TMC the metals (NASDAQ:TMC) Shares Gap Up – Still a Buy?

TMC the metals company Inc. (NASDAQ:TMC) gapped up prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $8.17, but opened at $9.08. TMC the metals shares last traded at $9.2350, with a volume of 14,749,569 shares changing hands.

Trending Headlines about TMC the metals

Here are the key news stories impacting TMC the metals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TMC USA submitted a consolidated application to NOAA for an exploration license and a commercial recovery permit covering ~65,000 km2 in the Clarion‑Clipperton Zone — a direct step toward commercial-scale operations if approved; this is the company’s most concrete permitting milestone to date. TMC USA Files First Consolidated Deep-Seabed Mining Application
• Positive Sentiment: NOAA’s new final rule (effective Jan 21, 2026) creates a consolidated application/review process that lets qualified applicants fold exploration data into commercial recovery applications — a regulatory change TMC says will shorten timelines and improve predictability. TMC Welcomes NOAA Rule Modernizing Deep-Seabed Mining Permits
• Positive Sentiment: Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set an $11 price target (~21% above current levels), providing fresh analyst support that can attract momentum investors. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity: buyers picked up ~55,622 call contracts (an ~89% increase vs. normal call volume), suggesting speculative bullish positioning and short‑term leveraged demand. (No article link provided.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports indicate the U.S. administration is moving to speed and streamline deep‑sea mining permits — a broader policy tailwind that supports faster permitting but still leaves uncertainty over timing and conditions. Trump to speed permits for deep-sea mining
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and summaries (Quiver/TipRanks) reiterate the same regulatory changes and TMC’s plan to use the consolidated process; useful context but largely restates company filings and NOAA’s rule. TMC Files Landmark NOAA Application
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider selling (several executives sold shares in the past six months per reporting) and historical quarterly losses remain investor caveats — insider sales can signal near‑term profit-taking and underscore execution/financing risks as TMC moves toward commercial recovery. Quiver Quant

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on TMC shares. HC Wainwright boosted their price objective on TMC the metals from $7.25 to $7.50 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of TMC the metals in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $11.00 price target on shares of TMC the metals in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of TMC the metals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $9.25.

TMC the metals Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $3.69 billion, a PE ratio of -11.55 and a beta of 1.85. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $6.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $6.59.

TMC the metals (NASDAQ:TMC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The company reported ($0.14) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.06) by ($0.08). On average, sell-side analysts predict that TMC the metals company Inc. will post -0.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Anthony O’sullivan sold 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.77, for a total value of $338,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 2,025,667 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,713,765.59. This trade represents a 2.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 27.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in TMC the metals in the second quarter valued at $6,216,000. UBS Group AG lifted its stake in shares of TMC the metals by 869.6% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 630,757 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,018,000 after purchasing an additional 712,717 shares during the period. Old West Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in TMC the metals by 49.6% during the third quarter. Old West Investment Management LLC now owns 1,997,238 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,722,000 after buying an additional 662,200 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets acquired a new position in TMC the metals during the second quarter worth about $3,133,000. Finally, Swiss National Bank purchased a new position in TMC the metals in the second quarter valued at about $2,940,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 4.39% of the company’s stock.

About TMC the metals

TMC the metals company Inc, a deep-sea minerals exploration company, focuses on the collection, processing, and refining of polymetallic nodules found on the seafloor in California. It primarily explores for nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese products. The company holds exploration and commercial rights in three polymetallic nodule contract areas in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean. Its products are used in electric vehicles (EV), renewable energy storage markets, EV wiring, energy transmission, manganese alloy production required for steel production, and other applications.