What to Know Before Buying The Metals Company Stock
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By Steven Porrello – Dec 13, 2025 at 4:10PM ESTKey PointsTMC wants to vacuum potato-sized rocks off the Pacific floor.Each rock contains metals that are critical for batteries.The company is pre-revenue, and it needs regulatory approval to operate commercially.These 10 Stocks Could Mint the Next Wave of Millionaires ›NASDAQ: TMCTMC The Metals CompanyMarket Cap$2.7BToday's Changeangle-down(-9.90%) $0.73Current Price$6.64Price as of December 12, 2025 at 4:00 PM ETThe Metals Company is chasing a multibillion-dollar prize at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Here's what you should know about this deep-sea miner.When you think of a mining company, you might think of something like this: giant yellow trucks crawling in and out of an pit, drills breaking up rock in the earth, maybe a long conveyor belt or dump truck transporting ore to a processing plant. TMC The Metals Company (TMC 9.90%), however, looks nothing like that typical picture. ExpandNASDAQ: TMCTMC The Metals CompanyToday's Change(-9.90%) $-0.73Current Price$6.64Key Data PointsMarket Cap$2.7BDay's Range$6.63 - $7.3552wk Range$0.72 - $11.35Volume6.3MAvg Vol9.9M Instead, the picture for TMC is more like this: a ship out in the Pacific Ocean, vacuuming rocks off the seabed with a vehicle that looks it could have auditioned for Wall-E. Image source: The Metals Company. As a frontrunner in the deep-sea mining space, TMC could offer a cheaper and less disruptive way to extract critical minerals. At the same time, the company is pre-revenue and faces regulatory hurdles, which is why it's worth taking a closer look at what the company is trying to do before investing. What TMC is trying to build TMC's entire business is tied to polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a region of the Pacific Ocean that holds billions of these lumpy potato-sized rocks. Each nodule is essentially an electric car battery in composite form, as they contain nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese.Advertisement In a nutshell, the company wants to mine these nodules robotically by vacuuming them off the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean. It will then process them into battery-grade metals and sell them into supply chains. It's a bold idea. And it has some early support. Korea Zinc, a non-ferrous metal refiner, recently invested about $85 million in the company, while Allseas, an offshore engineering specialist, converted a drillship into a deep-sea mining vessel. As far as opportunity goes, TMC could be sitting on a treasure chest worth billions. Its latest economic study, for example, points to a project value of $23.6 billion, which dwarfs its current market valuation of about $3.2 billion. What's stopping the company from commercialization Although it might be sitting on a multibillion-dollar nodule reserve, TMC does not have regulatory approval to mine those rocks commercially. Not only that, but the regulatory process for deep-sea mining is still an enigma.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA), which governs mining in international waters, has not finalized its rulebook, and debate over the environmental risks of deep-sea mining has muddled the timeline for when companies like TMC can apply for a commercial license. Despite this impasse, TMC is pursuing a parallel path through the U.S. It can do so because the U.S. has not ratified the treaty that created the ISA. Because of this, TMC could potentially secure the U.S.'s blessing to move forward with operations, although any move outside the ISA could face significant political pushback. Financially, TMC is currently losing money and could do so for several years. Its third-quarter net loss was about $184.5 million, or $0.46 per share. It had approximately $165 million in total liquidity, which provides it with some cushion to operate without generating significant revenue. TMC Cash and Short Term Investments (Quarterly) data by YCharts. As such, the metal stock is a speculative play on the future of metal scarcity. Size positions carefully, as it's not clear yet when the company will obtain the key for its treasure chest of nodules.About the AuthorSteven Porrello is a contributing writer at The Motley Fool covering publicly traded companies in the materials, energy, and industrials sectors. Prior to The Motley Fool, Steven worked in the personal finance space and wrote for other financial publications. He holds a dual B.A. in English and Religion & Philosophy from LaGrange College and is pursuing an MFA from Rutgers University-Newark.TMFsaporrelloRead NextDec 12, 2025 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerCould Buying TMC The Metals Company Stock Today Set You Up for Life?Dec 10, 2025 •By Steven PorrelloShould You Buy The Metals Company Stock While It's Under $10?Dec 9, 2025 •By Steven PorrelloIf You Had Invested $1,000 in The Metals Company Stock 1 Year Ago, Here's How Much You Would Have TodayDec 8, 2025 •By Steven PorrelloIs It Too Late to Buy The Metals Company Stock?Dec 7, 2025 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerIs TMC The Metals Company Stock a Millionaire Maker?Dec 5, 2025 •By Courtney CarlsenDown 42% From Its Recent High, Is The Metals Company Stock a Buy?