The Best Copper Stocks on ASX: 2025's Top Performers

Copper has emerged as one of the most sought-after commodities in 2025, driven by surging global demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure, data centre expansion, and the accelerating energy transition. While market volatility stemming from geopolitical tensions and supply-demand imbalances created uncertainty throughout the year, several ASX-listed exploration and development companies demonstrated exceptional resilience. The best copper stocks on the exchange capitalized on production disruptions at major mines—including Ivanhoe Mines’ Kamoa-Kakula complex in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Freeport-McMoRan’s Grasberg operation in Indonesia—to attract investor capital seeking exposure to rising copper prices.

The following analysis highlights five of the best copper stock performers on the ASX, based on year-to-date share price gains through December 2025. All companies evaluated maintained market capitalizations above AU$10 million, positioning them as relatively accessible investment opportunities for retail and institutional participants.

AusQuest (ASX:AQD): Discovery-Driven Best Copper Stock with 625% Upside

AusQuest stands out as the best copper stock of 2025, delivering extraordinary returns to early investors. The mineral exploration company operates polymetallic projects across Australia and Peru, supported by a strategic alliance with South32 spanning base metal prospects in Western Australia and South Australia.

The company’s explosive share price performance began in January when AusQuest announced a major porphyry copper-gold discovery at its Cangallo project during the maiden drilling campaign. Initial assays confirmed the scale of the find, with hole CANRC001 returning 348 metres grading 0.26 percent copper and 0.06 parts per million gold from 6 metres depth, including a robust 26-metre interval at 0.36 percent copper and 0.07 ppm gold. This discovery thrust AusQuest’s share price from AU$0.008 at year-start to AU$0.043 by late January and AU$0.057 following confirmation drilling in early February.

Throughout 2025, AusQuest maintained exploration momentum at multiple properties. Beyond Cangallo, the company drilled its Balladonia, Morrisey, and Mount Davis projects in Western Australia while conducting induced polarisation surveys at Coober Pedy in South Australia. In December, the company announced commencement of Stage 3 drilling at Cangallo, comprising over 6,000 metres of reverse-circulation work designed to expand earlier discoveries and identify the porphyry system’s core. Subsequent to the drilling program, AusQuest secured AU$10 million through share placements, with proceeds allocated to expand the Cangallo RC program to 20,000 metres and accelerate deep diamond drilling timelines. The best copper stock story culminated with shares reaching AU$0.061 in March.

Auris Minerals (ASX:AUR): Near-Mine Copper Exploration at 367% Gains

Auris Minerals represents another of the best copper stocks for exposure to near-mine exploration within Western Australia’s prolific Bryah Basin. The company holds three project areas—Morck Well, Forrest, and Doolgunna—with an 80 percent interest in Morck Well, adjacent to Sandfire Resources’ producing DeGrussa copper mine.

Auris’ share price trajectory accelerated following a AU$3.2 million strategic placement announced in October. The company’s quarterly results for the period ending September 30 revealed collection of 34 rock chip samples from Jacques and Frenchy’s gold prospects at Morck Well. Despite initial market indifference to the quarterly update, Auris stock rallied sharply on October 30, jumping from AU$0.02 to AU$0.027 at one point—a movement the company attributed to unspecified market developments rather than company-specific catalysts. Notably, the rock chips had not yet been submitted for assay at that time.

By mid-November, Auris released assay results from the Morck Well sampling program, which reported a maximum gold grade of 0.88 grams per metric ton from the Jacques prospect. While this copper stock did not sustain its intra-day peak, it still delivered compelling year-to-date gains, with shares reaching AU$0.029 as the best copper stock within the Bryah Basin for 2025.

Sunstone Metals (ASX:STM): Large-Scale Copper-Gold Potential at 217% Returns

Sunstone Metals operates two large-scale gold-copper porphyry projects in Ecuador—Bramaderos in the south and El Palmar in the north—positioning this best copper stock for multi-year development. The company traded below AU$0.01 throughout the first quarter before share prices began accelerating at quarter-end following a corporate update discussing partnership pathways.

