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Ranking the 10 best No. 1 NFL draft picks of all time

Sport 8 Mins Read

The 2025 NFL draft will be the 90th edition of the event. It was first held in 1936, during which the Philadelphia Eagles selected running back Jay Berwanger with the top overall selection.

Since then, just 14 of the 89 players chosen with the top overall selection have gone on to become Hall of Fame players. Plenty are still active NFL players who well may join their counterparts in Canton, but to date, it hasn’t always been easy to hit a home run with the No. 1 overall pick.

Of course, there have still be plenty of high-end talents to top the NFL draft. From franchise quarterbacks to top-tier running backs and a few quality top-notch players in the trenches, there are a lot of No. 1 overall picks who have carved out nice careers for themselves in the NFL.

Below is a look at the 10 best players ever selected with the NFL draft’s top overall selection.

Honorable mentions: Paul Hornung (Packers, 1957), Lee Roy Selmon (Buccaneers, 1976), Eli Manning (Giants, 2004), Matthew Stafford (Lions, 2009), Myles Garrett (Browns, 2017), Joe Burrow (Bengals, 2020)

10. Orlando Pace, 1997

  • Position: Offensive tackle
  • Team: St. Louis Rams

Offensive linemen don’t always get the love they deserve, but Pace ended up being a key cog in the Rams’ ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ offense. He helped the team win Super Bowl 34 and thrived as a blind-side blocker for Kurt Warner.

Pace was named a Pro Bowler seven consecutive seasons from 1999 to 2005. He was an All-Pro first teamer in three of those seasons. He played 169 games across 13 seasons with the Rams and Chicago Bears and was became a Pro Football Hall of Famer in 2016.

9. Ron Yary, 1968

  • Position: Offensive tackle
  • Team: Minnesota Vikings

Here’s another offensive tackle selection who deserves some love. The Vikings made Yary the No. 1 pick in the 1968 NFL draft and he went on to play 207 games across 15 seasons.

From 1971 to 1976, Yary made six consecutive All-Pro first teams. He was also a part of the Vikings’ NFL championship-winning team in 1969, though the team was unable to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 4.

Yary was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

8. Earl Campbell, 1978

  • Position: Running back
  • Team: Houston Oilers

Few players in NFL history opened their careers better than Campbell. The bruising runner led the league in rushing in each of his first three seasons, averaging 348 carries for 1,694 yards and 15 touchdowns while playing in 46 games.

Over that span, Campbell was named an All-Pro first teamer three times and never finished worst than second in NFL MVP voting. He won the award in 1979 one season after being named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year.

Campbell played just eight NFL seasons with the Oilers and New Orleans Saints before retiring. He ended his career with 9,407 rushing yards and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

7. Troy Aikman, 1989

  • Position: Quarterback
  • Team: Dallas Cowboys

Aikman famously lost all 11 of his starts as a rookie before developing into one of the best quarterbacks in Cowboys history. He helped lead Dallas to three Super Bowl wins and was named the MVP of Super Bowl 27 after racking up 273 yards and four touchdowns in Dallas’ 52-17 rout of the Buffalo Bills.

Back and concussion problems ultimately ended Aikman’s career after just 12 seasons, but he was a Pro Bowler in six of those seasons and is the Cowboys’ all-time wins leader (94). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

6. Terry Bradshaw, 1970

  • Position: Quarterback
  • Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Bradshaw may not have the most impressive counting stats among Hall of Fame quarterbacks, but he was one of the first great game managers during an era that was less pass-heavy.

Bradshaw helped the Steelers win four Super Bowls in his 14 years with the team. He was the first quarterback ever to achieve that feat, which has only since been matched by Joe Montana and passed by Tom Brady (seven Super Bowl titles). Add in Bradshaw’s impressive 14-5 postseason mark and strong 107-51 regular-season record and he clearly lived up to the expectations thrust upon him as the No. 1 pick.

5. Chuck Bednarik, 1949

  • Position: Linebacker/center
  • Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Bednarik enjoyed a remarkable NFL career and was one of the league’s last high-volume two-way players. He established himself as a hard-hitting tackler at linebacker and notoriously knocked out New York Giants running back Frank Gifford on a vicious tackle in 1960. That play, which forced Gifford to retire for 18 months, is known simply as ‘The Hit.’

