0045 GMT - A lower-than-expected tax rate helped Rio Tinto's 1H underlying earnings and interim dividend beat market expectations, says RBC Capital Markets analyst James Redfern. The giant miner reported a 1H effective tax rate of 25.5%, down from 34.5% in 1H 2025. The company lowered its 2026 tax-rate guidance to around 25% from about 30% previously. RBC has an underperform rating and target of A$143.00/share on Rio. The stock is up 4.3% in Sydney at A$166.37.