Copper Prices Are Expected to Explode. Is This the Best Way to Profit From It?[Stocks](https://moneymorning.com/category/article/stocks/) # Copper Prices Are Expected to Explode. Is This the Best Way to Profit From It?  by Rich Duprey  February 13, 2026  Share it: The world is grappling with a massive copper shortage that's intensifying rapidly, driven by surging demand from AI data centers amid shrinking supplies. Projections show global copper demand could soar 50% to 42 million metric tons by 2040, while production peaks at 33 million tons in 2030, [creating a 10 million-ton deficit](https://moneymorning.com/2026/01/26/copper-is-about-to-go-parabolic-heres-the-miner-you-should-buy-now/). AI facilities alone consume 40,000 to 50,000 tons each, with data center copper needs jumping from 1.1 million tons in 2025 to 2.5 million by 2040. Yet, new mines aren't opening fast enough to bridge the gap, exacerbated by underinvestment, while Investing in copper miners carries inherent risks. There is one stock, though, that is a potentially superior vehicle to profits from the impending copper price explosion. ## Direct Exposure Without Mining's Risks **United States Copper Index Fund** ( [CPER](https://moneymorning.com/stocks/cper/)) is an ETF designed to track the performance of copper prices through futures contracts. Managed by **United States Commodity Funds**, it aims to mirror the daily percentage changes of the **SummerHaven Copper Index Total Return**, which consists of one to three eligible copper futures contracts traded on the COMEX. Unlike traditional stocks, CPER provides investors with a straightforward way to gain exposure to copper's spot price movements without the need to handle physical metal or navigate complex derivatives directly. In many ways, CPER is similar to precious metals ETFs like **SPDR Gold Shares** ( [GLD](https://moneymorning.com/stocks/gld/)) and **iShares Silver Trust** ( [SLV](https://moneymorning.com/stocks/slv/)). All three are commodity-focused funds that allow retail and institutional investors to bet on metal prices via exchange-traded products. GLD and SLV hold physical bullion in vaults, ensuring their values closely track gold and silver spot prices, respectively, but CPER uses futures contracts to achieve similar tracking, which can introduce elements like roll yields due to contract expirations but still delivers effective price correlation. This structure makes CPER a "copper equivalent" in the ETF space, often bundled with GLD and SLV for diversified metals portfolios. With an expense ratio of 1.06% and assets under management around $934 million, CPER is accessible and liquid.  ## The Superior Choice for Copper Exposure What sets CPER apart as potentially the better way to invest in copper is its singular focus on the metal's price dynamics, sidestepping the operational and geopolitical risks plaguing mining companies. Miners like **Freeport-McMoRan** ( [FCX](https://moneymorning.com/stocks/fcx/)) face disruptions from natural disasters, labor issues, or regulatory hurdles, which can decouple their stock performance from copper prices. For instance, last September's Grasberg mudslide not only delayed production but also tightened global supplies, ironically boosting copper prices while hurting the miner's output. CPER avoids such company-specific volatility by directly linking to futures, capturing pure price upside from supply crunches and demand booms. Although CPER doesn't hold physical copper like GLD does gold or SLV silver, this futures-based approach is well-suited for copper's market. Physical storage of industrial metals like copper is logistically challenging and costly due to its bulk and industrial use. Futures provide a "clean" proxy, especially as massive pressure builds under copper prices from AI-driven electrification and chronic underinvestment in mines. ## Bottom Line If silver is the "poor man's gold," then a recent article dubbing copper the "poor man's silver" is apt. Trading under $37 per share, CPER has risen 27% over the past year, yet it remains undervalued amid the brewing supply crisis. This presents a compelling opportunity to invest in this critical commodity [before prices explode](https://moneymorning.com/2025/12/01/is-copper-the-new-gold-heres-why-freeport-mcmoran-is-the-best-stock-to-buy/) higher, driven by unrelenting demand and constrained supplies. **Beat the market, without relying on brokers or biased institutions.** Email(Required) Email This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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