Traders Purchase Large Volume of Rio Tinto Put Options (NYSE:RIO)

Posted by Geri Gentry on Aug 5th, 2026

Rio Tinto PLC (NYSE:RIO – Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Traders purchased 7,236 put options on the stock. This is an increase of 85% compared to the typical volume of 3,911 put options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

RIO has been the subject of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Rio Tinto from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Rio Tinto in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of Rio Tinto from $82.00 to $83.50 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered Rio Tinto from a “sector perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Rio Tinto in a research note on Friday, May 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Rio Tinto currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $105.50.

Read Our Latest Report on RIO

Rio Tinto Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of RIO stock traded up $2.10 on Wednesday, hitting $101.11. The stock had a trading volume of 772,675 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,193,401. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.42. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $97.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $96.41. Rio Tinto has a one year low of $60.09 and a one year high of $112.58.

Rio Tinto Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $2.11 dividend. This represents a yield of 438.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. AdvisorNet Financial Inc increased its holdings in shares of Rio Tinto by 160.2% in the first quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 294 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period. Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. purchased a new stake in Rio Tinto in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in Rio Tinto in the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in Rio Tinto in the first quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Evelyn Partners Investment Management LLP acquired a new position in Rio Tinto in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Institutional investors own 19.33% of the company’s stock.

About Rio Tinto

(Get Free Report)

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.