Erste Group Bank Forecasts Lower Earnings for Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto PLC (NYSE:RIO) – Equities research analysts at Erste Group Bank cut their FY2026 EPS estimates for shares of Rio Tinto in a research note issued to investors on Monday, July 27th. Erste Group Bank analyst S. Lingnau now forecasts that the mining company will earn $8.34 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $8.45. The consensus estimate for Rio Tinto’s current full-year earnings is $8.37 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Rio Tinto’s FY2027 earnings at $8.27 EPS.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on RIO. Berenberg Bank set a $113.00 target price on shares of Rio Tinto in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Rio Tinto in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut shares of Rio Tinto from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Bank of America downgraded Rio Tinto from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Rio Tinto from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $105.50.

Rio Tinto Trading Up 2.3%

Shares of NYSE RIO opened at $93.75 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $97.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $96.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 1.44. Rio Tinto has a 52-week low of $58.40 and a 52-week high of $112.58.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Shrier Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Rio Tinto during the 4th quarter worth $1,280,000. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its position in Rio Tinto by 16.7% during the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 124,182 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $9,938,000 after purchasing an additional 17,786 shares in the last quarter. Oak Harvest Investment Services purchased a new position in shares of Rio Tinto during the fourth quarter valued at $15,210,000. Vanguard Capital Wealth Advisors acquired a new position in Rio Tinto during the fourth quarter valued at $955,000. Finally, MH & Associates Securities Management Corp ADV purchased a new stake in Rio Tinto in the 4th quarter worth about $3,687,000. 19.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Rio Tinto

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong first-half earnings: Rio Tinto reported its highest first-half earnings in four years, with profit increasing about 47% year over year. Higher commodity prices and improved production supported a 28% increase in underlying EBITDA. Rio Tinto posts highest H1 earnings in four years
• Positive Sentiment: Higher cash returns: Free cash flow rose 75%, enabling Rio Tinto to raise its interim dividend by 43% to approximately $2.11 per share. The combination of stronger cash generation and shareholder distributions is supporting the stock’s appeal to income-focused investors. Rio Tinto’s First-Half Profit Rises
• Positive Sentiment: Copper and diversification gains: Copper earnings helped narrow the performance gap with iron ore, while copper-equivalent production increased 3%. Management also highlighted potential long-term demand from data centers and artificial-intelligence infrastructure. Rio Tinto chief hails AI data centres
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs upgrade: Goldman raised Rio Tinto from “Neutral” to “Buy,” citing the company’s accelerating portfolio-simplification strategy. The upgrade adds institutional support following the earnings release. Rio Tinto raised to Buy at Goldman
• Neutral Sentiment: Execution remains important: Management continues to navigate safety and operational challenges, while Rio Tinto’s results remain exposed to fluctuations in iron ore, copper, aluminum and lithium prices. Rio Tinto Half Year 2026 Earnings Call Highlights

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.