MP Materials Corp. (MP) saw its stock price soar 5.04% during intraday trading on Tuesday, following positive analyst coverage from investment bank Needham.

The surge came after Needham initiated coverage on the rare earth materials producer with a "Buy" rating and an $81 price target. Analyst Carter Goman views MP Materials as the "clear leader" in the sector with a "first-mover advantage" as the Western Hemisphere's largest producer of rare earth materials.

Needham believes the rare earth industry is at the beginning of a multi-year investment cycle, driven by an increasingly fragmented global supply chain. The analyst noted that MP Materials has one of the highest probabilities of success in achieving its goals due to its established operations at the Mountain Pass mine and the strength of its management team.