Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO) Cut to “Hold” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research cut shares of Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

RIO has been the subject of a number of other reports. DZ Bank lowered shares of Rio Tinto from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Erste Group Bank raised shares of Rio Tinto from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating on shares of Rio Tinto in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Argus upped their price objective on shares of Rio Tinto from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price objective on shares of Rio Tinto from $83.00 to $77.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Rio Tinto currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $81.00.

Rio Tinto Stock Down 1.3%

RIO stock opened at $97.21 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. Rio Tinto has a one year low of $53.74 and a one year high of $101.53. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $93.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $81.28.

Rio Tinto Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $2.54 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a dividend yield of 564.0%.

Institutional Trading of Rio Tinto

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Rio Tinto during the first quarter valued at $84,000. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Rio Tinto by 78.4% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 12,087 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $726,000 after purchasing an additional 5,310 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in Rio Tinto by 20.7% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 11,485 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $690,000 after purchasing an additional 1,968 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Rio Tinto by 5.8% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 5,280 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $317,000 after purchasing an additional 288 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth grew its stake in shares of Rio Tinto by 16.7% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 15,985 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $962,000 after buying an additional 2,285 shares in the last quarter. 19.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Rio Tinto

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

• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised its FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts (to about $8.16 and $8.15) and keeps a Buy stance, supporting expectations for stronger near‑term earnings. Erste upgrades RIO estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Operational resilience in the Pilbara — steady 2025 iron‑ore output, improved operating efficiency and progress on projects — helps underpin short‑term production outlook despite weather and cost pressures. Can Pilbara facility anchor growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Market chatter reports Rio Tinto and peers have raised U.S. premiums on aluminum billets, which could lift realized prices/revenues for certain aluminum products. Market Chatter: aluminum premiums
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term strategic narrative: industry pieces highlight Rio Tinto’s pivot toward materials needed for the energy transition (e.g., higher‑value, low‑carbon inputs). This supports medium/long‑term positioning but is less decisive for near‑term price moves. Rust to Riches: Resource Realignment
• Neutral Sentiment: News about a former Rio Tinto CEO leading a deep‑sea critical‑minerals venture (merger with Odyssey) is notable for sector talent flow but is unlikely to materially affect Rio’s operating fundamentals. Ex‑Rio CEO deep‑sea mining deal
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded Rio Tinto from “strong‑buy” to “hold,” a near‑term negative that can pressure sentiment and reduce momentum. Zacks downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst consensus/aggregators show a prevailing “hold” rating on RIO, reinforcing the cautious tone from the sell‑side and likely contributing to today’s weakness. Consensus Hold on RIO

Rio Tinto Company Profile

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.