Rio Tinto is scheduled to release its half-year results before the Australian market opens on Wednesday. Here's what you need to know:
EARNINGS: The world's second-biggest miner by market value is expected to report underlying earnings of $6.61 billion for the six months ended June 30, according to a consensus estimate collated by Visible Alpha. A year ago, the company reported first-half underlying earnings of $4.81 billion.
The miner is expected to benefit from higher average prices for the main commodities it produces, including iron ore, copper and aluminum.
DIVIDEND: Rio Tinto is expected to pay an interim dividend of $2.03 a share, according to Visible Alpha, up from $1.48 a share last year.
The miner's Australia-listed stock is up nearly 9% since the start of 2026.
WHAT TO WATCH:
-- The market will be looking for updates on a productivity drive announced by new chief executive Simon Trott last year as part of a plan to strengthen the miner's global business. Rio Tinto in April said it had found $650 million in initial productivity benefits but promised further substantial gains by the end of 2026.
-- There will also be a focus on unit costs at Rio Tinto's operations, as miners grapple with pressures including from higher diesel prices. Earlier this month, Rio Tinto reiterated annual cost guidance for its Pilbara iron-ore mines, but acknowledged that diesel-price increases were adding to production costs. "Cost delivery is the swing factor" for first-half earnings, Morgan Stanley analysts said.
-- Shortly after Trott became CEO last August, the miner announced strategic reviews of its borates and its iron and titanium businesses. In a quarterly production update earlier this month, the company said it continues to actively test the market for its borates operations and evaluate options for its iron and titanium unit. The miner could possibly announce a sale of the borates business alongside its first-half results, said Barclays analyst Amos Fletcher.
-- Trott set a target of delivering up to $10 billion in cash proceeds from the sale of assets, which is expected to include deals for infrastructure that supports its mammoth mining operations. The miner and the state government of Western Australia on Monday said they have signed nonbinding agreements to potentially sell their shares in the Dampier Seawater Desalination Plant--which is currently under construction--to Yindjibarndi WaterCo. The market will be seeking more details on the timetable for further deals.
Write to Rhiannon Hoyle at rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 27, 2026 21:33 ET (01:33 GMT)
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