BB&T Capital Upgrades Southern Copper Corp To “Buy” (SCCO)

The Phoenix, Arizona-based copper producer, Southern Copper (SCCO), was upgraded from “Hold” to “Buy” by analysts at BB&T Capital on Monday.Garrett Nelson, an analyst with the firm, noted that the company is expected to improve its output growth significantly starting in 2015. When considering the state of the industrial metals market as a whole, Nelson notes that the current global copper supply is much tighter than it was just a few months ago. Furthermore, Nelson also cites the company’s lackluster performance in 2013 as another reason for why it may be able to deliver more impressive returns in the future; Southern Copper is down 25% year-to-date, compared to its closest competitor Freeport McMoran (FCX), which is up 10% on the year. As such, BB&T upgraded the company from “Hold” to “Buy” with a price target of $24 a share.

Southern Copper shares posted a gain of 1.90% today to kick off the week. The stock is lagging behind the broad market YTD with a loss of nearly 25%.