The Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) share price has slumped up to now in 2024. Regardless of a short rally that peaked in Could, it’s nonetheless down 15% yr so far.

Effectively, it was till market shut on 30 July. It recovered a few % in early buying and selling on Wednesday (31 July), after the mining big posted H1 outcomes.

Interim outcomes

A few weeks after giving us a Q2 manufacturing report, Rio has adopted up with what it calls a “consistent, stable financial performance as we ramp up our investments in growth” within the first half.

The corporate noticed only a 1% rise in gross sales reveue, to $26.8bn. However that gave a 3% enhance to underlying EBITDA, which reached $12.1bn.

Backside-line revenue after tax rose by a really good 14%, to $5.8bn, although underlying earnings per share (EPS) is flat. The dividend was stored flat too, at 177 cents.

Development prospects

CEO Jakob Stausholm highlighted Rio’s future progress prospects. He spoke of “an inflection level in our progress, with a step change from our aluminium enterprise and constant manufacturing at our Pilbara iron ore operations.“

He additionally enthused in regards to the firm’s copper equal manufacturing being on observe to develop by round 2% this yr, including that “our ambition is to deliver around 3% of compound annual growth from 2024 to 2028 from existing operations and projects.”

These are key commodities, for positive. However for me the primary attraction of Rio Tinto is the diversify of its merchandise. It’s not tied to the price of any particular commodity, as a miner solely digging for one materials could be.

That features lithium, for which demand may soar as electrical automobiles come to dominate. Rio Tinto’s Rincon lithium mission is, it appears, continuing at tempo.

Commodities danger

One principal danger with an funding like this was proven in Rio Tinto’s Q2 manufacturing replace on 16 July. Technical issues led to decrease manufacturing of iron ore from Pilbara. Alumina manufacturing fell 10% as a consequence of a pipeline breakage.

And the agency dropped its full-year copper steerage to across the backside finish of the 660,000 to 720,000 tonnes vary.

Copper costs have fallen again since Could, although nonetheless up strongly over 5 years. Iron ore has dipped a bit in 5 years, although it’s means down than its 2021 peaks.

General, the income from firms like this are hostage to international costs. And people have been very unstable lately.

Dirst low-cost?

Because of uncertainties like this, I reckon the Rio Tinto share price may proceed to be unstable. We’re a forecast price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of solely 9. However there’s no actual drop on the playing cards within the subsequent couple of years, in what generally is a very cyclical inventory.

The forecast dividend yield of 6.9% may make the inventory look very low-cost. However Rio’s dividend does rise and fall much more than most.

So, there’s a great deal of uncertainty. However I’d say any long-term investor ought to think about having a serious miner like Rio Tinto of their portfolio.