Bednarik was also a tough force at center during his 14-year career with the Eagles. He was named to the All-Pro first team six times during his career and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967 after recording 20 interceptions and forcing 21 fumbles across 169 games.

4. O.J. Simpson, 1969

  • Position: Running back
  • Team: Buffalo Bills

Simpson made just one Pro Bowl in his first three professional seasons before breaking out in 1972. He led the NFL in rushing yards that season, kickstarting a run of five consecutive All-Pro first team seasons.

During that run, Simpson became the first player in NFL history to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark. He racked up 2,003 rushing yards in 14 games while leading the league in carries (332) and rushing touchdowns (12).

Simpson finished his career with four seasons as the NFL’s rushing leader, three as its carries leader and two as its rushing touchdown leader. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, five years after his 11-season professional career came to a close.

3. Bruce Smith, 1985

  • Position: Edge rusher
  • Team: Buffalo Bills

Smith is clearly the best defensive player ever selected with the No. 1 overall pick, and a case could be made for him to the best the best of all.

Smith played 279 games over 19 seasons for Buffalo and Washington. He is the only player in NFL history to rack up 200 career sacks, and he was named an All-Pro first teamer a whopping eight times. He won two Defensive Player of the Year awards and had 13 seasons in which he racked up double-digit sacks.

Smith never won a Super Bowl during his NFL career but was a key part of the Bills defense that made four consecutive appearances in the Big Game. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

2. John Elway, 1983

  • Position: Quarterback
  • Team: Baltimore Colts

Elway was the No. 1 pick in the 1983 NFL draft but never actually played for the Colts after making it clear he did not want to play for Baltimore. He was traded to the Broncos and blossomed into one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

Elway posted a 148-82-1 record across 16 seasons with the Denver Broncos. He was named the NFL MVP in 1987 and earned back-to-back Super Bowl wins in his final two seasons and was named the MVP of Super Bowl 33, his last-ever NFL game. He also famously led ‘The Drive’ in the 1986 AFC championship game to lead the Broncos to an iconic come-from-behind victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Elway is still widely regarded as the best NFL draft quarterback prospect of all time. He backed it up with his stellar, 16-year career that ended with his 2004 enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1. Peyton Manning, 1998

  • Position: Quarterback
  • Team: Indianapolis Colts

The Colts were tasked with what was, on paper, a difficult decision with the first pick in the 1998 NFL draft. Would they take Manning or Ryan Leaf with the No. 1 overall pick?

Ultimately, Bill Polian and the Colts opted to roll with Manning as their top selection. It was unequivocally the right choice, as Manning turned the Colts from a middling franchise to a consistent AFC contender. The Tennessee product won an NFL record five MVP awards, was named an All-Pro first teamer seven times, won two Super Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

Manning posted a 186-79 record across 17 seasons with the Colts and Broncos. He set the NFL single-season touchdown record in 2013 by tossing 55 and his 539 career touchdown passes presently rank as the third-most in NFL history behind only Tom Brady (649) and Drew Brees (571).

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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The Bottom is Here or Rapidly Approaching

Stock 5 Mins Read

I pay attention to technical support levels as the combination of price support/resistance is always my primary stock market indicator. We’re in a downtrend and, in my opinion, the trading range is very, very clear on the S&P 500 right now:

I think most everyone can agree that much of the selling and fear and panic can be attributed the trade war – at least much of the weakness occurred with startling tariff news. So I figured I’d take a look at Q4 2018, which also experienced a 2-3 month bear market with the S&P 500 just barely reaching the prerequisite 20% drop. Here’s what that looked like:

The chart pattern during Q4 2018 was quite similar. The VIX more than tripled from under 12 to above 36. The VIX also more than tripled in 2025, after starting from a much higher level near 15. In both 2018 and 2025, that initial selling episode saw a drop of roughly 10% before consolidating. Then the next drop was another 10% or so. We don’t know if the selling for 2025 has ended, though, as that’s the wild card.

Here’s what we do know about sentiment. The VIX, with a value in the 50s, is signaling a potential S&P 500 bottom. Historically, surges in the VIX to this level or higher, have coincided either with stock market bottoms or they at least they suggest that any future selling in the S&P 500 is likely to be minor. Here’s a long-term monthly chart of the S&P 500 and the VIX, showing this relationship:

Extreme fear marks bottoms and I believe this is a great visual to support this belief. History tells us that when the VIX tops, we’ve either bottomed or we’re very close to bottoming.

