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FCX vs. RIO: Freeport-McMoRan vs. Rio Tinto Stock Comparison

How do Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) 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

Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Rio Tinto (RIO) both belong to the Metals & Mining industry, though FCX is classified under Copper while RIO falls under Diversified Metals & Mining.

Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) trades as ordinary local shares, while Rio Tinto (RIO) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
Profile ItemFCXRIO
NameFreeport-McMoRan Inc.Rio Tinto plc ADR
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited Kingdom
GICS SectorMaterialsMaterials
GICS Industry GroupMaterialsMaterials
GICS IndustryMetals & MiningMetals & Mining
GICS Sub-IndustryCopperDiversified Metals & Mining
Market Capitalization104.44 billion USD167.95 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateJuly 10, 1995June 28, 1990
Security TypeCommon StockADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

FCX
RIO
GSPC
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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) 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

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Trailing total returns for Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Rio Tinto (RIO). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
MetricFCXRIO
Total Return (1Y)59.57%73.69%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)22.15%24.57%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)16.61%13.99%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

FCX
RIO
GSPC
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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) 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

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

Risk Metrics

Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) has an aggressive beta of 1.39, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Rio Tinto (RIO) is defensive at 0.56 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.

Risk profile metrics for Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
MetricFCXRIO
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)51.00%30.13%
Beta (5Y)1.390.56
Max Drawdown (5Y)-51.26%-35.25%
Avg. Volume (3M)14.66M2.62M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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FCX 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 Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
MetricFCXRIO
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)1.092.31
Sortino Ratio (1Y)1.503.52

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 14.76% 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.

FCX

Materials industry group

14.76%

Max
58.68%
Q3
19.91%
FCX
14.76%
Median
7.18%
Q1
-6.58%
Min
-41.32%

RIO

Materials industry group

19.31%

Max
58.68%
Q3
19.91%
RIO
19.31%
Median
7.18%
Q1
-6.58%
Min
-41.32%
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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) 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 Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 11.39%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

FCX

Materials industry group

11.39%

Max
37.52%
Q3
15.14%
FCX
11.39%
Median
4.47%
Q1
0.00%
Min
-19.34%

RIO

Materials industry group

19.59%

Max
37.52%
RIO
19.59%
Q3
15.14%
Median
4.47%
Q1
0.00%
Min
-19.34%
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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their net margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 33.40% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Rio Tinto (RIO) at 28.05%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

FCX

Materials industry group

33.40%

Max
66.54%
FCX
33.40%
Q3
29.90%
Median
12.36%
Q1
1.74%
Min
-29.20%

RIO

Materials industry group

28.05%

Max
66.54%
Q3
29.90%
RIO
28.05%
Median
12.36%
Q1
1.74%
Min
-29.20%
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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their operating margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
MetricFCXRIO
ROE (TTM)14.76%19.31%
ROA (TTM)7.59%8.11%
Net Margin (TTM)11.39%19.59%
Operating Margin (TTM)33.40%28.05%
Gross Margin (TTM)38.28%29.75%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 1.81% 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.

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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 16.92% 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.

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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
MetricFCXRIO
Revenue Growth (YoY)1.81%7.42%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)4.39%1.24%
EPS Growth (YoY)16.92%-13.97%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-14.00%-7.23%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 2.07 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Rio Tinto (RIO) at 1.42 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for RIO.

FCX

Materials industry group

2.07

Max
6.33
Q3
3.44
Median
2.24
FCX
2.07
Q1
1.46
Min
0.16

RIO

Materials industry group

1.42

Max
6.33
Q3
3.44
Median
2.24
Q1
1.46
RIO
1.42
Min
0.16
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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their current ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 0.32 and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 0.32 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

FCX

Materials industry group

0.32

Max
2.03
Q3
0.94
Median
0.45
FCX
0.32
Q1
0.13
Min
0.00

RIO

Materials industry group

0.32

Max
2.03
Q3
0.94
Median
0.45
RIO
0.32
Q1
0.13
Min
0.00
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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) 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 Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
MetricFCXRIO
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.071.42
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.320.32
Net Debt / EBITDA0.660.58

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 0.83% pays an industry-typical yield; Rio Tinto (RIO) at 4.52% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.

FCX

Materials industry group

0.83%

Max
4.11%
Q3
1.77%
FCX
0.83%
Median
0.34%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

RIO

Materials industry group

4.52%

RIO
4.52%
Max
4.11%
Q3
1.77%
Median
0.34%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 29.41% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Rio Tinto (RIO) at 54.46% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

FCX

Materials industry group

29.41%

Max
84.09%
Q3
34.12%
FCX
29.41%
Median
7.61%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

RIO

Materials industry group

54.46%

Max
84.09%
RIO
54.46%
Q3
34.12%
Median
7.61%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
MetricFCXRIO
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.83%4.52%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)29.41%54.46%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Rio Tinto (RIO) at 13.99 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 35.65 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.

FCX

Materials industry group

35.65

Max
60.29
FCX
35.65
Q3
33.41
Median
21.54
Q1
15.25
Min
6.03

RIO

Materials industry group

13.99

Max
60.29
Q3
33.41
Median
21.54
Q1
15.25
RIO
13.99
Min
6.03
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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) 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 Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 4.04 and Rio Tinto (RIO) at 2.72 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

FCX

Materials industry group

4.04

Max
10.63
Q3
5.00
FCX
4.04
Median
2.04
Q1
0.74
Min
0.00

RIO

Materials industry group

2.72

Max
10.63
Q3
5.00
RIO
2.72
Median
2.04
Q1
0.74
Min
0.00
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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Rio Tinto (RIO) at 2.56 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 5.19 carries an above-peer premium to book — FCX is pricier on assets.

FCX

Materials industry group

5.19

Max
8.50
FCX
5.19
Q3
4.34
Median
2.61
Q1
1.48
Min
-0.31

RIO

Materials industry group

2.56

Max
8.50
Q3
4.34
Median
2.61
RIO
2.56
Q1
1.48
Min
-0.31
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Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) vs. Rio Tinto (RIO): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Rio Tinto (RIO)
MetricFCXRIO
P/E Ratio (TTM)35.6513.99
P/S Ratio (TTM)4.042.72
P/B Ratio (MRQ)5.192.56
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)2.07%2.14%