2339 GMT - Rio Tinto reports a strong start for 2026 across its businesses, says Morgan Stanley analyst Rahul Anand. He highlights Pilbara iron-ore production, which is 5.6% ahead of consensus and 8.5% higher than MS's own forecast. Copper production is also strong, beating consensus by 4.2% and MS by 8.2%. "Kennecott remains the focus," Anand says. The Kennecott copper mine produced 10% more than market expectations and 38% more than MS anticipated, he says. MS has an equal-weight rating and A$163/share target on the stock. Shares ended Monday at A$172.51. (rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com; @RhiannonHoyle)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 20, 2026 19:39 ET (23:39 GMT)
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