Late last week, we saw both the March Core CPI and March Core PPI come in well below expectations, which was a good result for those hoping for rate cuts to begin again later this year. On Friday, a lot of folks were talking very bearish after the University of Michigan consumer sentiment plummeted to a near 50-year low. The problem with that bearish line of thinking is that sentiment is a contrarian indicator. Bearish readings tend to be quite bullish for stocks, while bullish readings can mark significant tops. Don’t believe me? Check out this chart and then provide me your best bearish argument:

The low readings in the green-shaded areas are actually very bullish. You can’t argue with history and facts. When the general public is feeling despair, it’s the time to buy stocks, not sell. And for those who believe this time is different, let’s check back in one year from now and let’s see where we are.

Note one more thing. The absolute highest consumer sentiment reading was at the beginning of 2000, just before the dot com bubble burst. Everyone felt great back then and the S&P 500 didn’t make a meaningful new all-time high for 13 years. So you tell me, would you rather see sentiment strength or weakness?

I know it sounds awful to hear that consumer sentiment readings are among the lowest in history and it likely makes little sense to many why the stock market would go higher while sentiment is so negative. But you have to remember that the stock market looks 6-9 months ahead. It’s not concerned with the news coming out now. It’s much more concerned about what the market environment will look like later this year.

Here’s my last point for today. We’ve begun to see more bullish rotation among sectors and between growth and value. Let me show you one final chart that highlights the rotation into growth as the S&P 500 continues its descent:

Notice the S&P 500 made its final high in February as money rotated quickly from growth to value in the two months prior. That was Wall Street exiting the riskier areas of the market, when everything still looked fine. It was one of the many reasons why I turned cautious and moved to cash in late January. Now the opposite is occurring. The S&P 500 is downtrending and the news just keeps getting worse. Meanwhile, Wall Street is happily buying all the risky shares you’d like to sell.

Listen, I’ve been wrong before and maybe I’m wrong and the S&P 500 continues to decline throughout 2025. But I trust my review of the market and my signals that have worked so well for me in the past. I’m perfectly fine owning stocks right now.

Tomorrow morning, in our free EB Digest newsletter, I’ll be showing everyone the extreme manipulation that’s been taking place in the stock market the past 4 weeks or so. Market makers are stealing (legally) from all of us. I spotted this manipulation back in June 2022, which helped me to go against the grain and call the market bottom then and I’m seeing it again now. To learn more, be sure to CLICK HERE and sign up for our FREE EB Digest newsletter, if you haven’t already. There’s no credit card required and you may unsubscribe at any time.

Happy trading!

Tom

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An Oversold Bounce is One Thing – A Bullish Breadth Thrust is Another

Stock 3 Mins Read

Panic selling and oversold extremes gave way to a rip higher last week. Stocks are poised to open strong on Monday as the market reacts positively to tariff news. Last week’s bounce is considered an oversold bounce within a bear market. Thrust signals are setting up, but strong follow through is needed to trigger actual signals. This report will first review the panic indicators and the short-term oversold condition, and then show what it would take to move from a bear market bounce to a bullish breadth thrust.

3 Standard Deviation Decline

The chart below shows SPY dipping below the lower Bollinger Band (200,3) on April 4th. This means SPY was more than 3 standard deviations below its 200-day SMA, which is an extreme oversold condition. For reference, SPY has reached this extreme 27 times in the last 25 years. Such a move reflects panic selling pressure that often gives way to a bounce, which we got on Wednesday, April 9th.

TrendInvestorPro highlighted this 3 standard deviation move and extreme oversold conditions in our reports on April 7th and 8th. Click here to learn more and gain immediate access.

Oversold Extremes for Long-term Breadth

The next chart shows S&P 500 Percent Above 200-day SMA ($SPXA200R) dipping below 20% on April 7th to become extremely oversold. This means more than 80% of S&P 500 stocks were below their 200-day SMAs as traders sold pretty much everything. Extremely oversold readings in long-term breadth foreshadowed bounces June 2022, September 2022 and April 2025.

