This Copper Stock Is No Second Fiddle (PCU)

When it comes to copper stocks, Freeport McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) gets most of the attention and that's understandable as Freeport is the world's largest publicly traded copper producer.

Flying under the radar, sort of, is rival Southern Copper (NYSE: PCU), the largest copper producer in Peru and Mexico, two robust copper markets.

Southern Copper is no slouch and has even outperformed Freeport by 10% over the past six months.

Southern Copper is boosting spending to increase copper production, which appears to be wise, given that the company thinks the red metal could rise to $4 an ounce in 2010 on renewed demand. If that happens, Southern Copper's shares will certainly benefit.