Cozad Asset Management Inc. Has $720,000 Holdings in Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO)

Cozad Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO) by 7.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,663 shares of the mining company’s stock after buying an additional 690 shares during the period. Cozad Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Rio Tinto Group were worth $720,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in Rio Tinto Group by 44.9% during the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 16,243 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $1,034,000 after purchasing an additional 5,034 shares during the last quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC lifted its stake in Rio Tinto Group by 6.2% in the third quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC now owns 5,017 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $319,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lifted its stake in Rio Tinto Group by 0.7% in the third quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 197,915 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $12,595,000 after acquiring an additional 1,374 shares during the last quarter. SVB Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Rio Tinto Group by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 7,252 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $461,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares during the period. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Rio Tinto Group by 5.1% during the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 95,253 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $6,062,000 after purchasing an additional 4,626 shares during the last quarter. 19.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on RIO. Liberum Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a report on Tuesday, March 5th. StockNews.com upgraded Rio Tinto Group from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Rio Tinto Group in a report on Friday, January 12th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Rio Tinto Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.00.

Rio Tinto Group Price Performance

Rio Tinto Group stock opened at $67.49 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $64.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $67.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.69 and a quick ratio of 1.17. Rio Tinto Group has a twelve month low of $58.27 and a twelve month high of $75.09.

Rio Tinto Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 8th were paid a dividend of $2.58 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a dividend yield of 6.6%. This is a positive change from Rio Tinto Group’s previous semi-annual dividend of $1.77.

Rio Tinto Group Profile

Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company operates through Iron Ore, Aluminium, Copper, and Minerals Segments. The Iron Ore segment engages in the iron ore mining, and salt and gypsum production in Western Australia. The Aluminum segment is involved in bauxite mining; alumina refining; and aluminium smelting.