Stibnite Gold Project and secured over $380 million in equity financing.

NevGold Corp. has staked an additional 90 claims covering 6 square kilometers at its Limousine Butte Project in Nevada, expanding its antimony-gold exploration with promising surface mineralization and ongoing drilling activities.

Resolution Minerals will present at a virtual investor conference on November 19th, highlighting recent drill results and land acquisition at its Horse Heaven Project in Idaho, which focuses on developing domestic antimony supply for the US defense industry.

Resolution Minerals will present at a virtual investor conference on November 19th, 2025, highlighting recent drill results and land acquisitions for its Horse Heaven Gold-Antimony-Tungsten-Silver Project in Idaho, USA.

Agnico Eagle Mines reported robust Q3 results with net income of $1.06 billion, strong gold production of 866,936 ounces, and created a new subsidiary called Avenir Minerals to manage critical mineral investments.

Perpetua Resources has begun construction on the $1.3 billion Stibnite gold-antimony project in Idaho, marking the first U.S. antimony mine in decades. The project aims to reduce dependence on foreign antimony imports and will produce gold and strategic antimony for defense and technology sectors.

Hedge fund manager John Paulson gained approximately $72 million from Trilogy Metals stock after the Trump administration invested $35.6 million, with the stock surging over 257% in value.

Gold mining stocks have seen impressive gains year-to-date, with experts predicting unprecedented profit margins due to rising gold prices and favorable macroeconomic conditions. Despite significant share price increases, the sector remains undervalued with contracting Price-to-Earnings ratios.