RIO vs. SQM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Rio Tinto Group (RIO) and Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM).

Performance

RIO vs. SQM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Rio Tinto Group (RIO) and Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

RIO vs. SQM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
RIO Rio Tinto Group	19.83%	44.47%	-15.36%	11.06%	18.48%	-3.67%	36.22%	33.18%	-2.93%	44.87%
SQM Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A.	17.65%	89.55%	-39.35%	-18.47%	71.62%	6.82%	89.19%	-27.30%	-32.71%	115.00%

Fundamentals

Market Cap RIO : $152.85B SQM : $23.12B
EPS RIO : $13.11 SQM : $2.06
PE Ratio RIO : 7.11 SQM : 39.20
PS Ratio RIO : 1.37 SQM : 5.04
PB Ratio RIO : 2.46 SQM : 4.06
Total Revenue (TTM) RIO : $111.41B SQM : $4.59B
Gross Profit (TTM) RIO : $31.10B SQM : $1.36B
EBITDA (TTM) RIO : $40.42B SQM : $1.27B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, RIO achieves a 19.83% return, which is significantly higher than SQM's 17.65% return. Over the past 10 years, RIO has outperformed SQM with an annualized return of 20.69%, while SQM has yielded a comparatively lower 19.45% annualized return.

RIO

• 1D: 5.03%
• 1M: -3.46%
• YTD: 19.83%
• 6M: 45.28%
• 1Y: 63.49%
• 3Y*: 17.83%
• 5Y*: 11.59%
• 10Y*: 20.69%

SQM

• 1D: 0.02%
• 1M: 6.08%
• YTD: 17.65%
• 6M: 88.65%
• 1Y: 104.09%
• 3Y*: 2.79%
• 5Y*: 12.83%
• 10Y*: 19.45%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

RIO vs. SQM — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

RIO

RIO Risk / Return Rank: 91
RIO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
RIO Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
RIO Omega Ratio Rank: 89
RIO Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
RIO Martin Ratio Rank: 93

SQM

SQM Risk / Return Rank: 89
SQM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 91
SQM Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
SQM Omega Ratio Rank: 84
SQM Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
SQM Martin Ratio Rank: 89

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

RIO vs. SQM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Rio Tinto Group (RIO) and Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	RIO	SQM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.27	2.04	+0.23
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.85	2.61	+0.24
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.38	1.32	+0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.01	4.06	-0.05
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	13.33	9.94	+3.39
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

RIO vs. SQM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current RIO Sharpe Ratio is 2.27, which is comparable to the SQM Sharpe Ratio of 2.04. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of RIO and SQM, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	RIO	SQM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.27	2.04	+0.23
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.40	0.26	+0.14
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.67	0.42	+0.25
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.32	0.42	-0.10

Correlation

The correlation between RIO and SQM is 0.37, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

RIO vs. SQM - Dividend Comparison

RIO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.31%, more than SQM's 0.15% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
RIO Rio Tinto Group	4.31%	4.66%	7.40%	5.40%	10.48%	10.23%	5.13%	7.68%	6.32%	4.47%	3.93%	7.58%
SQM Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A.	0.15%	0.18%	0.59%	8.34%	9.66%	3.92%	1.64%	4.55%	5.37%	2.73%	4.77%	2.00%

Drawdowns

RIO vs. SQM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum RIO drawdown since its inception was -88.97%, which is greater than SQM's maximum drawdown of -78.34%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for RIO and SQM.

Drawdown Indicators

	RIO	SQM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-88.97%	-78.34%	-10.63%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.19%	-25.02%	+9.83%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-36.97%	-69.76%	+32.79%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.47%	-72.98%	+35.51%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.84%	-18.36%	+13.52%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-23.88%	-30.43%	+6.55%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.57%	10.22%	-5.65%

Volatility

RIO vs. SQM - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Rio Tinto Group (RIO) is 11.08%, while Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) has a volatility of 17.99%. This indicates that RIO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SQM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	RIO	SQM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.08%	17.99%	-6.91%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	20.84%	36.57%	-15.73%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	28.18%	51.41%	-23.23%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	29.06%	49.55%	-20.49%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	30.93%	45.99%	-15.06%

Financials

RIO vs. SQM - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Rio Tinto Group and Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

RIO - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Rio Tinto Group reported a gross profit of 8.15B and revenue of 30.65B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 26.6%.

SQM - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. reported a gross profit of 455.49M and revenue of 1.34B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 34.1%.

RIO - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Rio Tinto Group reported an operating income of 8.15B and revenue of 30.65B, resulting in an operating margin of 26.6%.

SQM - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. reported an operating income of 398.13M and revenue of 1.34B, resulting in an operating margin of 29.8%.

RIO - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Rio Tinto Group reported a net income of 5.42B and revenue of 30.65B, resulting in a net margin of 17.7%.

SQM - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. reported a net income of 185.41M and revenue of 1.34B, resulting in a net margin of 13.9%.