Rio Tinto Group
- Open
- 104.21
- Day high
- 104.44
- Day low
- 102.32
- Prev close
- 103.30
- Volume
- 1.5M
- Mkt cap
- $166.7B
- P/E (TTM)
- 7.4
- EPS (TTM)
- $13.78
- P/B
- 2.5
- P/S
- 1.4
- Yield
- 4.52%
- Per share
- $4.63
Rio Tinto Group (RIO) is a Basic Materials company listed on NYSE. The stock is up 66% over the past year. Drillr has 7 published research articles covering RIO.
Rio Tinto Group (RIO) financials & analyst ratings
Fundamentals (TTM)
Analyst consensus · 4 analysts
Source: exchange market data + company filings. Figures are trailing-twelve-month or as most recently reported. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
RIO earnings date, history & EPS estimates
| Report date | EPS est | EPS actual | Surprise | Revenue | Rev. surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 2026 | $4.09 | $4.10 | +0.2% | $31.0B | -1.9% |
| Feb 19, 2026 | $3.71 | $3.31 | -10.8% | $30.6B | +1.5% |
| Jul 30, 2025 | $3.12 | $2.79 | -10.6% | $27.1B | +3.1% |
| Feb 19, 2025 | $3.23 | $3.51 | +8.7% | $26.9B | -1.8% |
| Oct 15, 2024 | $3.49 | $3.56 | +2.0% | $26.8B | -0.9% |
| Jul 26, 2023 | $3.59 | $3.14 | -12.5% | $26.7B | +0.5% |
| Feb 22, 2023 | $2.97 | $2.26 | -23.9% | $27.0B | +8.9% |
| Jul 27, 2022 | $5.01 | $5.47 | +9.2% | $29.8B | +1.9% |
| Feb 23, 2022 | $5.84 | $5.44 | -6.8% | $30.7B | +2.2% |
| Jul 28, 2021 | $7.48 | $7.56 | +1.1% | $33.1B | -0.6% |
| Mar 2, 2021 | $4.56 | $3.89 | -14.7% | $24.8B | -2.0% |
| Jul 29, 2020 | $2.42 | $2.04 | -15.7% | $19.4B | +0.4% |
RIO research & analysis
US Data Center Build-Out: EQIX, DLR Lead $200B+ Wave — 6 Stocks Ranked by Upside
China's policing expansion in US-aligned Pacific islands, per Newsweek, boosts Lockheed Martin's defense demand amid Pacific tensions while exposing BHP and Rio Tinto to supply chain risks from China-reliant commodities. LMT's record backlog and strong guidance position it for gains, contrasting miners' value but vulnerability. Overweight LMT; hold miners.
LMTBHPCritical Minerals War: BHP, FCX Win as China's $190B Push Squeezes ALB and SQM
China's initiatives to dominate the $190B critical minerals market pressure lithium specialists like ALB and SQM while favoring diversified copper leaders BHP, RIO, and FCX. MP offers speculative upside via U.S. rare earth independence. Ranked picks highlight copper's resilience amid supply wars.
BHPLACALBCritical Minerals: BHP, RIO, FCX Win as China's $190B Push Crushes ALB and SQM
China's bid to dominate the $190B critical minerals market pressures lithium producers like ALB and SQM but favors diversified copper giants BHP, RIO, and FCX, plus U.S. rare earth play MP. Backed by fresh financials and earnings guidance, the thesis ranks clear winners amid supply risks.
BHPFCXMPTrump Threatens Total Iran Embargo: USO Jumps 4% — What Comes Next for XLE
New Pacific seabed rare earth mining plans near Guam, driven by US-China competition, spotlight opportunities for US critical minerals firms. MP Materials tops the list as the domestic rare earth leader, followed by diversified giants like Rio Tinto and Albemarle. The article ranks five stocks with detailed financials and theme exposure analysis.
MPFCXALBRare Earth War: Pacific Seabed Mining Near Guam Puts MP and TMC in the Spotlight
Amid US-China rare earth rivalry, a new Pacific seabed mining plan near Guam spotlights MP Materials, TMC, and others as winners in critical minerals diversification. The article analyzes six firms' exposure, financials, and rankings, grounded in recent policy shifts.
