Photo by: Bloomberg
Global resources group Rio Tinto, which producers a range of commodities including copper (pictured in the form of crushed ore) announced last week that it would pay a smaller dividend – a move that some commentators interpreted as a signal that the mining boom times are nearing an end. The company will pay a $4.3-billion dividend compared with the $9.1-billion it returned in the same half-year period in 2021. Photograph: Bloomberg