JPMorgan Chase launches "America First" fund, with the first investment directed towards "antimony"

As the debut of its $10 billion strategic investment plan, JPMorgan Chase has directed funds towards the mining of the critical mineral antimony.

According to the latest report from the Financial Times, as the largest bank by assets in the United States, JPMorgan Chase has invested $75 million in Perpetua Resources, a mining company headquartered in Idaho. This funding marks the first capital deployment of the bank's new strategic investment fund, which aims to support critical strategic sectors in the U.S. through direct equity holdings.

The core target of this investment, Perpetua Resources, has recently launched a mineral project that includes gold and antimony. Antimony is a critical mineral widely used in military applications (such as hardened bullets), semiconductors, and battery manufacturing, and its supply chain status is of great concern.

Although the fund has a strategic color, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon previously stated that its investment decisions would be "100% commercial." This investment has also attracted participation from gold producer Agnico Eagle Mines, which invested $180 million at the same time, demonstrating market confidence in the commercial value of the project.

Focusing on the Critical Mineral Antimony

According to the terms of the deal, JPMorgan Chase purchased $75 million worth of common stock at Perpetua Resources' closing price of $23.30 on Nasdaq last Friday.

Additionally, JPMorgan Chase received warrants that allow it to purchase nearly 1.2 million additional shares at a premium over the next three years. Currently, Perpetua Resources has a market capitalization of approximately $2.5 billion.

Perpetua CEO Jon Cherry stated, "The investment from Agnico Eagle and JPMorgan Chase is a vote of confidence in the Stibnite gold project and the U.S. critical mineral strategy."

The Business Logic of the $10 Billion Fund

Earlier this month, JPMorgan Chase announced plans to invest in equity stakes in companies in critical security sectors in the U.S. through a fund totaling up to $10 billion. This is an unusual move for a publicly traded bank.

Doug Petno, co-head of JPMorgan's Commercial and Investment Banking division, stated, "Through this investment, we are supporting a company in an industry that is critical to national security and U.S. resilience — this is precisely the focus of our new plan."

However, Jamie Dimon emphasized the commercial nature of the fund, intending to signal to the market that all investment decisions will be based on strict commercial return considerations rather than purely strategic drivers.

It is noteworthy that this investment is not a unilateral action by JPMorgan Chase. Canadian gold producer Agnico Eagle Mines, as a partner, also invested $180 million in Perpetua Resources, providing stronger backing for the project with its substantial funds and industry experience.

It is also worth noting that JPMorgan's investment banking division acted as an advisor to Perpetua in this transaction, indicating that the bank is leveraging its comprehensive financial service capabilities to deeply engage in the capital operations of critical industries