RIO vs. SW: Rio Tinto vs. Smurfit Westrock Stock Comparison
How do Rio Tinto (RIO) and Smurfit Westrock (SW) 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
Rio Tinto (RIO) and Smurfit Westrock (SW) both fall under the Materials industry group, but RIO is classified in Metals & Mining while SW is classified in Containers & Packaging.
Smurfit Westrock (SW) 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.
| Profile Item | RIO | SW |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Rio Tinto plc ADR | Smurfit WestRock Plc |
| Country/Region | United Kingdom | Ireland |
| GICS Sector | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry Group | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry | Metals & Mining | Containers & Packaging |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Diversified Metals & Mining | Paper & Plastic Packaging Products & Materials |
| Market Capitalization | 136.19 billion USD | 23.13 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 28, 1990 | June 17, 2008 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | RIO | SW |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 30.54% | 29.05% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 16.90% | 14.60% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 14.68% | -0.16% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | RIO | SW |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 30.72% | 42.69% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.63 | 0.89 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -35.25% | -53.49% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.35M | 4.66M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | RIO | SW |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.85 | 0.58 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.26 | 0.94 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Rio Tinto (RIO) at 19.31% and Smurfit Westrock (SW) at 2.57% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
RIO
Materials industry group
19.31%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- RIO
- 19.31%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
SW
Materials industry group
2.57%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- Median
- 8.76%
- SW
- 2.57%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
Net Margin (TTM)
Rio Tinto (RIO) at 19.59% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Smurfit Westrock (SW) at 1.50%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
RIO
Materials industry group
19.59%
- Max
- 38.66%
- RIO
- 19.59%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
SW
Materials industry group
1.50%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 5.28%
- SW
- 1.50%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Rio Tinto (RIO) at 28.05% and Smurfit Westrock (SW) at 6.38% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
RIO
Materials industry group
28.05%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- RIO
- 28.05%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
SW
Materials industry group
6.38%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- Median
- 12.56%
- SW
- 6.38%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | RIO | SW |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 19.31% | 2.57% |
| ROA (TTM) | 8.11% | 2.50% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 19.59% | 1.50% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 28.05% | 6.38% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 29.75% | 17.67% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Smurfit Westrock (SW) at 47.70% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Rio Tinto (RIO) at 7.42% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for SW.
EPS Growth
Both Rio Tinto (RIO) at -13.97% and Smurfit Westrock (SW) at 62.20% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | RIO | SW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 7.42% | 47.70% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 1.24% | 32.15% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -13.97% | 62.20% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -7.23% | -30.01% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Smurfit Westrock (SW) at 1.48 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.
RIO
Materials industry group
1.42
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.45
- RIO
- 1.42
- Min
- 0.16
SW
Materials industry group
1.48
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- SW
- 1.48
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- 0.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Rio Tinto (RIO) at 0.32 and Smurfit Westrock (SW) at 0.78 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
RIO
Materials industry group
0.32
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.47
- RIO
- 0.32
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
SW
Materials industry group
0.78
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- SW
- 0.78
- Median
- 0.47
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | RIO | SW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.42 | 1.48 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.32 | 0.78 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.58 | 2.96 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Smurfit Westrock (SW) at 4.02% earns its spot in the top quartile of its industry’s yields; Rio Tinto (RIO) at 5.59% is past the top of its own peer range — territory where a dividend-safety check matters more than the headline number.
RIO
Materials industry group
5.59%
- RIO
- 5.59%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SW
Materials industry group
4.02%
- Max
- 4.52%
- SW
- 4.02%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Smurfit Westrock (SW) reports payout ratio above 100% at 198.63%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings and sustainability needs extra context. Meanwhile Rio Tinto (RIO) reports 54.46%, ranking against industry peers normally.
RIO
Materials industry group
54.46%
- Max
- 83.62%
- RIO
- 54.46%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SW
Materials industry group
198.63%
- SW
- 198.63%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | RIO | SW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 5.59% | 4.02% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 54.46% | 198.63% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Rio Tinto (RIO) at 11.35 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Smurfit Westrock (SW) at 48.99 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.
RIO
Materials industry group
11.35
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- RIO
- 11.35
- Min
- 3.93
SW
Materials industry group
48.99
- Max
- 59.00
- SW
- 48.99
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Rio Tinto (RIO) at 2.20 and Smurfit Westrock (SW) at 0.73 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
RIO
Materials industry group
2.20
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- RIO
- 2.20
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
SW
Materials industry group
0.73
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- Median
- 1.87
- SW
- 0.73
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Rio Tinto (RIO) at 2.08 and Smurfit Westrock (SW) at 1.28 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
RIO
Materials industry group
2.08
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- RIO
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
SW
Materials industry group
1.28
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- SW
- 1.28
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | RIO | SW |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 11.35 | 48.99 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.20 | 0.73 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.08 | 1.28 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.64% | 4.26% |