RIO vs SLI vs CLF Stock Comparison

Rio Tinto, Standard Lithium and Cleveland-Cliffs Prices as of Oct 26, 2026 Peers: Industry group
RIO Rio Tinto Plc
$83.71 -11.4% 1M +18.7% 1Y
Market cap
$139.20B
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
—
Div. yield
–
Iron Ore Basic Materials
4 wins
SLI Standard Lithium Ltd.
$1.38 -25.4% 1M -67.3% 1Y
Market cap
$310.59M
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$6.02M
Div. yield
–
Lithium Basic Materials
2 wins
CLF Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
$13.37 +9.7% 1M +1.8% 1Y
Market cap
$7.95B
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$20.07B
Div. yield
–
Steel Basic Materials
1 win

Head to Head

7 decided of 12

Rio Tinto leads on 4 of the 12 questions below (Rio Tinto 4, Standard Lithium 2, Cleveland-Cliffs 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionRIOSLICLFLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $139.20B $310.59M $7.95B RIO
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only — -6.5x -16.8x –
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 10.7x — — –
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months — +575.1% +7.8% SLI
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months — -791.4% -2.4% CLF
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — — -1.3% –
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — — 9.8x –
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +18.7% -67.3% +1.8% RIO
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +5.4%/yr -35.5%/yr -11.6%/yr RIO
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 30.7% 66.8% 67.3% RIO
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers — 59/100 38/100 SLI

Percentile Scorecard

RIOSLICLF

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisRIOSLICLF
Valuation – 34 #108 of 162 65 #57 of 162
Growth – 67 #49 of 147 40 #89 of 147
Profitability – 17 #102 of 122 37 #77 of 122
Financial Health 22 #129 of 165 79 #35 of 165 11 #147 of 165
Shareholder Returns 98 #3 of 107 96 #5 of 107 –
Overall – 59 38
  • RIO ranked among 176 companies in Metals and Mining
  • SLI ranked among 176 companies in Metals and Mining
  • CLF ranked among 176 companies in Metals and Mining

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodRIOSLICLFSPY
1 month -11.4%-25.4%+9.7% -0.8%
3 months -9.0%-35.5%+9.1% +3.5%
6 months -16.2%-64.9%+26.0% +7.0%
Year to date +4.6%-69.1%+0.7% +12.2%
1 year +18.7%-67.3%+1.8% +13.0%
3 years +31.3%-49.6%-16.6% +86.3%
3 years, per year +9.5%-20.4%-5.9% +23.1%
5 years +29.9%-88.8%-46.1% +68.6%
5 years, per year +5.4%-35.5%-11.6% +11.0%
10 years +144.7%—+115.6% +258.0%
10 years, per year +9.4%—+8.0% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureRIOSLICLFSPY
Volatility, 1Y 30.7%66.8%67.3% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 32.1%72.7%71.3% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 1.272.152.11 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.61-1.010.03 1.02
Max drawdown, 5Y -39.0%-91.5%-82.4% -25.4%
From 52-week high -25.3%-75.6%-11.4% -1.8%
52-week high $112.04$5.65$15.09 $779.14
52-week low $67.89$1.38$7.82 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleRIOSLICLF
P/E now vs peer median —median 12.8x -6.0xmedian 12.8x -16.2xmedian 12.8x
P/S now vs peer median —median 3.1x 54.9xmedian 3.1x 0.4xmedian 3.1x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median —median 7.0x —median 7.0x 19.7xmedian 7.0x
P/FCF now vs peer median —median 15.2x -22.6xmedian 15.2x -15.7xmedian 15.2x
P/B now vs peer median 2.0xmedian 2.1x 0.9xmedian 2.1x 1.3xmedian 2.1x
PEG now vs peer median —median 0.29 —median 0.29 0.34median 0.29

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsRIOSLICLF
Revenue – $6.02M $20.07B
Gross profit – – $309.00M
Operating income – -$22.81M -$282.00M
Net income – -$47.66M -$460.00M
Free cash flow – -$14.63M -$485.00M
EPS (diluted) – $-0.23 $-0.82
Cash & equivalents $8.87B $137.30M $77.00M
Total debt $16.90B – $7.65B
Shares (diluted) 1.63B 206.37M 574.00M
Enterprise value $99.70B -$359.41M $7.70B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricRIOSLICLF
P/E – -6.0x -16.2x
P/FCF – -22.6x -15.7x
P/Operating cash flow – -22.6x 65.8x
P/S – 54.9x 0.4x
P/B 2.0x 0.9x 1.3x
P/Tangible book 2.2x 0.9x 1.5x
EV/EBITDA – – 19.7x
EV/EBIT – -6.2x -53.9x
EV/Revenue – 23.6x 0.8x
EV/FCF – -9.7x -31.3x
EV/Operating cash flow – -9.7x 131.0x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) – – 0.34

