We recently compiled a list of the 12 Best Nickel Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Materion Corporation (NYSE:MTRN) stands against the other nickel stocks.
Nickel is a metal that is used extensively in manufacturing. It is a key component of stainless steel and is valued for its corrosion resistance. It is also among the most abundant resources. According to the International Nickel Study Group, primary nickel production will rise by 4.6% globally in 2024 and then by an additional 3.8% in 2025. About 150,000 tonnes of nickel will be in excess globally in 2025, according to Nornickel, mostly in high-grade nickel segments.
The nickel industry is booming. As per Fortune Business Insights, the size of the global nickel market was estimated at $41.61 billion in 2023 and is projected to keep growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3%, from $44.59 billion in 2024 to $73.15 billion by 2032. In 2023, Asia Pacific held an 82.62% market share, dominating the nickel market. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the nickel market in the United States will expand to a size of $2.01 billion by 2032, led by the electric vehicle industry, continuous infrastructure projects, and strong demand from the production of stainless steel.
However, nickel stock investing might be challenging. Mining businesses are cyclical, and stock prices fluctuate in line with the market price of nickel. Fears of a recession and a decline in industrial demand have caused nickel prices to fluctuate in early 2025, dropping from around $17,000 per metric ton to less than $16,000 in March, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. Since nickel is necessary for NCM and NCA batteries in electric vehicles, the long-term demand picture is still favorable. Through 2030, the demand for nickel from EV batteries is anticipated to increase by 15% to 20% globally (IRENA). Long-term supply agreements have been negotiated by two major automakers to guarantee access to battery-grade nickel.
That said, prices have been under pressure due to the expansion in supply, particularly from Indonesia, which produced over 1.6 million metric tons in 2024 and accounts for about 50% of the global supply. Despite high costs and environmental concerns, Indonesia’s export prohibition and the growth of HPAL projects are changing the supply chain landscape. Although environmental and legal barriers exist, the Philippines is also increasing its output. The market is further complicated by geopolitical concerns. Western sanctions are forcing Russian supplies to reroute to China, while the EU looks for alternatives in countries like Canada and Australia. Trump’s plans, which include possible tariffs on Chinese nickel, have placed an intense focus on essential resource extraction in the United States. LME 3M nickel prices are expected to average $16,026/t in 2025, according to S&P Global, with supply disruptions and changes in trade policy being the main concerns.
According to the latest report by S&P Global, in light of growing uncertainty from tariff-led global trade tensions, the Asian nickel market may continue to face pressure in the months ahead. This will be due to a supply surplus fueled by higher Indonesian production levels and weak demand from key nickel-consuming industries, such as electric vehicles and stainless steel. Jason Sappor, metals and mining research senior analyst at S&P Global Commodity Insights, stated:
“Amid an unstable global macroeconomic backdrop, we expect the global primary nickel market to remain oversupplied in 2025, with production from Indonesia forecast to expand further this year, despite challenges like tight nickel ore availability and a potential royalty rate hike on nickel products by the government,”
“A slowdown in global economic activity would dent global primary nickel demand in a market already grappling with oversupply,” “further evolutions in the Trump administration’s trade tariff policies, we expect nickel prices to remain volatile in the near term.”
A close-up of a precious metal being alloyed into a specialty metal product.
Our Methodology
For this article, we sifted through the online rankings to form an initial list of the 20 Nickel Stocks. From the resultant dataset, we chose 12 stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors, using Insider Monkey’s database of 1,009 hedge funds in Q4 2024 to gauge hedge fund sentiment for stocks. We have used the stock’s market cap as of April 25, 2025, as a tie-breaker in case two or more stocks have the same number of hedge funds invested.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
Materion Corporation (NYSE:MTRN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 15
The products of Materion Corporation (NYSE:MTRN) include copper-based alloys, specialty coatings, inorganic chemicals and powders, precious and non-precious specialty metals, and specialized engineered beryllium. The firm’s primary raw elements are ruthenium, silver, tin, gold, nickel, palladium, platinum, cobalt, copper, aluminum, beryllium, and tantalum.
Despite the market downturn, Materion Corporation (NYSE:MTRN) released solid financial results for the fourth quarter that concluded on December 31, 2024. Value-added sales for the company grew by 2% year over year to $296.1 million, a 12% sequential rise. Its adjusted EBITDA rose by 15% to $61.5 million, and its margins improved to 20.8%, placing it among the Best Nickel Stocks. The company’s 10% rise in adjusted earnings per share, or $1.55, was primarily the result of cost control and operational efficiency
However, the performance of its segments was varied, with the Performance Materials section showing growth. Value-added sales for the segments increased by 5% to $195.8 million, while EBITDA improved by 17% to $78.6 million. EBITDA increased to 18.7% over the prior year, but Materion Corporation (NYSE:MTRN)’s Electronic Materials area reported only 1% growth in sales to $78.6 million. Sales for the Precision Optics business, meanwhile, fell 17% to $21.7 million, resulting in a $1.1 million EBITDA loss. Lower volumes and an unfavorable product mix have been attributed to this.
Overall, MTRN ranks 10th on our list of the best nickel stocks to buy according to hedge funds. While we acknowledge the potential of MTRN as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MTRN but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
