Income Fund Excels Thanks to Stocks Like Starbucks, Amgen, and CVS
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 12 2026
0mins
Source: Barron's
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Analyst Views on RIO
Wall Street analysts forecast RIO stock price to fall
6 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 95.110
Low
68.00
Averages
83.70
High
129.50
Current: 95.110
Low
68.00
Averages
83.70
High
129.50
About RIO
Rio Tinto plc is a United Kingdom-based mining and materials company. It operates in over 35 countries, and its portfolio includes iron ore, copper, aluminum and a range of other minerals and materials. Its segments include Iron Ore, Aluminum, Copper, and Minerals. The Iron Ore segment includes iron ore mining and salt and gypsum production in Western Australia. Its iron ore operations in Pilbara comprise an integrated network of over 18 iron ore mines and four independent port terminals. The Aluminum segment includes bauxite mining, alumina refining, and aluminum smelting and recycling. The Copper segment includes mining and refining of copper, gold, silver, molybdenum, other by-products and licensing of extraction technologies. The Minerals segment includes mining and processing of borates, diamonds, iron concentrate and pellets from the Iron Ore Company of Canada, lithium and titanium dioxide feedstock.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Rio Tinto Expects Rapid Growth in Lithium Business
- Lithium Growth Outlook: Rio Tinto anticipates its lithium business will grow faster than its copper and iron ore divisions, aiming to triple production to 200,000 tons by 2028, reflecting strong confidence in the lithium market.
- Acquisition and Investment: Following its $6.7 billion acquisition of Arcadium last year, the company is developing mines in Argentina and Canada, expecting to remain economically viable even if prices decline, underscoring its commitment to lithium resources.
- Direct Lithium Extraction Technology: Much of Rio's growth will stem from investments in direct lithium extraction, with one DLE project expected to launch in a few years, significantly enhancing production efficiency and market competitiveness.
- Market Positioning Strategy: While Rio has the potential to become one of the world's largest lithium producers, the company does not pursue this goal, focusing instead on building a set of assets large enough to maintain relevance with customers, ensuring long-term sustainable growth.
See More
Rio Tinto Shares Rebound, Ending Six-Day Losing Streak
- Stock Rebound: Rio Tinto shares rose 1.15% on Thursday, breaking a six-day losing streak that saw over 11% of its market value erased, indicating sustained market confidence in its fundamentals.
- Strong Year-to-Date Performance: Despite recent volatility, Rio Tinto's stock is up about 17% year-to-date, benefiting from low-cost production and supportive prices for key commodities, particularly copper and iron ore, reflecting its competitive position in the resource market.
- Future Growth Expectations: More than half of Rio Tinto's EBITDA is expected to be linked to energy transition and AI-driven demand by 2026, with the company targeting 40%-50% EBITDA growth and around 20% production growth by 2030, showcasing its proactive positioning for future market trends.
- Analyst Ratings: While Rio Tinto's fundamentals remain solid with a dividend yield of approximately 3.8%, analysts generally see limited upside from current commodity prices; Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating gives it a Strong Buy, reflecting optimism about its profitability prospects.
See More
Rio Tinto Resumes Copper Exports from Oyu Tolgoi Mine
- Export Resumption: Rio Tinto has restarted copper concentrate exports from its Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia after a brief protest, ensuring stable supply to the Chinese market and demonstrating the company's flexibility and responsiveness in managing critical resources.
- Unclear Protest Reasons: While the protest caused a disruption in shipments, the specific reasons remain unclear, highlighting the mine's sensitivity in Mongolia and potentially affecting future operational stability and government relations.
- Strategic Importance: Oyu Tolgoi is one of the world's largest copper mines and is crucial to Rio's copper growth strategy, with rising demand for copper driven by electrification and the global energy transition, making any disruptions significant for the company's performance.
- Shareholder Interests: Rio holds a 66% stake in the mine, with the Mongolian government owning the remainder, and the government's push for a larger share of revenue could impact future profit distribution and investment decisions, necessitating close monitoring by investors.