MPTMCARECIran Airstrike Squeezes Aluminum Supply — AA, CENX Among Top 5 Winners
Airstrike on Iran's IRALCO on April 7, 2026, tightens aluminum supply, favoring US producers CENX, AA, CSTM, KALU, and RIO with higher premiums and margins. CENX tops conviction on pure-play smelting and 14% revenue growth; all show strong TTM gains amid 71% EBITDA surges for leaders.
AACENXKALUWhich non-Qatar alumina sources can ramp to fill the supply gap?
The Qatar alumina supply disruption creates a meaningful but manageable gap in seaborne markets. Alcoa's ~2 million tonne trading book offers the fastest response, Rio Tinto's vertically integrated system is neutral to slightly negative for external supply, and Chinese exports act as a price ceiling rather than structural replacement. Medium-term relief depends on Indian and Indonesian refinery buildouts over 2026–2028.
AABHPACH
Rio Tinto Group company profile
Overview
Rio Tinto Group (LSE:RIO) is a British-Australian multinational mining corporation founded in 1873, making it one of the world's oldest and largest mining companies. Originally established to exploit copper mines in Spain, the company has evolved into a global mining giant with operations spanning six continents. Today, Rio Tinto is headquartered in London and ranks among the world's largest producers of iron ore, aluminum, copper, and various other minerals. The company operates through four main business segments and maintains a diversified portfolio of mining assets, processing facilities, and infrastructure that supports global commodity markets and the energy transition.
Business
Rio Tinto operates in the global mining and metals industry, extracting, processing, and selling mineral commodities that serve as essential raw materials for construction, manufacturing, and energy sectors worldwide. The company's operations are organized into four primary business segments: Iron Ore segment represents the company's largest revenue generator, accounting for approximately 60% of total revenues. This division primarily operates in Western Australia's Pilbara region, where Rio Tinto extracts iron ore - the key ingredient in steel production. The segment also produces salt and gypsum as byproducts. Iron ore is essential for global steel manufacturing, which supports construction, automotive, and infrastructure industries. Aluminum segment contributes roughly 15-20% of revenues and encompasses the complete aluminum value chain from bauxite mining through alumina refining to aluminum smelting. Bauxite is the primary ore from which aluminum is extracted, while alumina is the intermediate product refined from bauxite before being smelted into aluminum metal. Aluminum is crucial for aerospace, automotive, packaging, and construction industries due to its lightweight and corrosion-resistant properties. Copper segment generates approximately 15-20% of revenues through mining and refining operations that produce copper, gold, silver, molybdenum, and other byproducts. Copper is fundamental to electrical infrastructure, renewable energy systems, and electric vehicles, making it a critical metal for the global energy transition. The segment includes major operations like the Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia and Kennecott in Utah. Minerals segment accounts for roughly 5-10% of revenues and includes diverse operations producing borates (used in glass and ceramics), titanium dioxide feedstock (for pigments and coatings), iron ore pellets, and diamonds. This segment also encompasses the company's emerging battery materials business, particularly lithium projects that support electric vehicle battery production.
Revenue model
Rio Tinto generates revenue primarily through direct product sales of extracted and processed commodities to industrial customers, steel mills, aluminum smelters, and trading companies worldwide. The company's business model involves selling physical commodities at prevailing market prices, with revenues directly tied to both production volumes and commodity price fluctuations. The company's customers include major steel producers in China, Japan, and South Korea for iron ore; aluminum manufacturers and automotive companies for aluminum products; electrical equipment manufacturers and construction companies for copper; and various industrial manufacturers for specialty minerals. Rio Tinto typically sells products through long-term contracts with pricing mechanisms tied to market indices, as well as spot market transactions. Several factors significantly impact Rio Tinto's profit margins. Commodity price volatility represents the most significant external factor, as prices for iron ore, copper, and aluminum can fluctuate dramatically based on global economic conditions, particularly Chinese demand which consumes approximately 50% of global steel production. Currency exchange rates also affect margins since the company reports in US dollars while incurring costs in various local currencies including Australian dollars and Canadian dollars. Operational factors influencing margins include production efficiency improvements through the Safe Production System implementation, energy costs (particularly electricity for aluminum smelting), labor costs, and transportation expenses. The company's margins benefit from economies of scale at large, low-cost operations like the Pilbara iron ore mines. Regulatory and environmental compliance costs continue to increase, particularly as the company pursues decarbonization targets, while geopolitical risks in key operating jurisdictions can impact both costs and market access.
