Copper prices are at their lowest level in almost a year, but that could present a buying opportunity for investors. Wall Street analysts have turned bullish on the metal, with banks such as Citigroup predicting a price surge. Copper prices could rise nearly 50% to $12,000 a tonne in 2025 in a base case and double to $15,000 a tonne in a bull case, Citi said in a May 31 note. “We recommend that consumers and long-term investors build copper exposure gradually over the next six months or so. We see an increasingly attractive risk-reward profile for this strategy,” it said. In a separate report in May, Goldman Sachs forecast copper prices rising 25% to $11,000 a tonne over the next 12 months. Copper prices fell nearly 6% in May, their worst month in nearly a year since June 2022, according to a CNBC analysis. But analysts at Goldman Sachs said the market is currently in a “severe shortage” phase. “Chinese demand is outperforming growth concerns,” Goldman wrote. “While the strength of demand in China has been underestimated, it is also important to recognize the continued negative shock to mineral supply as a tightening effect on this market.” With policy support, long-term global demand for copper is growing. This metal has a wide range of applications in construction and industry. It is also a key component in electric vehicles, used in batteries, wiring, charging points, and more. How to Invest in Copper For those looking to buy into the sector, CNBC Pro screens the stocks in the Global X Copper Miners ETF. The following stocks have 50% or more analyst “buy” ratings and an average price target upside of more than 10%. Canadian miner NGEx Minerals stands out with the most potential — nearly 100 percent — and analysts have a 66 percent Buy rating on the stock. US-listed Teck Resources also made the list, up more than 10%, with a buy rating of 72%. Another Canadian miner, Filo Mining, has the highest buy rating at 91%. Investors can also choose to invest in exchange-traded funds that invest in copper futures contracts, such as the US Copper Index ETF and the iPath B-Series Bloomberg Copper Sub-Index Total Return. — CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this report.