Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO) Lowered to Equal Weight Rating by Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO) from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report released on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Erste Group Bank upgraded Rio Tinto from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Argus lifted their price target on shares of Rio Tinto from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Hsbc Global Res cut shares of Rio Tinto from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. HSBC downgraded shares of Rio Tinto from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Rio Tinto in a report on Monday, November 17th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Rio Tinto presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $85.00.

Rio Tinto Price Performance

NYSE RIO opened at $93.37 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $79.75 and its 200 day moving average is $70.10. Rio Tinto has a fifty-two week low of $51.67 and a fifty-two week high of $93.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in RIO. Capital Advisors Inc. OK lifted its stake in Rio Tinto by 20.6% in the third quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK now owns 520,428 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $34,353,000 after purchasing an additional 89,069 shares during the last quarter. QSM Asset Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Rio Tinto in the third quarter worth approximately $11,509,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Rio Tinto by 272.2% during the 3rd quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC now owns 205,418 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $12,712,000 after acquiring an additional 150,234 shares during the last quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC boosted its holdings in Rio Tinto by 479.6% during the 3rd quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC now owns 144,553 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $9,542,000 after acquiring an additional 119,614 shares during the period. Finally, Assetmark Inc. grew its position in Rio Tinto by 8.1% in the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 70,330 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $4,102,000 after acquiring an additional 5,259 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 19.33% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Rio Tinto

Here are the key news stories impacting Rio Tinto this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deal speculation that a combination with Glencore could create the world’s largest mining group and significantly expand Rio Tinto’s copper exposure — a deal narrative can lift valuation multiples and spark takeover-driven rerating. The Possible Faces of a Rio Tinto-Glencore Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlighting Rio Tinto’s strong recovery (article arguing shares “could soar again” after a 2025 low) supports investor optimism and may attract momentum buying. Up 48% from its 2025 low. Here’s why the Rio Tinto share price could soar again this year
• Neutral Sentiment: Dimensional Fund Advisors filed Form 8.3 disclosing an opening position representing ≥1% — institutional interest can be supportive but doesn’t guarantee further buying or immediate price impact. Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd. : Form 8.3
• Neutral Sentiment: Rio Tinto’s sustainability/renewables work (zero‑waste thinking on a solar array) supports longer-term ESG narrative but is unlikely to move the stock near-term. How Zero-Waste Thinking Helped Build Rio Tinto a Solar Array
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley downgraded Rio Tinto from “overweight” to “equal weight” — analyst downgrades can prompt selling, reduce relative demand, and pressure short-term performance.
• Negative Sentiment: HSBC cut its rating from “strong-buy” to “hold,” another downward revision that may reinforce caution among investors. HSBC rating change report
• Negative Sentiment: Vale increased iron‑ore output in 2025 and for the first time in seven years topped Rio’s Pilbara volumes — rising competitor supply can weigh on prices and margins for Rio Tinto’s iron‑ore business. Vale’s iron ore production rises 3% in 2025, surpassing Rio Tinto’s Pilbara

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a global mining and metals company that explores for, mines, processes and markets a wide range of commodities. Its principal products include iron ore, aluminum, copper, diamonds and various other minerals and industrial materials. The company’s activities span the full value chain from exploration and project development to mining, processing, smelting and refining, supplying raw materials to industries such as steelmaking, automotive, packaging, electronics and construction.

The origins of Rio Tinto date back to mining operations in the Rio Tinto region of Spain in the 19th century, and the group has since grown into a multinational enterprise.