Will US-China Frictions Reflect in Freeport’s 1Q18 Earnings?

In the previous part of this series, we noted that Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) expects its 1Q18 copper shipments to be similar to the sequential quarter. Meanwhile, for commodity producers Antofagasta (ANTO), Southern Copper (SCCO), and Rio Tinto (RIO)(TRQ), commodity prices have a higher impact on earnings than shipments. In this article, we’ll see how commodity prices played out in 1Q18 amid the US-China trade war and how it could impact Freeport’s financial performance.