Retail Sentiment on TMC Has Flipped Bullish Even as the Stock Sits 17% Down This Year
Summarize this article with:
By Keith Noonan – Apr 18, 2026 at 1:30PM ESTKey PointsRetail investors appear to be warming up to TMC The Metals Company stock. Despite some recent recovery for TMC stock, its share price is still down double digits in 2026.TMC stock is high-risk, but it could also deliver big wins with favorable regulatory news and the ramping of commercial operations. Geopolitical uncertainty has been a boost for the critical minerals market, and TMC The Metals Company (TMC +3.10%) has emerged as one of the most high-profile speculative plays in the space. The company's growth strategy is built around extracting mineral nodules from the seabed of coastal waters. These nodules contain minerals including cobalt, copper, manganese, and nickel, and TMC is betting that it can gain the necessary regulatory approvals and begin mining these valuable resources underwater. TMC went public through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company in September 2021 and has seen some volatile swings since its debut. The company's share price is up 81% over the last year, but it's seen a big pullback from its high. The company's share price is down 50% from its valuation peak and 13.5% in 2026. On the other hand, the stock appears to be gaining favor among retail investors. Image source: Getty Images. Critical minerals are on retail investors' radar A report published by Stocktwits recently highlighted the fact that overall sentiment among retail traders using its platform has shifted from bearish to bullish in recent months. Rising support from retail traders doesn't necessarily mean that the stock will go on to be a long-term winner, but it suggests support among a broadening base of shareholders and reflects rising interest in the broader critical-minerals space amid shifting geopolitical dynamics. When the U.S. aimed to pressure China in trade negotiations with tariffs and restrictions on the exports of advanced artificial intelligence chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, Chinese officials flexed their own bargaining power stemming from their dominance of the critical minerals market. China accounts for the large majority of raw and processed critical minerals outputs, and its leadership in the category has become an economic and national security concern for the U.S. and its allies. ExpandNASDAQ: TMCTMC The Metals CompanyToday's Change(3.10%) $0.16Current Price$5.32Key Data PointsMarket Cap$2.3BDay's Range$5.25 - $5.5752wk Range$2.22 - $11.35Volume7MAvg Vol7.6M Can TMC stock deliver big wins for retail investors? TMC has a market capitalization of roughly $2.2 billion despite having yet to record any sales across its time as a publicly traded company. That makes it a high-risk buy, but there are some signs that the company is making significant progress on its path to commercialization. TMC announced in March that it had received some very good news from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NOAA told the mining specialist that its consolidated mining application was in "substantial compliance" with the guidelines and standards outlined in the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act. With the news from the NOAA, TMC now expects to receive the necessary exploration and extraction permits needed to begin recovery operations within the next year. The Trump administration appears to be making domestic critical mineral sourcing a significant priority, and the deep-sea mining specialist appears to be operating in a favorable regulatory backdrop. TMC estimates the net present value (NPV) of the minerals in areas it is targeting for extraction is $23.9 billion. If the company receives the necessary permits and begins demonstrating it can turn those targeted minerals into a substantial sales stream, the company's valuation could skyrocket. There's still a lot of uncertainty on that front, and the stock is a high-risk play, but recent regulatory news suggests TMC will at least get the chance to test whether its nodule extraction model is commercially viable. Read NextApr 12, 2026 •By Steven Porrello12 Months From Now, Will You Wish You Bought TMC The Metals Company Today?Apr 9, 2026 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerDeep-Sea Mining Just Got a Political Tailwind, But TMC Investors May Need to Play the Long GameApr 9, 2026 •By Catie HoganThe Price Is Right on TMC.
But Is Cheap Enough Reason to Buy?Apr 8, 2026 •By Keith NoonanWhy TMC The Metals Company Stock Plummeted 25.5% Last Month and Has Traded Flat in AprilApr 5, 2026 •By Keith NoonanTMC Stock Is Up With Retail Investors as the U.S. and Japan Team Up to Challenge China's Grip on Critical MineralsApr 5, 2026 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerThe Metals Company Inc.
Just Got Incredible News from the NOAA. Here's What It Means for Investors.About the AuthorKeith Noonan is a contributing writer at The Motley Fool covering technology, consumer goods, and other sectors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Boston College.TMFNoonsStocks MentionedTMC The Metals CompanyNASDAQ: TMC$5.32(+3.10%)+$0.16*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.