The sliding U.S. dollar is good news for commodities, said Steven Glass, managing director of Pella Funds Management. He’s particularly bullish on copper — he cited the “major copper deficit” the world is heading into, and expects demand will double over the next 10 years. In 2022, the U.S. strengthened steadily, spiking nearly 8% for the year. But it has given up much of its gains since last November, sliding 7%. Most commodities are traded in dollars, so a weak greenback lends support to their prices. Glass highlighted three copper or copper-related stocks that could get a boost from the weaker dollar. Stock picks One is Swedish mining equipment company Epiroc , which Glass said is a leader in battery-powered mining equipment. He says the stock has a “fine valuation,” with 4% free cash flow yield, as well as 8% revenue growth. Glass also named Chilean copper mining group Antofagasta , and metals and mining firm Boliden. But a softer greenback isn’t the only supportive factor. “There just has not been enough investment in copper,” Glass told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” on Tuesday. “EVs use something like three times the amount of copper [compared to conventional vehicles]. So it’s just going to just create a huge underlying demand for copper.” Citing data from Goldman Sachs, Glass said there could be a copper deficit of 8 million metric tons within a decade. Glass isn’t the only one bullish on copper. Some of Wall Street’s biggest banks recently predicted there will be a resurgence of the metal in 2023. Copper has a wide range of applications throughout construction and industry. It’s also a critical component in electric vehicles, used in batteries, wiring, charging points and more. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was trading around $9,418 a metric ton on Wednesday, up from around $8,000 a metric ton in November. The Global X Copper Miners ETF has held its own in 2022, losing just 0.19% amid a bear market.
