Rio Tinto plc stock is ending 2025 with momentum—and with a long list of catalysts investors are trying to price in: record copper prices, a strategy reset under CEO Simon Trott, expanding lithium ambitions after a major acquisition, and fresh operational guidance stretching into 2026. Add in a legal dispute tied to sanctions and some governance constraints that affect buybacks, and Rio’s year-end story becomes more than “iron ore miner does iron ore things.”

Because December 25 is a market holiday in many regions, the most recent actionable pricing and news flow largely reflects Christmas Eve trading and the final pre-holiday news cycle.

Rio Tinto stock price today: where RIO stands heading into year-end

As of the latest available…