Comparing Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO) and Augusta Gold (OTCMKTS:AUGG)

Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO) and Augusta Gold (OTCMKTS:AUGG) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, earnings, institutional ownership and dividends.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Rio Tinto Group and Augusta Gold, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Rio Tinto Group	0	4	5	1	2.70
Augusta Gold	0	0	0	0	N/A

Insider & Institutional Ownership

19.3% of Rio Tinto Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 52.4% of Augusta Gold shares are owned by institutional investors. 45.8% of Augusta Gold shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Risk & Volatility

Rio Tinto Group has a beta of 0.67, indicating that its share price is 33% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Augusta Gold has a beta of 0.96, indicating that its share price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Rio Tinto Group and Augusta Gold’s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Rio Tinto Group	$54.04 billion	1.51	$10.06 billion	N/A	N/A
Augusta Gold	N/A	N/A	$6.66 million	($0.02)	-30.50

Rio Tinto Group has higher revenue and earnings than Augusta Gold.

Profitability

This table compares Rio Tinto Group and Augusta Gold’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Rio Tinto Group	N/A	N/A	N/A
Augusta Gold	N/A	-4.43%	-2.20%

Summary

Rio Tinto Group beats Augusta Gold on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Rio Tinto Group

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. The Copper segment engages in mining and refining of copper, gold, silver, molybdenum, and other by-products and exploration activities. The Minerals segment is involved in mining and processing of borates, titanium dioxide feedstock, and iron concentrate and pellets; diamond mining, sorting, and marketing; and development projects for battery materials, such as lithium. It also owns and operates open pit and underground mines; and refineries, smelters, processing plants and power, and shipping facilities. Rio Tinto Group was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

About Augusta Gold

Augusta Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in the United States. The company primarily explores for gold, silver, and other metals. It holds interests in the Bullfrog gold project consists of 734 unpatented lode mining claims and mill site claims, and 87 patented mining claims located in the Bullfrog Hills of Nye County, Nevada; and the Reward Gold Project comprises 123 unpatented Bureau of Land Management (BLM) placer and lode mining claims, and six patented placer mining claims covering approximately 2,333 acres located in Nye County, Nevada. The company was formerly known as Bullfrog Gold Corp. and changed its name to Augusta Gold Corp. in January 2021. Augusta Gold Corp. is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.