NYSE Zweig Breadth Thrust Sets Up

The NYSE Zweig Breadth Thrust is setting up as it finished below .40 on Friday. Actually, this indicator has been below .40 for four of the last five days. Readings below .40 reflect a short-term oversold condition that could give way to a bounce. The indicator first dipped below .40 on April 4th and stocks rebounded last week.

This indicator is also setting up for a possible Zweig Breadth Thrust. Currently, stocks are in the midst of an oversold bounce within a bigger downtrend. This would become a bullish Zweig Breadth Thrust should we see follow through and surge above .615 with 10 days. The countdown begins.

The Zweig Breadth Thrust indicator is the 10-day EMA of Advances/(Advances + Declines). Why did Zweig use a 10-day EMA? I believe he wanted to separate 1-5 day bear market bounces from bounces with follow through. The current bounce is just a bear market bounce and we need to see follow through within 10 days for a Zweig Breadth Thrust to trigger.

It is important to monitor more than one breadth indicator for thrust signals because you never know which one will trigger. The NYSE Zweig Breadth Thrust might miss, but the S&P 500 or S&P 1500 Zweig Breadth Thrust indicators may catch the signal, especially if Nasdaq stocks or small and mid caps lead. TrendInvestorPro monitors thrust indicators based on the percentage of stocks above their 20 and 50 day SMAs, and we have a breadth thrust index that aggregates thrust signals in over a dozen breadth indicators. This analysis continues for subscribers to TrendInvestorPro. 

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The Best Five Sectors, #15

Stock 3 Mins Read

Healthcare Re-Enters the Top 5

After a wild week in the markets, the sector ranking got quite a shake-up. Although only one sector changed in the top 5, the entire top 5 changed positions. In the bottom half of the ranking, only two sectors remained stationary.

The Healthcare sector re-entered the top 5 after dropping out two weeks earlier. This happened at the expense of Energy, which dropped to #7. Consumer Staples jumped from the #4 position and is now leading, followed by Utilities. Financials and Communication Services dropped to #4 and #5, down from #1 and #2.

In the bottom half, Real-Estate jumped to #6 from #9. Energy, dropping from the top 5, is now at #7, and pushed Industrials and Consumer Discretionary down to #8 and #9.

Materials and Technology remain on positions #10 and #11.

  1. (4) Consumer Staples – (XLP)*
  2. (5) Utilities – (XLU)*
  3. (1) Financials – (XLF)*
  4. (2) Communication Services – (XLC)*
  5. (6) Healthcare – (XLV)*
  6. (9) Real-Estate – (XLRE)*
  7. (3) Energy – (XLE)*
  8. (7) Industrials – (XLI)*
  9. (8) Consumer Discretionary – (XLY)*
  10. (10) Materials – (XLB)
  11. (11) Technology – (XLK)

Weekly RRG: Strong Tails for XLU and XLP

On the weekly RRG, Financials and Communication services remain at high JdK RS-Ratio levels, but have started to roll over while still inside the leading quadrant.

XLV dropped on the JdK RS-Momentum axis, but is still moving higher on RS-Ratio. The two strongest tails are for XLP and XLU, which are pushing further into leading at positive RRG-Headings.

Daily RRG: Communication Services Drops into Lagging

On the daily RRG, XLP and XLU are starting to lose relative momentum, but it is happening at high RS-Ratio levels. This is combined with the strong weekly tails, which keep both sectors comfortably in the top 5.

XLV and XLF are rotating through the weekly quadrant, while XLC has crossed over into lagging.

Consumer Staples

XLP dipped back to support near 75, but recovered strongly back into its previous range. As a result, the raw RS-Line is challenging its overhead resistance, dragging both RRG-Lines sharply higher. This is now clearly the strongest sector.

Utilities

During the week, XLU dropped below support but managed to come back within the range at Friday’s close. Just like Staples, raw RS is about to break its upper boundary, away from its range. Both RRG-Lines are accelerating higher, pushing the tail deeper into leading.

Financials

XLF tested support around 42, but the bounce stopped near its old support level of around 47.50. RS has steadily moved higher within the boundaries of its rising channel.

