Artificial intelligence (AI). Electric vehicles (EVs). Clean energy. Defense. All of these industries depend on one thing: rare earth metals and critical minerals.
For decades, China controlled the global supply chain, leaving the U.S. vulnerable. But that’s changing fast.
The government has taken equity stakes in companies like Lithium Americas (LAC), and the Pentagon has backed MP Materials (MP) to secure rare earths for defense.
And now, smaller speculative names like Dateline Resources (DTREF) are grabbing attention after a 7,700% rally in the past six months.
Plus, USA Rare Earths (USAR) is spiking after CEO Barbara Humpton told CNBC on Thursday, “We are in close communication with the administration.”
Rare earths aren’t just an investing story — they’re a national security story.
Why Rare Earths Matter
Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical for:
- EV batteries
- Wind turbines & renewable energy
- Smartphones & electronics
- Fighter jets & defense systems
Without them, the clean energy transition — and U.S. military readiness — stalls. That’s why Washington is stepping in with direct investments, subsidies, and tariffs to ensure a secure domestic supply chain.
Spotlight on Dateline Resources
- Ticker: (DTREF) (OTC)
- Recent Move: $0.005 → $0.3918 in 6 months (+7,700%)
Catalysts:
- New rare earth & gold discoveries at its Colosseum Project in California, located near MP’s Mountain Pass mine
- Insider buying: CEO Stephen Baghdadi invested $1M of his own capital
- Secured $25M of capital raise to fund further exploration, lifting total cash on hand to more than $35 million
Penny stock Dateline may be extremely speculative, but it shows how investor appetite is spreading far beyond established names.
The Government’s Bets
- Lithium Americas (LAC): DOE took a 5% equity stake in its Thacker Pass project (Nevada), which could power 800,000 EVs annually.
- MP Materials (MP): Pentagon-backed, with a guaranteed price floor on key magnetic materials.
- USA Rare Earth (USAR): Building a mine-to-magnet supply chain with U.S. government support.
President Trump has also floated tariffs and subsidies to accelerate domestic mining and reduce reliance on China.
The Rare Earth Watchlist
If you’re tracking the trend, here are stocks to watch and save on Barchart:
- MP Materials (MP) – Leading U.S. rare earth producer
- Lithium Americas (LAC) – Lithium giant with federal backing
- Dateline Resources (DTREF) – Penny stock play near Mountain Pass
- Ramaco Resources (METC) – New Wyoming rare earth mine with 1.7M tons of oxides
- NioCorp (NB) – U.S. niobium, scandium, titanium & rare earths project
- USA Rare Earth (USAR) – Building a domestic mine-to-magnet chain
How to Track the Trend
On Barchart.com, investors can:
- Use the Stock Screener to filter by market sectors like basic materials to analyze performance and fundamentals
- Add rare earths stocks and ETFs to a custom watchlist
- Follow performance leaders in mining companies for rare earths, lithium and gold
- Use ETF Finder to visually compare funds across the industry for exposure to mining companies and basic materials, like rare earth.
Key Takeaway
Rare earths aren’t just hype; they’re the metals powering America’s energy, defense, and tech future. With government backing flowing into companies from MP Materials to Lithium Americas — and speculative surges in names like Dateline Resources and USAR — this is a trend traders and investors can’t afford to ignore.
Watch our Rare Earths newsreel to see why these metals may be the hidden trade of the decade:
Start tracking Industry Performance to spot the next trend following the wave of Rare Earth & Mining Stocks on Barchart.
