Rio Tinto PLC $RIO Position Boosted by Natixis Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors increased its stake in Rio Tinto by 29.8% in Q3 to 648,700 shares, holding about $42.8 million of the company.
• Rio Tinto announced a $2.54 dividend payable April 16, with shareholders of record (and the ex-dividend date) on March 6.
• Analysts are mixed: the consensus rating is a "Hold" with an average price target of $81, amid recent upgrades (e.g., Erste) and downgrades (e.g., DZ Bank).

Natixis Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Rio Tinto PLC (NYSE:RIO - Free Report) by 29.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 648,700 shares of the mining company's stock after purchasing an additional 148,974 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC owned about 0.05% of Rio Tinto worth $42,821,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in RIO. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC increased its stake in Rio Tinto by 21.6% in the 3rd quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC now owns 1,126,445 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $74,357,000 after buying an additional 199,962 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its stake in shares of Rio Tinto by 25.0% during the 3rd quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 20,563 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $1,357,000 after buying an additional 4,110 shares during the period. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda boosted its stake in shares of Rio Tinto by 132.0% during the 3rd quarter. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda now owns 646,866 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $42,700,000 after buying an additional 368,026 shares during the period. Foresight Global Investors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Rio Tinto by 432.4% during the 3rd quarter. Foresight Global Investors Inc. now owns 193,014 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $12,741,000 after acquiring an additional 156,759 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Rio Tinto by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 94,176 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $6,217,000 after acquiring an additional 3,791 shares in the last quarter. 19.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

RIO has been the subject of several recent research reports. Erste Group Bank upgraded Rio Tinto from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Argus upped their target price on Rio Tinto from $70.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. DZ Bank downgraded Rio Tinto from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Citigroup upgraded Rio Tinto to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Rio Tinto from a "hold (c)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $81.00.

Rio Tinto Price Performance

NYSE RIO opened at $90.35 on Tuesday. Rio Tinto PLC has a fifty-two week low of $51.67 and a fifty-two week high of $101.53. The stock's 50-day moving average is $91.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $77.04. 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 Announces Dividend

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

More Rio Tinto News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Joint desalination venture with Western Australia improves long‑term operational resilience for Pilbara mines and signals closer government partnership — supports Rio’s ability to run assets through water constraints and may reduce long‑term operating risks. Rio Tinto Desalination Venture Tests Pilbara Operations Support And Fair Value
• Positive Sentiment: Macro copper demand narrative remains supportive: coverage highlighting an impending copper shortage reinforces long‑term price tailwinds for copper producers like Rio, which should help margins and valuation over time. The Copper Shortage Is Coming—These 3 Miners Are Ready (RIO)
• Neutral Sentiment: Peer performance in battery metals (e.g., Albemarle’s strong rally on lithium fundamentals) is drawing investor attention to specialty/mining exposures; this may reweight flows within mining stocks but is not a direct company-specific development for Rio. Albemarle Surges 121% in 6 Months
• Negative Sentiment: Rio is in “active negotiations” with Mongolia over the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine — political and contract uncertainty at one of the world’s largest copper deposits raises execution and sovereign‑risk concerns that could weigh on the stock until terms are clarified. Rio Tinto in ‘Active Negotiations' With Mongolia Over Oyu Tolgoi Copper Mine
• Negative Sentiment: Broker action is pressuring sentiment: JPMorgan downgraded RIO from “overweight” to “neutral,” and Sanford C. Bernstein trimmed its price target (from $83 to $77) despite keeping an Outperform stance — analyst moves add near‑term selling pressure and suggest lower upside in consensus models. Broker Notes

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.

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