Hancock Prospecting Shifts $3.3B US Portfolio to Defence, Gold, Rare Earths

Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting has added defence stocks to its US equity portfolio, deepening exposure to sectors at the centre of current geopolitical themes.

According to portfolio disclosures, Hancock added a cluster of defence and cybersecurity names, including CrowdStrike, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and RTX, as part of a roughly US$133 million move into the sector earlier in the year. It also added major gold producer Newmont, deepening exposure to a metal that has performed strongly amid global uncertainty.

Reading the strategy

Defence primes, cybersecurity firms and gold fit a portfolio built around resilience and strategic relevance rather than short-term momentum.

The moves also complement Hancock's direct investments in rare earths and lithium producers. Where those minority stakes give Rinehart a foothold in the raw materials, the equity positions in defence contractors give her exposure to the companies that consume them, a vertically themed bet on the same macro trend.

Active management

The portfolio changes were not limited to additions. Hancock boosted its position in copper producer Hudbay Minerals by around 10 per cent and exited its holding in Chilean lithium producer SQM, signalling a willingness to rotate capital as its view on individual commodities and companies evolves.

That active approach distinguishes Hancock from a passive family office. The firm has been trading around its core convictions, critical minerals, defence, gold and, more recently, space, rather than simply parking iron ore profits.

What it signals

For observers of Rinehart's empire, the 2026 portfolio tells a clear story. The iron ore cash engine is increasingly funding a diversified, geopolitically themed investment strategy that stretches well beyond Australian shores, one aimed squarely at the industries she believes will define the coming decades.

Sources: MINING.COM; U.S. News; KFGO

This article is general information only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Consider your own circumstances and seek licensed professional advice before making financial decisions.