Rio Tinto Quarterly Update Preview: Mixed Bag Ahead?

📊 According to the latest intel from Goldman Sachs, Wednesday is shaping up to be a day of mixed emotions for Rio Tinto investors.
🚫 On the downside, the broker is predicting iron ore shipments of 75.5Mt for the quarter. Ouch! That's a whopping 12% decline from the previous quarter and a 9% drop year-on-year. Even worse, it falls short of the consensus estimate of 79.6Mt. 😓
⬇️ Alumina production is also expected to suffer a quarter-on-quarter decline. Goldman is forecasting a production of 1,802kt for the three-month period, marking a 6% drop from the fourth quarter of FY 2023. And once again, it's below the consensus estimate of 1,950kt. 😔
🎉 But wait! There's some good news too! Goldman expects Rio Tinto's aluminium and copper production to buck the trend and record quarter-on-quarter growth! 🚀
📈 Aluminium production is forecast to increase marginally to 848kt (consensus estimate: 824kt), while copper production is predicted to surge 13% to 181kt (consensus estimate: 171kt). That's some serious momentum! 💪
So, it seems like Rio Tinto's quarterly update is going to be a real mixed bag. Will the good news outweigh the bad? Stay tuned for Wednesday's full reveal! 🔜 $Rio Tinto Ltd(RIO.AU)$