Metals & Mining

The metals and mining sector is the industry dedicated to the location and extraction of metal and mineral reserves around the world. Global reserves of metals and minerals are mined for profit and then used in jewelry-making, industrial applications and investments. The sector has a significant number of companies located around the world and operates with large revenues. The largest company is Glencore with 2010 revenues of $200 billion. The next top companies are BHP Billiton with $67.8 billion in revenue and Rio Tinto with revenues of $54.6. These three companies represent the highest revenues in the industry and have significant influence within the mining sector. Typical activities include metals production, metals trading and metals investing. The majority of revenues of these three companies are a direct result of these activities. Metals have a wide range of uses and extraction increases as market demand grows. Industrial and jewelry uses grow as economic activity grows while a slowed economy typically increases the use of precious metals for investment purposes. Minerals also have heavy industrial use and are increasingly mined when economic demand necessitates mining growth.

Diversified Metals & Mining companies supply commodities used in products and equipment found in a wide variety of sectors, such as construction, automotive, aerospace, and telecommunications. In fact, this industry’s reach is so broad that the utilization rate of metals is a key barometer for gauging the health of the global economy. The presentation of historical figures, estimates, and projections for companies in this group follows the standard Value Line industrial page format.