See More
Rio Tinto Resumes Copper Exports from Oyu Tolgoi Mine
- Export Resumption: Rio Tinto announced the resumption of copper concentrate exports from its Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia after a one-day protest blocked key roads, demonstrating the company's flexibility in crisis management.
- Unclear Protest Reasons: Protesters obstructed trucks from transporting copper to the Chinese border, and while the reasons remain unclear, the mine has been controversial in Mongolia, where the government seeks a larger revenue share, potentially impacting future operations.
- Market Reaction: Copper futures on the London Metal Exchange fell over 1% due to concerns about potential rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, indicating the global market's sensitivity to interest rate changes that could affect import costs for copper.
- Supply Chain Risks: Rio Tinto expressed concerns that prolonged disruptions could threaten its ability to supply copper concentrate to China, highlighting the project's significance in the global copper supply chain.
See More
Protesters Block Copper Exports from Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi Mine
- Protest Impact: Protesters have blocked a key road from Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia, halting copper concentrate shipments to China, which could disrupt supply chains and impact the economies of both nations.
- Revenue Sharing Dispute: The protest group is demanding a larger share of mining revenues for Mongolians, and if their demands are not met, it could lead to larger-scale protests, affecting the investment climate in the mining sector.
- Contractual Risk: Rio Tinto has warned that the protests could result in a failure to fulfill contractual obligations, potentially causing significant disruptions to Mongolia's state budget and tarnishing the international reputation of Mongolia and its mining sector.
- Mining Significance: Oyu Tolgoi is one of the world's most significant copper projects, with Rio Tinto holding a 66% stake; if the protests continue, it may hinder the mine's goal of becoming the world's fourth-largest operating copper mine.
See More
Iron Ore Futures Fall Below $100 for First Time Since March
- Supply Overhang: Iron ore futures on the Singapore Exchange fell 2.3% to $98.90 per ton, marking the first drop below $100 since March, indicating growing concerns over supply excess, particularly as steel production in China continues to decline.
- Weak Economic Data: China's fixed asset investment and consumer spending fell to their lowest levels since the pandemic in May, reflecting a sluggish economic recovery that has led to reduced demand expectations for iron ore, exacerbating market pessimism.
- New Mine Production Impact: The gradual ramp-up of production at the Simandou mine in Guinea is increasing global iron ore supplies, leading to more cautious price expectations in the market, especially amid weak demand conditions.
- Declining Oil Prices Effect: Recent declines in crude oil prices, driven by the potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, have lowered freight rates, adding further pressure on iron ore prices and negatively impacting market sentiment.
See More
Rio Tinto Expects Rapid Growth in Lithium Business
- Lithium Growth Outlook: Rio Tinto anticipates its lithium business will grow faster than its copper and iron ore divisions, aiming to triple production to 200,000 tons by 2028, reflecting strong confidence in the lithium market.
- Acquisition and Investment: Following its $6.7 billion acquisition of Arcadium last year, the company is developing mines in Argentina and Canada, expecting to remain economically viable even if prices decline, underscoring its commitment to lithium resources.
- Direct Lithium Extraction Technology: Much of Rio's growth will stem from investments in direct lithium extraction, with one DLE project expected to launch in a few years, significantly enhancing production efficiency and market competitiveness.
- Market Positioning Strategy: While Rio has the potential to become one of the world's largest lithium producers, the company does not pursue this goal, focusing instead on building a set of assets large enough to maintain relevance with customers, ensuring long-term sustainable growth.
See More
Rio Tinto Shares Rebound, Ending Six-Day Losing Streak
- Stock Rebound: Rio Tinto shares rose 1.15% on Thursday, breaking a six-day losing streak that saw over 11% of its market value erased, indicating sustained market confidence in its fundamentals.
- Strong Year-to-Date Performance: Despite recent volatility, Rio Tinto's stock is up about 17% year-to-date, benefiting from low-cost production and supportive prices for key commodities, particularly copper and iron ore, reflecting its competitive position in the resource market.