Communication Services

A big price drop was caught just above horizontal support near 83. The recovery, so far, has not reached overhead resistance at 95, the old support level. This makes XLC the most vulnerable sector inside the top 5. Relative strength remains stable at high RS-Ratio readings and flat RS-Momentum.

Healthcare

The Healthcare sector re-entered the top 5 after one week of absence. This brings all three defensive sectors back into the RRG portfolio. On the price chart, XLV is battling with the former horizontal support area, now resistance, around 136. Relative strength continues to rise, putting the XLV tail well inside the leading quadrant.

Portfolio Performance Update

Last week’s volatility was a bit too much for the portfolio to keep up with, and it is now lagging the S&P 500 by almost 2%.

#StayAlert –Julius

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DP Trading Room: SPX Earnings Update

Stock 3 Mins Read

The market has been overvalued for some time but how overvalued is it? Today Carl brings his earnings chart to demonstrate how overvalued the market is right now. We have the final data for Q4 2024.

The market continues to show high volatility but it did calm down somewhat Monday. Carl reviews the market charts you need to see going into this week. He covered not only the market in general, but also covered Bitcoin, Yields, Bonds, Dollar, Gold, Crude Oil and more.

After his market overview, Carl walked us through both the daily and weekly charts of the Magnificent Seven to determine if there is any strength visible. Clue: Not much.

After his review of the Mag 7, Carl discussed Altria (MO) and his strategy to buy high dividend stocks like this one after the market finishes declining from this bear market or beyond. He’s looking for a 50% drawdown eventually.

Erin then took over to talk about sector rotation. Defensive groups are leading as we would expect with Technology trying to stage a comeback. Erin dives into these sectors under the hood to determine participation readings and the ability of them to continue to rally.

Next up Carl brought out his earnings chart to discuss how overvalued the market currently is. He shows his estimates for future movement and discusses where we are right now.

The pair finished the program with a look at viewers’ symbol requests.

00:58 DP Scoreboards

03:33 Market Overview

15:26 Magnificent Seven

20:56 Dividend Discussion

23:34 Sector Rotation

33:29 Earnings Chart

36:41 Questions

40:13 Symbol Requests

The DP Alert: Your First Stop to a Great Trade!

Before you trade any stock or ETF, you need to know the trend and condition of the market. The DP Alert gives you all you need to know with an executive summary of the market’s current trend and condition. It not only covers the market! We look at Bitcoin, Yields, Bonds, Gold, the Dollar, Gold Miners and Crude Oil! Only $50/month! Or, use our free trial to try it out for two weeks using coupon code: DPTRIAL2. Click HERE to subscribe NOW!

Learn more about DecisionPoint.com:

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Use coupon code: DPTRIAL2 Subscribe HERE!

Technical Analysis is a windsock, not a crystal ball. –Carl Swenlin

(c) Copyright 2025 DecisionPoint.com

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional. Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author, and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.

DecisionPoint is not a registered investment advisor. Investment and trading decisions are solely your responsibility. DecisionPoint newsletters, blogs or website materials should NOT be interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any security or to take any specific action.

Helpful DecisionPoint Links:

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Price Momentum Oscillator (PMO)

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Swenlin Trading Oscillators (STO-B and STO-V)

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SCTR Ranking

Bear Market Rules

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Bullish Percent Index Confirms Short-Term Rebound

Stock 4 Mins Read

One of my favorite market breadth indicators remained in an extreme bearish reading through the end of last week, standing in stark contrast to growing optimism after last Wednesday’s sudden spike higher.  Monday’s session saw the Bullish Percent Indexes cross above the crucial 30% level for both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100.  While I remain skeptical of meaningful upside without further confirmation, this bullish rotation does seem to confirm a short-term tactical rally for stocks.

Bullish Percent Index Shows Improved Breadth for S&P 500

The Bullish Percent Index uses point & figure charts to analyze the percentage of stocks in a universe that are in uptrends.  By looking at the most recent buy or sell signal on each individual point & figure chart, the indicator can help validate when a critical mass of stocks have rotated from a bearish phase to a bullish phase.

At the end of September 2024, the S&P 500 Bullish Percent Index showed a reading just above 80%.  By early December, the indicator was down to around 70%, and at the February 2025 high had reached 55%.  Last week, the S&P 500 Bullish Percent Index was just above 10%.  Indeed, almost all of the S&P 500 members were in confirmed point & figure downtrends.

