Key Points
Announcements on critical mineral trade agreements could occur "literally" any day.
Trump's 180-day agreement deadline to reduce reliance on China has ended.
Risk-averse investors can also gain exposure through more diversified ETFs.
- 10 stocks we like better than NioCorp Developments ›
The CEO of NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ: NB) just appeared on CNBC and delivered some big news to investors. That has investors jumping into the U.S.-based miner's stock today.
NioCorp stock jumped 12% at the open after CEO Mark Smith's appearance on Squawk Box Asia last night. Shares remained 10.7% higher as of 11:30 a.m. ET. Here's what he said.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »
Image source: Getty Images.
Critical mineral deal coming
On Jan. 14, 2026, President Trump signed a Section 232 proclamation instructing the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate agreements with trading partners to address the potential national security threat posed by the importation of processed critical minerals.
The president imposed a 180-day deadline that has now ended, after which he could take further action to ensure national security. In his interview with CNBC, the NioCorp CEO noted that discussions with U.S. allies are ongoing to secure access to rare-earth and critical minerals.
He perhaps surprised investors, though, when Smith said Japan, the EU, and Mexico are currently far along in discussions with the U.S., with deals potentially being announced "literally any day."
NioCorp has been assessing the possibility of producing several magnetic rare-earth elements from its Elk Creek Project, and Smith said the company is committed to pursuing the project. Any price floor will further enhance financing and returns on that project, Smith said.
That has investors jumping into this speculative name today. For investors who don't wish to put all their eggs in one basket, there are also several rare-earth exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to consider.
Should you buy stock in NioCorp Developments right now?
Before you buy stock in NioCorp Developments, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and NioCorp Developments wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $398,160!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,249,202!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 918% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 209% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of July 14, 2026.
Howard Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