- Future Growth Expectations: More than half of Rio Tinto's EBITDA is expected to be linked to energy transition and AI-driven demand by 2026, with the company targeting 40%-50% EBITDA growth and around 20% production growth by 2030, showcasing its proactive positioning for future market trends.
- Analyst Ratings: While Rio Tinto's fundamentals remain solid with a dividend yield of approximately 3.8%, analysts generally see limited upside from current commodity prices; Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating gives it a Strong Buy, reflecting optimism about its profitability prospects.
See More
Rio Tinto Resumes Copper Exports from Oyu Tolgoi Mine
- Export Resumption: Rio Tinto has restarted copper concentrate exports from its Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia after a brief protest, ensuring stable supply to the Chinese market and demonstrating the company's flexibility and responsiveness in managing critical resources.
- Unclear Protest Reasons: While the protest caused a disruption in shipments, the specific reasons remain unclear, highlighting the mine's sensitivity in Mongolia and potentially affecting future operational stability and government relations.
- Strategic Importance: Oyu Tolgoi is one of the world's largest copper mines and is crucial to Rio's copper growth strategy, with rising demand for copper driven by electrification and the global energy transition, making any disruptions significant for the company's performance.
- Shareholder Interests: Rio holds a 66% stake in the mine, with the Mongolian government owning the remainder, and the government's push for a larger share of revenue could impact future profit distribution and investment decisions, necessitating close monitoring by investors.
See More
Rio Tinto Resumes Copper Exports from Oyu Tolgoi Mine
- Export Resumption: Rio Tinto announced the resumption of copper concentrate exports from its Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia after a one-day protest blocked key roads, demonstrating the company's flexibility in crisis management.
- Unclear Protest Reasons: Protesters obstructed trucks from transporting copper to the Chinese border, and while the reasons remain unclear, the mine has been controversial in Mongolia, where the government seeks a larger revenue share, potentially impacting future operations.
- Market Reaction: Copper futures on the London Metal Exchange fell over 1% due to concerns about potential rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, indicating the global market's sensitivity to interest rate changes that could affect import costs for copper.
- Supply Chain Risks: Rio Tinto expressed concerns that prolonged disruptions could threaten its ability to supply copper concentrate to China, highlighting the project's significance in the global copper supply chain.
See More
Protesters Block Copper Exports from Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi Mine
- Protest Impact: Protesters have blocked a key road from Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia, halting copper concentrate shipments to China, which could disrupt supply chains and impact the economies of both nations.
- Revenue Sharing Dispute: The protest group is demanding a larger share of mining revenues for Mongolians, and if their demands are not met, it could lead to larger-scale protests, affecting the investment climate in the mining sector.
- Contractual Risk: Rio Tinto has warned that the protests could result in a failure to fulfill contractual obligations, potentially causing significant disruptions to Mongolia's state budget and tarnishing the international reputation of Mongolia and its mining sector.
- Mining Significance: Oyu Tolgoi is one of the world's most significant copper projects, with Rio Tinto holding a 66% stake; if the protests continue, it may hinder the mine's goal of becoming the world's fourth-largest operating copper mine.
See More
Iron Ore Futures Fall Below $100 for First Time Since March
- Supply Overhang: Iron ore futures on the Singapore Exchange fell 2.3% to $98.90 per ton, marking the first drop below $100 since March, indicating growing concerns over supply excess, particularly as steel production in China continues to decline.
- Weak Economic Data: China's fixed asset investment and consumer spending fell to their lowest levels since the pandemic in May, reflecting a sluggish economic recovery that has led to reduced demand expectations for iron ore, exacerbating market pessimism.
- New Mine Production Impact: The gradual ramp-up of production at the Simandou mine in Guinea is increasing global iron ore supplies, leading to more cautious price expectations in the market, especially amid weak demand conditions.
- Declining Oil Prices Effect: Recent declines in crude oil prices, driven by the potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, have lowered freight rates, adding further pressure on iron ore prices and negatively impacting market sentiment.
See More
