After "Tectonic" Serra Verde Acquisition, Canaccord Reiterates Buy, Raises Price Target To $32 On USA Rare Earth
In a new note out by Canaccord, the firm reiterates its BUY rating on USA Rare Earth and raises its price target to $32 from $29, arguing that the company is rapidly emerging as a cornerstone of a Western rare earth supply chain at a time when geopolitical urgency around reducing dependence on China is intensifying. Shares are already up about 50% over the past week and currently sit around $25:
The analysts frame the industry as a kind of “strategic chess match,” with the U.S. racing to build domestic and allied capacity, and position USA Rare Earth as one of the few companies attempting to build a fully integrated, end-to-end platform spanning mining through magnet production.
The centerpiece of the note is the company’s planned $2.8 billion acquisition of Serra Verde in Brazil, which Canaccord describes as a “tectonic” move. The asset includes the Pela Ema operation, currently the only scaled producer outside Asia of all four key magnetic rare earth elements—neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium.
As we noted days ago Serra Verde’s asset is especially valuable because it can supply key magnet materials—neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium—which are critical for high-performance permanent magnets. The mine is also backed by a long-term offtake agreement tied to U.S. government-related entities, covering 100% of production for those four elements.
Beyond simply adding volume, the deal gives USA Rare Earth meaningful exposure to heavy rare earths, which are the most supply-constrained and strategically valuable parts of the market. By 2027, Serra Verde is expected to represent more than half of non-China heavy rare earth supply, making it arguably the most important Western asset in the space.
Canaccord emphasizes that the acquisition is not just about scale but about accelerating the company’s path to profitability and securing feedstock for its downstream magnet ambitions. The combined company would span the full value chain—from mining at Serra Verde and Round Top, to separation through Carester, to metals and alloys via Less Common Metals, and ultimately to magnet manufacturing in the U.S.
The firm sees this vertical integration as critical to competing with China, which still dominates roughly 70% of mining and over 90% of processing and magnet production globally.
A major highlight of the note is the 15-year offtake agreement tied to Serra Verde’s Phase 1 production, which is backed by a special purpose vehicle funded in part by U.S. government entities. This agreement secures 100% of initial output and, importantly, includes price floors for both light and heavy rare earths—around $110/kg for Nd/Pr, $575/kg for dysprosium, and $2,050/kg for terbium.
Canaccord views this as a first-of-its-kind structure that effectively de-risks revenues while still allowing USA Rare Earth to capture upside if market prices exceed those levels. The analysts estimate the contract alone could generate more than $346 million in annual revenue from magnetic rare earths under floor pricing assumptions, with additional contribution from other elements like yttrium.
Financially, the note points to a dramatic inflection ahead. Revenue is projected to scale from essentially negligible levels today to over $1 billion by 2027 and roughly $1.3 billion by 2028, with earnings turning positive as early as 2026. Serra Verde is expected to be a major driver, potentially generating around $600 million of EBITDA by 2027 under an oxide production scenario, with total company EBITDA reaching as much as $1.8 billion by 2030.
The analysts also highlight a strong pro forma liquidity position of roughly $3.2 billion following the transaction and associated government support, which should help fund the buildout of the broader platform.
Stepping back, Canaccord’s core argument is that USA Rare Earth is transitioning from an asset aggregation story to an execution story, having assembled what it views as a unique portfolio of strategically important assets across multiple continents. While the firm acknowledges there is still significant operational work ahead to bring these assets fully online, it sees meaningful upside as production ramps, margins expand, and the company solidifies its role as a primary Western supplier of both light and heavy rare earth materials.
The full note is available at the usual place for Premium subscribers.
Tyler Durden Wed, 04/22/2026 - 11:40