Erste Group Bank Predicts Stronger Earnings for Rio Tinto

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS forecast for Rio Tinto to $8.48 from $8.45 and estimated FY2027 EPS at $8.59, while maintaining a “Hold” rating.
• Rio Tinto has a consensus “Hold” rating from analysts, with a consensus price target of $101.62; recent firms have issued ratings ranging from “Strong Buy” to “Sell.”
• Rio Tinto shares opened at $94.37, compared with a 52-week range of $66.49 to $112.58, and institutional investors and hedge funds own 19.33% of the stock.

Rio Tinto PLC (NYSE:RIO - Free Report) - Analysts at Erste Group Bank boosted their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Rio Tinto in a research report issued on Thursday, October 8th. Erste Group Bank analyst S. Lingnau now forecasts that the mining company will post earnings of $8.48 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $8.45. Erste Group Bank has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Rio Tinto's current full-year earnings is $8.41 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Rio Tinto's FY2027 earnings at $8.59 EPS.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on RIO. Zacks Research raised Rio Tinto from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Morningstar upgraded Rio Tinto to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Argus upgraded shares of Rio Tinto to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Rio Tinto from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Rio Tinto in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Rio Tinto has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $101.62.

Rio Tinto Price Performance

Shares of RIO stock opened at $94.37 on Tuesday. Rio Tinto has a fifty-two week low of $66.49 and a fifty-two week high of $112.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $99.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $98.54.

Rio Tinto Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th were issued a $2.11 dividend. This represents a yield of 441.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rio Tinto

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in RIO. Sacks & Associates LLC acquired a new position in shares of Rio Tinto in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,078,000. Riversedge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Rio Tinto by 11.7% in the third quarter. Riversedge Advisors LLC now owns 3,482 shares of the mining company's stock worth $328,000 after buying an additional 366 shares during the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital boosted its stake in shares of Rio Tinto by 52.6% in the third quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 3,510 shares of the mining company's stock worth $328,000 after buying an additional 1,210 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Rio Tinto in the third quarter worth about $729,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Rio Tinto by 8.8% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,957 shares of the mining company's stock worth $561,000 after acquiring an additional 480 shares during the period. 19.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto plc is a global mining and metals company that explores for, develops, and operates mineral resources. Its principal products include iron ore, aluminum, copper, lithium, borates, titanium dioxide feedstocks, and salt. The company supplies raw materials to industries such as construction, manufacturing, transportation, packaging, and renewable energy.

Rio Tinto's iron ore business is concentrated in Western Australia's Pilbara region, while its aluminum operations span bauxite mining, alumina refining, and aluminum smelting in several countries.

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