Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Shares of Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eight brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company.

Several equities analysts recently commented on RIO shares. Berenberg Bank raised Rio Tinto Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. StockNews.com downgraded Rio Tinto Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Macquarie restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th.

Institutional Trading of Rio Tinto Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Rio Tinto Group by 15.7% in the second quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 70,177 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $4,627,000 after acquiring an additional 9,520 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Rio Tinto Group during the 2nd quarter worth $36,000. Focus Financial Network Inc. grew its position in Rio Tinto Group by 8.7% during the 2nd quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. now owns 5,824 shares of the mining company's stock worth $383,000 after purchasing an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC acquired a new position in Rio Tinto Group in the second quarter valued at $73,000. Finally, &PARTNERS purchased a new stake in shares of Rio Tinto Group in the second quarter valued at about $420,000. 19.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Rio Tinto Group Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of RIO traded down $0.61 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $58.73. The stock had a trading volume of 3,265,276 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,775,631. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $63.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $64.77. Rio Tinto Group has a 1-year low of $58.67 and a 1-year high of $75.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.70 and a quick ratio of 1.16.

Rio Tinto Group Company Profile

Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company operates through Iron Ore, Aluminium, Copper, and Minerals Segments. The Iron Ore segment engages in the iron ore mining, and salt and gypsum production in Western Australia. The Aluminum segment is involved in bauxite mining; alumina refining; and aluminium smelting.