CX vs. RIO: CEMEX vs. Rio Tinto Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO) both fall under the Materials industry group, but CX is classified in Construction Materials while RIO is classified in Metals & Mining.

Both CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO) trade as ADRs — their core financials are comparable, but keep FX, depositary-program fees, and dividend withholding in view for each.

Company profile comparison for CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
Profile Item	CX	RIO
Name	Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. Sponsored ADR	Rio Tinto plc ADR
Country/Region	Mexico	United Kingdom
GICS Sector	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry Group	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry	Construction Materials	Metals & Mining
GICS Sub-Industry	Construction Materials	Diversified Metals & Mining
Market Capitalization	15.47 billion USD	136.19 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	September 15, 1999	June 28, 1990
Security Type	ADR	ADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

RIO

GSPC

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

Loading price history…

Trailing total returns for CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…

Calendar-year total returns for CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
Metric	CX	RIO
Total Return (1Y)	7.57%	30.54%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	17.84%	16.90%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	10.81%	14.68%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

RIO

GSPC

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

Loading price history…

Distribution of monthly total returns for CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

CEMEX (CX) has an aggressive beta of 1.57, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Rio Tinto (RIO) is defensive at 0.63 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.

Risk profile metrics for CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
Metric	CX	RIO
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	36.82%	30.72%
Beta (5Y)	1.57	0.63
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-53.08%	-35.25%
Avg. Volume (3M)	7.01M	2.35M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

CX and RIO are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
Metric	CX	RIO
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.09	0.85
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.14	1.26

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both CEMEX (CX) at 5.17% and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 19.31% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

CX

Materials industry group

5.17%

Max: 52.88%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 8.76%
CX: 5.17%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

RIO

Materials industry group

19.31%

Max: 52.88%
Q3: 19.49%
RIO: 19.31%
Median: 8.76%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their ROE against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Rio Tinto (RIO) at 19.59% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of CEMEX (CX) at 3.60%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

CX

Materials industry group

3.60%

Max: 38.66%
Q3: 15.98%
Median: 5.28%
CX: 3.60%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

RIO

Materials industry group

19.59%

Max: 38.66%
RIO: 19.59%
Q3: 15.98%
Median: 5.28%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their net margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both CEMEX (CX) at 14.77% and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 28.05% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

CX

Materials industry group

14.77%

Max: 66.70%
Q3: 28.92%
CX: 14.77%
Median: 12.56%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

RIO

Materials industry group

28.05%

Max: 66.70%
Q3: 28.92%
RIO: 28.05%
Median: 12.56%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their operating margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
Metric	CX	RIO
ROE (TTM)	5.17%	19.31%
ROA (TTM)	5.07%	8.11%
Net Margin (TTM)	3.60%	19.59%
Operating Margin (TTM)	14.77%	28.05%
Gross Margin (TTM)	33.48%	29.75%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both CEMEX (CX) at 0.43% and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 7.42% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both CEMEX (CX) at 2.35% and Rio Tinto (RIO) at -13.97% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
Metric	CX	RIO
Revenue Growth (YoY)	0.43%	7.42%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	3.13%	1.24%
EPS Growth (YoY)	2.35%	-13.97%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	4.14%	-7.23%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both CEMEX (CX) at 0.95 and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 1.42 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

CX

Materials industry group

0.95

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.45
CX: 0.95
Min: 0.16

RIO

Materials industry group

1.42

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.45
RIO: 1.42
Min: 0.16

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their current ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both CEMEX (CX) at 0.46 and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 0.32 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

CX

Materials industry group

0.46

Max: 1.98
Q3: 0.89
Median: 0.47
CX: 0.46
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

RIO

Materials industry group

0.32

Max: 1.98
Q3: 0.89
Median: 0.47
RIO: 0.32
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
Metric	CX	RIO
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.95	1.42
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.46	0.32
Net Debt / EBITDA	1.60	0.58

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

CEMEX (CX) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Rio Tinto (RIO) reports a yield of 5.59%, ranking against industry peers normally.

CX

Materials industry group

0.00%

Max: 4.52%
Q3: 1.85%
Median: 0.38%
CX: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

RIO

Materials industry group

5.59%

RIO: 5.59%
Max: 4.52%
Q3: 1.85%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both CEMEX (CX) at 67.86% and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 54.46% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

CX

Materials industry group

67.86%

Max: 83.62%
CX: 67.86%
Q3: 41.37%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

RIO

Materials industry group

54.46%

Max: 83.62%
RIO: 54.46%
Q3: 41.37%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
Metric	CX	RIO
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	5.59%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	67.86%	54.46%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Rio Tinto (RIO) at 11.35 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while CEMEX (CX) at 67.00 trades above its peer range — a wide earnings-valuation gap relative to industry peers.

CX

Materials industry group

67.00

CX: 67.00
Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
Median: 18.82
Q1: 11.96
Min: 3.93

RIO

Materials industry group

11.35

Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
Median: 18.82
Q1: 11.96
RIO: 11.35
Min: 3.93

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both CEMEX (CX) at 0.89 and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 2.20 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

CX

Materials industry group

0.89

Max: 9.62
Q3: 4.34
Median: 1.87
CX: 0.89
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.00

RIO

Materials industry group

2.20

Max: 9.62
Q3: 4.34
RIO: 2.20
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.00

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

CEMEX (CX) at 1.20 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Rio Tinto (RIO) at 2.08 is valued near its industry’s middle — CX is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.

CX

Materials industry group

1.20

Max: 6.59
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.26
CX: 1.20
Min: -0.17

RIO

Materials industry group

2.08

Max: 6.59
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
RIO: 2.08
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

CEMEX (CX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for CEMEX (CX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
Metric	CX	RIO
P/E Ratio (TTM)	67.00	11.35
P/S Ratio (TTM)	0.89	2.20
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	1.20	2.08
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	8.86%	2.64%