Rio Tinto posted an H1 profit of $6.85 billion, and Argentina’s three major salt lake lithium mine projects made new progress.

Published: Jul 30, 2026 08:56

Save

On July 29, Rio Tinto announced its 2026 H1 results. According to the data, in H1, Rio Tinto's underlying earnings reached $6.85 billion, up 43% YoY; net profit was $6.66 billion, up 47% YoY. In H1, net cash generated from operating activities was $9.2 billion, underlying EBITDA was $14.8 billion, underlying ROIC was 17%, underlying earnings per share were 421.4¢, dividends per ordinary share were 211¢, and the payout ratio was 50%.

On July 29, Rio Tinto announced its 2026 H1 results. The data showed that its underlying profit reached $6.85 billion, up 43% YoY; net profit was $6.66 billion, up 47% YoY.

In H1, Rio Tinto generated net cash from operating activities of $9.2 billion, underlying EBITDA of $14.8 billion, ROIC of 17%, underlying earnings per share of 421.4¢, dividend per share of 211¢, and a payout ratio of 50%.

Rio Tinto CEO Trott Simon said the group has delivered $870 million in productivity improvement benefits and is on track to achieve an annualized $1.8 billion by year-end. The group continues to advance growth investments, achieving a 3% increase in copper equivalent production and further enhancing portfolio diversification, with copper, aluminum, and lithium businesses now contributing over 50% of underlying EBITDA.

In lithium, Rio Tinto’s brine-based lithium projects in Argentina—Fénix 1B and Sal de Vida—both achieved first production ahead of schedule, while construction of the full-scale Rincon plant is progressing to support a capacity of around 200,000 mt/year of LCE by 2028.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

1 hour ago

【SMM Analysis】Ternary Cathode Orders Show Stable Growth in August

1 hour ago

2 hours ago

[SMM Analysis] Downstream high coefficient acceptance remains weak, precursor prices hold steady

This week, ternary cathode precursor prices remained stable, nickel sulphate prices edged up, cobalt sulphate prices declined, and manganese sulphate prices edged down.

2 hours ago

3 hours ago

[Lithium Battery: Gotion High-Tech In Talks With Volkswagen Over Spanish Battery Plant Cooperation]

According to reports, Gotion High-Tech is currently in deep negotiations with Volkswagen regarding the battery gigafactory under construction in Valencia, Spain. The discussions involve establishing a joint venture around the factory, with Gotion High-Tech potentially securing a majority stake in the venture. Gotion High-Tech's Chairman, Li Zhen, has led a team to conduct on-site inspections at the Sagunto plant site in Valencia. These negotiations are focused solely on the Valencia plant and do not involve Volkswagen's battery subsidiary PowerCo's other global assets. The factory was originally scheduled to begin trial production in September 2026, but due to construction and supply chain factors, the production timeline has been adjusted to the end of 2026. In response to market speculation, PowerCo stated that it continuously evaluates various strategic cooperation opportunities but currently has no plans to relinquish control of the Valencia plant. The negotiations are still ongoing, and whether the transaction will be finalized and the exact structure of the cooperation remain undetermined.

3 hours ago