Growth

14 metrics
MetricRIOSLICLF
Revenue growth (1Y) – 575.1% 7.8%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) – – -2.9%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – – 133.3%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – – -35.7%
Operating income growth (1Y) – -363.9% 83.5%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) – – -35.2%
Net income growth (1Y) – 69.6% 72.7%
Net income CAGR (3Y) – – -48.0%
EPS growth (1Y) – 72.6% 75.7%
EPS CAGR (3Y) – – -47.9%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) – 12.4% 112.6%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) – – -61.9%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) – 32.6% 68.6%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) – – -32.9%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricRIOSLICLF
Gross margin – – 1.5%
EBITDA margin – – 3.8%
Operating margin – -378.8% -1.4%
Pretax margin – -867.8% -3.4%
Net margin – -791.4% -2.4%
FCF margin – -242.9% -2.4%
Operating cash flow margin – -242.6% 0.6%
Return on equity – -13.0% -7.3%
Return on assets – -12.1% -2.1%
Return on invested capital – – -1.3%
Return on capital employed – -5.9% -1.7%
Asset turnover – 0.0x 1.0x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) – 0.3x -0.3x
Stock comp / revenue – 104.0% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricRIOSLICLF
Debt / assets – – 37.6%
Debt / equity 0.3x – 1.3x
Net debt / EBITDA – – 9.8x
Debt / FCF – – -15.8x
Liabilities / assets – 7.1% 70.7%
Equity / assets – 92.9% 29.3%
Interest coverage – -950.4x –
Current ratio 1.4x 17.9x 1.9x
Quick ratio 1.0x 23.6x 0.6x
Cash ratio 0.6x 23.3x 0.0x
Altman Z-score – 6.96 1.40

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricRIOSLICLF
Dividend yield 5.6% – –
Net buyback yield – 4.2% –
Shareholder yield 5.6% 4.2% 0.0%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – –
Payout ratio (FCF) – – –
Dividend growth (1Y) – – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusRIOSLICLF
Forward P/E 10.7xFY2026 – –
EPS, next fiscal year $7.84FY2026 – $-0.01FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +17.2%FY2026 – –
EPS growth, the year after +9.1% – –
Revenue, next fiscal year $67.58BFY2026 – $21.93BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +17.2%FY2026 – +17.8%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after -8.0% – +1.2%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersRIOSLICLF
Held by institutions 7.9% 31.0% 83.1%
Institutions holding 968 137 583
Change in shares held, QoQ -1.1% +2.1% +1.4%
Institutions buying 504 60 279
Institutions selling 283 33 191
Buyers to sellers 1.78 1.82 1.46

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

RIOSLICLF
RIO 1.00 0.50 0.40
SLI 0.50 1.00 0.31
CLF 0.40 0.31 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, RIO, SLI and CLF?

Rio Tinto (RIO) is the largest by market capitalisation: Rio Tinto (RIO) $139.20B, Standard Lithium (SLI) $310.59M, Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) $7.95B.

Which company is growing faster?

Standard Lithium (SLI) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Standard Lithium (SLI) +575.1%, Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) +7.8%.

Which company is more profitable?

Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) has the highest net margin (Standard Lithium (SLI) -791.4%, Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) -2.4%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Rio Tinto (RIO) returned the most: Rio Tinto (RIO) +18.7%, Standard Lithium (SLI) -67.3%, Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) +1.8%. Over five years, Rio Tinto (RIO) compounded fastest (Rio Tinto (RIO) +5.4%/yr, Standard Lithium (SLI) -35.5%/yr, Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) -11.6%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Rio Tinto (RIO) has been the steadiest (Rio Tinto (RIO) 30.7%, Standard Lithium (SLI) 66.8%, Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) 67.3%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, RIO, SLI and CLF?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Rio Tinto (RIO) leads on 4. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.