MP Materials Outperforms Energy Fuels as Better Critical Minerals Pick, Says Zacks

S&P Global agreed to acquire on-chain security assessments platform OpenZeppelin, one of a series of deals reported across sectors this week. Pearson announced the acquisition of ITS, a Baltimore-based assessment technology provider specializing in the management, delivery, and reporting of testing programs, with financial terms not disclosed. GE HealthCare Technologies is in advanced talks to acquire Sofie Biosciences for about $1 billion, a move that would expand its presence in radioactive diagnostic agents used with medical scans, according to the Financial Times. Brookfield agreed to acquire plumbing products manufacturer Reliance Worldwide for about $2.9B in an all-cash deal, valuing Reliance at $3.38 per share, equivalent to A$4.75 per share, a roughly 32% premium to its August 17 closing price. Mistras Group agreed to be acquired by investment firm H.I.G. Capital in an all-cash deal with an $866M enterprise value, including debt, while Aethlon Medical shares soared 346% premarket after it agreed to an all-stock merger with North Immunology, and Reuters reported that state-owned China Rare Earth Group is in talks to acquire Shenghe Resources.

Huaxi Nonferrous announced on September 18 that its indirect controlling shareholder Guangxi Key Metals Group, together with its shareholders Beibu Gulf Port Group and Key Metals Equity Fund, signed a cooperation framework agreement with China Minmetals Corporation. China Minmetals plans to increase capital in Guangxi Key Metals Group, acquire a 51% stake, and consolidate Guangxi Key Metals Group into its financial statements. After the transaction is completed, Beibu Gulf Port Group will no longer indirectly control the company, and the actual controller of Huaxi Nonferrous will change from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to China Minmetals, which will indirectly hold a 56.47% stake in Huaxi Nonferrous. Because China Minmetals' indirect interest in the company through Guangxi Key Metals Group will exceed 30% of the issued shares, a mandatory general offer obligation is triggered. China Minmetals plans to make a general offer at 47.40 yuan per share to all shareholders holding Huaxi Nonferrous A-shares other than the controlling shareholder Huaxi Group, proposing to acquire 275 million unrestricted tradable shares, representing approximately 43.53% of the total share capital, all in cash, with a maximum total consideration of approximately 13.051 billion yuan. Trading in the company's shares will resume on Monday, September 21, 2026. The capital increase transaction still needs to be approved by the shareholders' meeting of Guangxi Key Metals Group, pass the merger control review by the State Administration for Market Regulation, and obtain approval from the competent state-owned assets supervision and administration authority. The general offer can only be finally implemented after China Minmetals completes the capital increase in Guangxi Key Metals Group and the delivery of its 51% stake.

Denmark and Greenland have confirmed that the security agreement being drafted with the United States will not affect the sovereignty or territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, after President Donald Trump said the deal would give the US a long-term controlling role in Greenland's security. The agreement will open the way for the US military to significantly expand its role and presence in Greenland, while imposing restrictions to prevent countries the US regards as rivals from establishing military bases or investing in ventures deemed sensitive without US approval. The US already holds rights to overflight, access and basing in Greenland under an agreement dating from 1951, and the new deal will upgrade those rights to a more permanent character, covering restrictions on non-NATO countries establishing bases in Greenland as well as screening of certain types of investment. A formal signing is expected during next week's United Nations General Assembly. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stressed that the agreement still affirms sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the right of Greenland's people to determine their own future. NATO said it welcomed the agreement, seeing it as helping to strengthen security, stability and cooperation in the Arctic region. Earlier, the European Union announced a 200 million euro investment plan for Greenland, or about 232 million US dollars, focused on critical minerals, satellite communications and renewable energy, and offered to raise its support budget for Greenland over the 2028-2036 period to 530 million euros, up from 225 million euros under the current budget framework.