In May, Sunstone revealed assay results from surface sampling and geological mapping at Bramaderos, confirming the presence of high-grade zones alongside multiple large-scale gold-copper porphyry systems. Management’s commentary highlighted an “ideal scenario” for developing a major regional mining centre. The best copper stock received additional catalyst momentum in November when the company published an updated mineral resource estimate for Bramaderos, boosting indicated and inferred resources by 33 percent to 3.6 million gold-equivalent ounces from 220 million tonnes of ore. This resource included 220,000 tonnes of contained copper at 0.1 percent average grade.

December brought further positive momentum when Sunstone announced an expanded scoping study at Bramaderos following AU$8 million raised through share placements. This best copper stock reached a year-to-date high of AU$0.025 in early December as investors positioned for potential development advancement.

Kincora Copper (ASX:KCC): Project Generator Model at 210% Appreciation

Kincora Copper operates as a project generator, partnering with major mining companies to de-risk its portfolio while maintaining upside exposure. The best copper stock’s assets span copper-gold projects in New South Wales’ Macquarie Arc and Mongolia, with strategic partnership agreements providing substantial exploration funding.

The company’s primary driver in 2025 involved earn-in agreements with AngloGold Ashanti spanning multiple license areas. Under May 2024 and April 2025 agreements, AngloGold could earn up to 80 percent interest through AU$100 million total in exploration expenditure or AU$50 million plus prefeasibility study completion. This provided Kincora substantial funding with minimal dilution while maintaining meaningful upside participation. August drilling results at Nyngan confirmed porphyry copper and epithermal gold potential with “encouraging results at particularly shallow depths.” September saw Kincora resecure full Mongolian project rights following its joint venture partner’s withdrawal, positioning this best copper stock to capitalize on renewed interest.

Regulatory tailwinds emerged in October when Kincora received a AU$143,483 drilling grant for its Wongarbon porphyry project within the Macquarie Arc, awarded through a competitive review process as part of New South Wales’ Critical Mineral Strategy. Shares reached AU$1.295 in November amid this positive momentum.

Revolver Resources (ASX:RRR): Production-Stage Development at 183% Growth

Revolver Resources operates two wholly owned Queensland copper projects—Dianne and Osprey—targeting Mount Isa style and IOCG-style copper deposits. Among the five best copper stocks highlighted, Revolver advanced furthest toward production, achieving several developmental milestones throughout 2025.

The company finalized its SX/EW process for front-end engineering design in February, a critical requirement to access a AU$1.3 million grant from the Queensland Critical Minerals and Battery Technology Fund. A diamond drilling program launched in mid-June advanced exploration, while site engineering design completion in late June satisfied grant conditions and unlocked remaining funding. Management targets restart of mining activities and first copper cathode production in 2026.

Share price strength accelerated in late August following positive production restart updates. November brought resource expansion with an upgraded mineral resource estimate increasing indicated resources 140 percent to 1.09 million tonnes and improving copper grades 26 percent to 1.38 percent. The project’s combined indicated and inferred copper resource spans 18,047.68 tonnes across open-pit and below-pit scenarios from 1.31 million tonnes of ore. This best copper stock reached AU$0.10 in September and remained among 2025’s strongest ASX performers.

Investment Takeaways: Selecting the Best Copper Stock

The best copper stocks on the ASX in 2025 demonstrated that quality exploration and development assets benefit substantially from structural supply-demand imbalances. Global demand acceleration—fueled by artificial intelligence infrastructure requirements, data centre expansion, and renewable energy transition needs—collided with production disruptions at two of the world’s largest mines, creating compelling fundamentals for well-positioned junior explorers. Whether pursuing early-stage discoveries like AusQuest, near-mine exploration like Auris, large-scale development potential like Sunstone, partnership-driven models like Kincora, or advanced production projects like Revolver, investors seeking best copper stock exposure found diverse options matching varied risk appetites throughout 2025.