BARRICK MINING CORP vs RIO TINTO PLC, two Mining stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Two debt-free giants, one commodity apart: Barrick's balance sheet funds gold mines, Rio Tinto's funds iron ore and copper, and both have used the cycle to abolish leverage entirely. Rio converts harder, an 11.1% free-cash yield against 6.1%; Barrick margins fatter, 42.2% net against 17.8%. The multiples sit at 12.7 and 15.3 times, both modest, gold cheaper than industrial metals per earnings dollar despite the richer margin. Returns on equity favor Barrick, 19.9% against 15.3%. The pair offers the cycle's two clean-sheet stories at neighboring discounts; the choice reduces to which demand curve, monetary fear or infrastructure, a buyer trusts to outlast the other.
Comparison updated 2026-07-10.
| Metric | B | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $37.28 | $93.73 |
| Market cap | $63.6B | $152.2B |
| Sector | Mining | Mining |
| Stage | Cyclical | Cyclical |
| Implied growth (priced in) | -3.0% | -3.8% |
| P/E | 12.7 | 15.3 |
| P/B | 1.77 | 2.27 |
| P/S | 3.75 | 2.64 |
| EV/EBITDA | — | 9.6 |
| Revenue growth | +10.0% | -2.4% |
| Operating margin | — | 25.9% |
| Net margin | 42.2% | 17.8% |
| Return on equity | 19.9% | 15.3% |
| Return on assets | 13.9% | 8.0% |
| Return on invested capital | — | 15.7% |
| FCF yield | 6.1% | 11.1% |
| Dividend yield | 1.2% | — |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Current ratio | 2.92 | 1.44 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 2.89 | 2.90 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 7 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.