London, Feb 16, 2026, 08:25 GMT — Regular session.
- Rio Tinto slid roughly 1.5% during the opening stretch in London.
- Work at the SimFer site in Guinea has been halted by the miner following a contractor fatality.
- Investors are eyeing Feb 19 for the full-year numbers, as guidance and project news take center stage.
Shares of Rio Tinto slipped Monday, as the miner halted operations at its SimFer site within Guinea’s Simandou iron ore project. The move came after a contract worker was killed.
Shares slipped 1.5% to 7,076 pence as of 0802 GMT, compared to the prior close of 7,187 pence.
The stoppage comes just days ahead of Rio’s full-year earnings, a point on the calendar when investors are scrutinizing every major project, schedule, and budget line. Simandou, a marquee growth play for the miner, is back in the spotlight—just not in the way shareholders would like.
Rio on Sunday reported that a contractor’s employee was killed in an incident at the SimFer mine site in Nzérékoré, Guinea, the previous day. Operations at the site are now on hold. “Nothing is more important than the safety of everyone who works with us,” Chief Executive Simon Trott said. Riotinto
The company said it plans to coordinate with authorities, partners, and contractors as it pushes ahead with the investigation. Trott, for his part, is heading to Guinea this week.
The Simandou project is carved up into four blocks. Rio’s got a 53% share of the SimFer consortium, which controls the rights for Blocks 3 and 4; the remaining stake sits with Chinese state-backed firms, according to Reuters.
Reuters has already disclosed deaths tied to construction activity at the site, a detail that’s intensified the focus on safety and monitoring at Simandou—far beyond what usually follows a standard mine-site accident.
Trading was light in commodities on Monday, with Lunar New Year holidays shuttering several Asian markets. Iron ore futures slipped a bit in Singapore.
Rio shareholders will be watching Thursday—results land then. The miner plans to publish its 2025 annual figures on Feb. 19, followed by a London morning presentation and Q&A.
Every word on Simandou’s timeline and outlays gets dissected. Attention’s also fixed on how they talk about safety and contractor oversight—the usual flashpoints where problems catch on.
But here’s what’s clear for markets right now: Rio hasn’t given any timeline for when work might restart. If the halt drags on, or if regulators and partners ramp up requirements, costs could climb and deadlines could slip at a project that investors already see as complicated.
For now, attention shifts to Rio’s upcoming comments on Simandou and its probe, before eyes turn to the Feb. 19 results for signals on guidance or any expectations reset.
