Market Movers: This is Why USA Rare Earth is up About 20%

By Ian Cooper Published Jan 22, 11:23AM EST

Quick Read

Benchmark initiated USAR with a buy rating and $15 price target.
France will subsidize 45% of USAR equipment costs and €130M for real estate.
In July, MP Materials secured a DoD partnership to build a domestic rare earth magnet supply chain.

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Market Movers: This is Why USA Rare Earth is up About 20% — © Rocket Lab

Shares of USA Rare Earth (NASDAQ: USAR) are up about 20%, or $3.88, with volume spiking to 14 million, as compared to its daily average volume of 11.1 million.

Fueling upside, the company just got a buy rating from analysts at Benchmark, with a price target of $15. Benchmark noted that USAR’s plans to construct a 1,600-metric-ton-per-annum oxide processing facility in Lacq, which is scheduled for commissioning in late 20, will help strengthen the supply chain for rare earth in Europe.

“The French government will provide substantial subsidies for the project, covering 45% of eligible equipment costs and €130 million for real estate expenses,” added Investing.com.

In addition, USAR just selected Fluor Corp and WSP Global as its Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management (EPCM) partners for its Round Top Rare Earth Project in Texas. “Fluor and WSP are key partners with the experience and expertise required to move Round Top toward commercial delivery,” said Alex Moyes, Vice President of Mining & Processing at USA Rare Earth, as noted in a press release.

“Their teams know how to deliver complex mining and processing projects, and that matters as we work to bring a secure, domestic supply of heavy rare earth elements, inclusive of yttrium, into production, along with critical technology metals such as hafnium, zirconium, and gallium.”

MP Materials

Rare earth company, MP Materials (NYSE: MP), is up 7%, or by $4.75 a share.

Not long ago, analysts at William Blair launched a buy rating for MP. We also have to consider that MP has become a powerhouse stock after announcing a deal with the U.S. Department of Defense in July 2025, which would help accelerate the build-out of an end-to-end U.S. rare earth magnet supply chain and reduce foreign dependency.

As noted in a company press release, “Rare earth magnets are one of the most strategically important components in advanced technology systems spanning defense and commercial applications. Yet today, the U.S. relies almost entirely on foreign sources. This strategic partnership builds on MP Materials’ operational foundation to catalyze domestic production, strengthen industrial resilience, and secure critical supply chains for high-growth industries and future dual-use applications.”

Advanced Micro Devices

Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD | AMD Price Prediction) is still racing higher.

Up another $2.50 to $252.30, AMD is still gaining momentum on news that it just appointed former Accenture CFO KC McClure to the company’s board, a move seen as strengthening financial oversight and strategic direction. In addition, analysts at KeyBanc just reiterated an overweight rating on the stock with a $270 price target.

From its current price of $252.30, we’d like to see AMD closer to $300 this year.