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

TMC the metals company Inc. (NASDAQ:TMC)’s share price 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 traded.

More TMC the metals News

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

TMC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $11.00 price target on shares of TMC the metals in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of TMC the metals in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. HC Wainwright lifted their price target on shares of TMC the metals from $7.25 to $7.50 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of TMC the metals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $9.25.

TMC the metals Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $3.69 billion, a PE ratio of -11.55 and a beta of 1.85. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $6.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.59.

TMC the metals (NASDAQ:TMC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The company reported ($0.14) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by ($0.08). On average, analysts anticipate that TMC the metals company Inc. will post -0.22 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Anthony O’sullivan sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.77, for a total transaction of $338,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,025,667 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,713,765.59. The trade was a 2.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 27.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On TMC the metals

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TMC. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of TMC the metals in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Wolverine Asset Management LLC lifted its position in TMC the metals by 752.6% in the second quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 4,945 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 4,365 shares during the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new position in TMC the metals in the third quarter valued at $34,000. KBC Group NV purchased a new position in shares of TMC the metals during the second quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in shares of TMC the metals during the second quarter worth about $48,000. 4.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

TMC the metals Company Profile

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.