Copper and lithium "AI dividends" boost performance! Rio Tinto (RIO.US) reports better-than-expected profits for the first half of the year, interim dividend surges 43%

Golden Ten Data APP has learned that Rio Tinto (RIO.US), the world's second largest mining company, released its performance report for the first half of 2026 on Wednesday, delivering its best half-year results in four years. Driven by surging copper demand from data centers, the expansion of its lithium business, and company-wide cost reductions, Rio Tinto's basic earnings in the first half reached 6.85 billion USD, up 43% year-on-year; net profit was 6.66 billion USD, an impressive 47% increase year-on-year, surpassing analysts' expectations of 6.78 billion USD.