Breadth Surge Similar to Previous Lows

The Bullish Percent Index for the Nasdaq 100 as well as the S&P 500 both spiked higher by the end of last week following the latest changes to US tariff policy.  As of Monday’s close the Nasdaq 100 Bullish Percent Index had reached 39%, up from 6% a week earlier. 

We can see four other times in the last two years where the Bullish Percent Index has touched the 30% level, and in three of the four times this reversal marked a significant low for the Nasdaq 100.  The most recent observation was last month, which saw a brief upswing before the latest downturn for the major equity averages.

So for both the Nasdaq 100 as well as the S&P 500, a move back above the 30% threshold appears to indicate a decent chance at a tradable move higher.  But will that upswing necessarily lead to sustainable gains?

Long-Term Review Yields Mixed Results

Let’s take a longer look back to the year 2000 and see what has happened following a move below the 30% level for the S&P 500 Bullish Percent Index.  Now we can see that while major lows often coincide with the indicator moving back above 30%, we can also see plenty of times where an initial bounce higher was eventually met with further selling.

Note the extreme low readings in June 2022, August 2015, and January 2009.  Even though there was an initial swing higher in all three cases, the market made a new swing low before achieving an eventual bottom for the bear cycle.

With the Bullish Percent Indexes rotating back to a more neutral reading this week, we are seeing plenty of signs of a tactical rally.  We may even see our Market Trend Model turn bullish on the short-term time frame as early as this Friday.  But with the major averages still making a clear pattern of lower lows and lower highs, we feel further confirmation is necessary before declaring any sort of “all clear” for US stocks.

RR#6,

Dave

PS- Ready to upgrade your investment process?  Check out my free behavioral investing course!

David Keller, CMT

President and Chief Strategist

Sierra Alpha Research LLC

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice.  The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.  

The author does not have a position in mentioned securities at the time of publication.    Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.

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Ole Hansen: Gold, Silver, Copper, Oil — Prices, Supply, Demand in 2025

Investing 1 Min Read

Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, shares his outlook for the gold, silver, copper and oil sectors as tariff uncertainty continues.

‘If you’re actively trading these markets, keep your position to a level that reflects the new and higher volatility,’ he said, urging investors to be mindful amid the current turmoil.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Copper and Consequences: US Tariffs Stir Uncertainty in Australian Mining

Investing 4 Mins Read

Australia’s copper industry could be facing supply chain disruptions and market trade uncertainty following US President Donald Trump’s imposed 10 percent tariffs on certain goods.

While the red metal is exempted from the imposition to protect US industries reliant on imported raw materials, the tariffs have caused a shift to the copper industry in general.

Australia, a key player in the industry, forms part of the broader market experiencing significant volatility.

Over the years, Australia has been recognized as a major copper producer, ranking eighth in global production. Major reserves can be found in South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland.

On top of these deposits, copper is also extracted as a by-product in several nickel and gold mines in the country.

A study by Dr. Scott French of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Business School said that it’s hard to predict precisely where the tariff’s impact will be greatest given complex global supply chains, “but the overall effect is going to be negative.”

Weaker prices and production

It is no secret that global trade tensions have led to weaker prices for major metals, including copper.

Prices reached a record of US$5.24 per pound towards the end of March, but quickly fell down after the tariff announcements due to fears of reduced industrial demand and global economic slowdown.

This is attributed to unsettled global markets, mainly as investors are losing confidence given the constant change in traditional trade flows.

Copper supplies are also subjected to rerouting, with approximately 100,000–150,000 tonnes redirected to the US ahead of potential tariffs.

Globally, copper smelting activity also took quite the fall. Data from geospatial intelligence company Earth-i said that inactivity capacity index rose from 3.4 percent to 14.9 percent in March.

This marks the lowest inactivity record since May 2023, with smelting activity outside China now five percent lower compared to January.

With this, Australia, among other producers, is encouraged to up its game.

“One should also keep in mind that one of the reasons Trump imposed these tariffs is to on shore, to bring manufacturing back home,” Benchmark said in a copper webinar in April. “So, it would rather see these projects in the US than in other parts of the world.”