Competitive moat
Rio Tinto possesses a strong competitive moat built primarily on its ownership of world-class, low-cost mineral deposits and integrated infrastructure systems. The company's most significant competitive advantage lies in its Pilbara iron ore operations in Western Australia, which rank among the world's highest-grade, lowest-cost iron ore deposits. These assets are supported by an integrated rail and port infrastructure system that creates substantial barriers to entry, as replicating such infrastructure would require billions of dollars and decades of development. The company's geographic diversification across stable jurisdictions including Australia, Canada, and the United States provides political risk mitigation compared to competitors operating primarily in higher-risk regions. Rio Tinto's scale advantages enable it to negotiate better terms with suppliers, access capital markets efficiently, and invest in advanced technologies that smaller competitors cannot afford. However, the moat faces several challenges. Commodity price cyclicality means that even low-cost producers can struggle during prolonged downturns. Regulatory pressures around environmental compliance and carbon emissions are increasing costs industry-wide, though Rio Tinto's financial strength positions it better than smaller competitors to absorb these expenses. Technological disruption poses a long-term threat, particularly in steel production where hydrogen-based processes could reduce iron ore demand, and in transportation where electric vehicles could significantly increase copper demand while potentially reducing aluminum demand if lightweight materials are replaced by batteries. New supply development from competitors, particularly in iron ore from Brazil and Africa, could pressure margins over time. Additionally, customer concentration risk exists given the heavy dependence on Chinese steel mills for iron ore sales, making the company vulnerable to Chinese economic policy changes or trade disputes.
Risks & safety
Rio Tinto demonstrates a strong margin of safety with robust financial metrics and conservative capital structure, though commodity price volatility creates inherent earnings uncertainty. • Liquidity and Solvency: Cash and short-term investments of $6.8 billion provide substantial liquidity buffer. Current ratio of 1.63 and quick ratio of 1.13 indicate adequate short-term liquidity. Net debt of $5.5 billion represents a conservative debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, well below industry peers. • Cash Generation: Strong free cash flow of $6.0 billion in 2024 demonstrates the business's ability to generate cash even during commodity price volatility. Operating cash flow of $15.6 billion provides substantial coverage for capital expenditures and dividends. • Valuation Metrics: Trading at P/E ratio of 8.3x and EV/EBITDA of 4.6x, suggesting reasonable valuation relative to earnings power. Price-to-book ratio of 1.73x appears reasonable for a capital-intensive mining business. • Other Considerations: Dividend payout policy of 60% of earnings provides income while retaining capital for growth investments. Return on equity of 20.9% demonstrates efficient capital allocation. However, earnings volatility due to commodity price cycles creates uncertainty in forward-looking valuations.
Recent development
Over the past few years, Rio Tinto has undergone significant strategic transformation focused on positioning the company for the global energy transition while maintaining operational excellence. The company has prioritized copper expansion as a key growth driver, targeting production of over 1 million tonnes annually by the end of the decade. This includes the successful ramp-up of the Oyu Tolgoi underground copper mine in Mongolia, which achieved first sustainable production and continues scaling operations. The company has made substantial investments in battery materials, particularly lithium, through the development of the Rincon lithium project in Argentina and the planned acquisition of Arcadium Lithium expected to close in March 2025. Rio Tinto has also advanced the potential Jadar lithium project in Serbia, positioning itself as a significant player in the lithium supply chain supporting electric vehicle battery production. Operational excellence initiatives have centered around the implementation of the Safe Production System (SPS) across 80% of operations, which has delivered measurable productivity improvements including a 5 million tonne production uplift in iron ore operations. The company has also focused on decarbonization efforts, achieving a 14% reduction in emissions between 2018 and 2024 while targeting a 50% reduction by 2030. This includes securing renewable power contracts and investing in low-carbon technologies such as the ELYSIS aluminum smelting process. Major project developments include the sanctioning and advancement of the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea, expected to begin production by the end of 2025, and the Western Range iron ore project in Australia. The company has also expanded its aluminum operations through the AP60 smelter expansion in Canada and entered a joint venture with Matalco for recycled aluminum production, supporting circular economy initiatives.
RIO company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
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