NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 1:10 PM ET — Market closed
- Critical Metals closed up 17% on Friday, outperforming many rare metals peers on heavy volume.
- Investors have focused on Tanbreez in Greenland and the company’s push to lock in supply contracts.
- Next week’s U.S. macro data and any Washington policy signals remain key swing factors for the group.
Critical Metals Corp shares surged 17% on Friday to close at $8.12, capping a strong first session of 2026 for the rare metals stock. The shares were little changed in after-hours trading.
The move matters because rare earths — a group of 17 elements used in powerful permanent magnets — sit at the center of supply-chain politics for electric vehicles, wind turbines and defense systems.
For investors, junior rare earth developers have become a high-beta trade on industrial policy: sentiment can turn quickly on signs of government funding, tariff risks and supply disruptions tied to China, the dominant producer and processor.
Reuters has reported the Trump administration has discussed taking equity stakes in several projects and companies tied to critical minerals, including Critical Metals, MP Materials and USA Rare Earth, as it seeks to reduce reliance on China.
In a Dec. 31 Reuters interview, CEO Tony Sage said Critical Metals expects to finalise the remaining 25% of Tanbreez offtake agreements — supply contracts that pre-sell future production — by early 2026, with 75% of planned output already pre-sold. Sage said the company would welcome a U.S. government investment and has sought support under the Defense Production Act, a U.S. law used to bolster strategic production. “Would welcome it, even though we didn’t ask for it,” Sage said. Reuters
The stock traded between $7.02 and $8.47 in Friday’s session, with about 9.6 million shares changing hands, market data showed.
The rally came as U.S. stocks kicked off 2026 on a steadier footing, with the Dow and S&P 500 ending higher and small caps rebounding after a late-December slide, Reuters reported. Traders have also kept an eye on rate expectations and fresh tariff signals from the White House.
Rare earth names have been prone to sharp swings since Beijing tightened export controls on additional rare earth elements and related technologies last year, raising the stakes for Western projects trying to build supply outside China.
For Critical Metals, the next catalysts are execution-heavy: moving from term sheets to binding offtake agreements, securing financing on workable terms, and narrowing the gap between today’s valuation and a project timeline measured in years.
Before the next session, investors will be watching next week’s U.S. labour-market data and any knock-on effect for Federal Reserve rate expectations, after a holiday-shortened week that left markets thin at times, Reuters reported. Treasury yields moved higher on Friday as investors recalibrated policy bets.
Technically, traders pointed to $7 as a near-term support marker after Friday’s low, while $8.50 is in focus near the top of the latest session range. A break on either side could set the tone when trading resumes on Monday.
For rare metals stocks more broadly, the watch list is split between Beijing and Washington. China has said it has granted streamlined “general licences” for some rare earth exports, a step that can affect shipment flows, while U.S. policy signals on funding and ownership stakes remain a major driver for developers’ share prices. Reuters