Benchmark also believes that amid all these changes, the US is facing supply deficits for other minerals, so it may in the end need to secure from other producers such as Australia.

Import and export

US and Australian copper may not necessarily have a direct cause-and-effect relationship, but the imposition of tariffs poses major threats to Australia’s import and export relationships with other countries.

China, among the countries largely impacted by the tariffs, is a significant importer of Australian copper. Investors and companies have already seen reduced or inconsistent demand, which could lead to a slowdown in the country’s economy.

Should this slowdown result in a lesser need for raw materials, then Australian miners would potentially deal with unexpected oversupply.

Still, economists and advisors say that Australia must remain competitive.

“I can already feel the push for protective tariffs to keep out foreign products competing with domestic production. I’m very, very wary of something like that because I find that Australia has done well by having very low trade barriers,” added Dr. French of UNSW.

“We don’t want to go back to the experience from earlier decades where local manufacturing was very highly protected and very uncompetitive … “So that’s why I think maintaining competitiveness is important, and I would strongly caution against trying to enact any sort of protective tariffs to isolate the domestic market for these products.”

Copper in the next years

While copper and other essential minerals for decarbonisation are facing uncertainties at the present, the fact that they will be needed in the future has not changed.

In the Benchmark webinar, it was mentioned that a strong outlook for copper demand is highly possible over the long run.

“We’re folding in the energy transition, route to 2030, 2040 and 2050. I don’t think copper is going anywhere,” said Benchmark Head of Strategic Initiatives Mike Finch.

The Minerals Council of Australia, in a commentary on the imposition of tariffs, said that Trump’s decision is “a stark reminder of the disruptive consequences that can arise from trade volatility and economic uncertainty.”

“(While) details remain unclear, this development further reinforces the need for Australia to get the economic fundamentals right to protect and enhance our global competitiveness; to better position ourselves in times of economic uncertainty,” the council wrote.

“It also underscores the need for Australia to accelerate free trade deals and secure supply chain partnerships with like-minded economies.”

Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Crypto Market Recap: Kraken Expands Services, EURC Momentum Grows

Investing 7 Mins Read

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Monday (April 14) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

At the time of this writing, Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$84,833.31 and is up 1.2 percent in 24 hours. The day’s range has seen a low of US$84,050.56 and a high of US$85,667.65.

Bitcoin performance, April 11, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

The recovery appears to be related to last week’s announcement of partial import tariff relief, but the uncertainty of ongoing US-China trade tensions kept Bitcoin from rallying above US$86,000.

Ethereum (ETH) is priced at US$1,635.11, a 3.1 percent increase over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency reached an intraday low of US$1,624.37 and a high of US$1,677.74.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) is currently valued at US$131.19, up 2.4 percent over the past 24 hours. SOL experienced a low of US$128.75 and a high of US$134.05 on Monday.
  • XRP is trading at US$2.15, reflecting a 1.8 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency recorded an intraday low of US$2.11 and a high of US$2.18.
  • Sui (SUI) is priced at US$2.21, showing a decreaseof 0.9 percent over the past 24 hours. It achieved a daily low of US$2.20 and a high of US$2.33.
  • Cardano (ADA) is trading at US$0.6397, trading flat over 24 hours. Its lowest price on Monday was US$0.6314, with a high of US$0.6548.

Crypto news to know

Kraken expands into stock and ETF trading

Kraken announced on Monday that it will expand beyond cryptocurrencies to offer eligible users trade services for over 11,000 US-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds through Kraken Securities.

Users will be able to trade traditional assets and cryptocurrencies within a single Kraken account. The service is available to select states as part of a phased rollout, with plans to expand to all states and the UK, Europe and Australia.

Euro-sacked stablecoin EURC sees growth amidst strengthening Euro

Circle’s Euro-backed stablecoin, EURC, is experiencing growth amidst a strengthening Euro, its market cap growing from around $83 million at the beginning of 2025 to $204 million at the time of writing.

The euro has been rallying while the dollar falls amidst escalating trade tensions between the US and the rest of the world. Obchakevich Research founder Alex Obchakevich expects Euro Coin will continue to grow even as nations reach a trade deal that he projects will stabilize the Euro at around $1.11.

“I predict EURC to grow to 400 million euros by the end of this year. This will be further impacted by MiCa regulatory support and economic challenges,” he said.

MANTRA (OM) token price collapse and aftermath

Following a dramatic price collapse in the MANTRA (OM) token on Sunday (April 13) that wiped out billions of dollars in market cap, CEO John Mullin spoke in a now-deleted AMA thread hosted by Cointelegraph on X.

During the Monday discussion, Mullin denied accusations of insider selling or “rug pulling,” saying the plunge occurred after exchanges closed positions without notice.

On-chain data revealed that around US$227 million worth of OM was deposited from 17 wallets, with two linked to strategic investor Laser Digital. Arkham data revealed those wallets moved millions of OM to OKX and Binance in the days leading up to the collapse.

“The Mantra association, our key investors, our advisers — no one has sold, and we are going to categorically deny and also provide verifiable proof onchain proof that this is the case,” Mullin stated in the AMA, adding that he “(doesn’t) know who those wallets belong to.”

Mantra is up 10.8 percent to US$0.65 at the time of writing, far below its April 9 price of US$6.76.

Strategy buys US$285 million in BTC amid volatility

Michael Saylor’s firm, Strategy, capitalized on sharp equity market swings last week, purchasing 3,459 more BTC valued at US$285.8 million between April 7 to 13.

The buy was funded through its at-the-market equity offering as shares fluctuated from -11 percent to +25 percent, demonstrating the firm’s commitment to BTC accumulation even during periods of financial instability. Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings now total around US$45 billion, representing about 2.5 percent of the total BTC supply.

The firm also disclosed a forthcoming US$5.9 billion unrealized loss due to new accounting rules requiring market-based valuations for digital assets. Even so, Strategy remains on track with its plan to raise US$42 billion through 2027 for continuous Bitcoin acquisitions, reinforcing its identity as a long-term Bitcoin maximalist corporate play.

Metaplanet now 9th largest public Bitcoin holder

Japanese investment firm Metaplanet has acquired 319 BTC at an average price of US$83,147, bringing its total treasury to 4,525 BTC. That makes it the ninth largest publicly traded Bitcoin holding company.

This acquisition is part of its broader treasury strategy to build shareholder value through Bitcoin accumulation, initiated in December 2024. The company now has a cost basis of US$408.1 million and evaluates its Bitcoin performance using Bitcoin yield, which hit 95.6 percent in the first quarter of 2025.

Backed by sophisticated financial engineering such as bond issuances and stock acquisition rights, Metaplanet has executed over 41 percent of its “210 million plan,” demonstrating significant momentum.

The firm’s bold approach also reflects Japan’s evolving stance toward crypto as a mainstream asset class and could influence similar treasury strategies in Asia.

CeFi lending drops from 2021 peak, DeFi borrowing soars

The crypto lending market remains well below its former highs, down from US$64.4 billion in 2021 to US$36.5 billion at the close of 2024, according to a new report by Galaxy Digital.

This contraction is largely due to the collapse of major centralized finance (CeFi) lenders like Genesis, BlockFi, Celsius, and Voyager, which together lost 82 percent of their lending capacity during the bear market.

However, decentralized finance (DeFi) has made a stunning recovery, with open borrows jumping from US$1.8 billion in late 2022 to US$19.1 billion across 20 platforms and 12 blockchains — a 959 percent increase. Galaxy attributes this to DeFi’s permissionless nature, transparency, and its resilience during market turmoil that crushed CeFi players.

Today, Tether, Galaxy, and Ledn dominate the surviving CeFi space, accounting for nearly 89 percent of its total activity, while DeFi’s growth hints at a larger shift toward decentralized, non-custodial financial infrastructure in the post-crash era.

Google to enforce MiCA rules on crypto ads

Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) will begin enforcing stricter ad policies across 27 European countries beginning on April 23, requiring all crypto advertisers to comply with the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation or be licensed under the Crypto Asset Service Provider framework.

All crypto exchanges and wallet providers advertising on Google must now also be certified by Google, and meet additional national-level legal obligations, further tightening the regulatory net on digital asset marketing.

This marks a significant shift in how crypto services are promoted in the EU and could weed out illicit players while boosting trust in licensed entities. Noncompliance will first trigger a warning before eventual account suspensions, giving advertisers a brief grace period to align with the rules.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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