Rio Tinto vs APA Group shares: Which is better for passive income?

Everyday Aussie investors often weigh Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) against APA Group (ASX: APA) when hunting for steady, passive income from shares. The two are giants in totally different fields — with Rio Tinto at the heart of mining, and APA Group a backbone for Australia’s energy infrastructure. Both throw off regular dividends, but which one is more compelling for those wanting a reliable stream of cash flow? Here’s how they stack up for income-focused portfolios.

The case for Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is one of the world’s largest miners, producing iron ore, aluminium, lithium, copper, and more. This global giant has been a mainstay of the ASX for decades. Its revenue streams are deeply tied to commodity cycles, but the company’s vast, low-cost assets and operational scale give it firepower for substantial and regular dividend payouts.

Looking at the latest numbers, Rio Tinto boasts a market cap of $61.76 billion and a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 16.07. Its dividend yield stands at 3.99%, fully franked at 100%, meaning investors get the full benefit of franking credits. According to its most recent company profile, Rio Tinto has grown through many mergers and acquisitions, which has helped it become such a dominant force. Its scale, reliable cash flows, and tendency for occasional special dividends make it a go-to for income-seekers, especially those who value franking.

The case for APA Group

APA Group is Australia’s top energy infrastructure company, running a sprawling network of gas, electricity, solar, and wind assets. It owns and operates much of the country’s gas pipeline network and is steadily expanding into renewables. APA Group’s revenues are less sensitive to the wild ups and downs of commodities, thanks to long-term contracts and regulated assets. This can make its dividends feel steadier to income investors.

APA Group’s market cap is $14.27 billion, with a notably higher dividend yield at 5.39%. However, its P/E ratio is a lofty 68.36, which stands out compared to Rio Tinto’s much lower multiple. The franking level on APA’s dividends is well below Rio’s: the latest is just 31.4%, and looking back, many past dividends have variable (often low) franking. As of its company overview, APA Group actively invests in renewable assets amid its historical strength in gas. Investors who favour essential services or lower volatility in earnings may prefer APA’s business exposure and defensive qualities.

Recent share price performance

Here’s how their shares performed between 18 August 2026 and 17 September 2026.

• Rio Tinto: YTD return of 17.8%. During this month, the share price was somewhat volatile, starting around $167, peaking above $179 in early September before easing back to $166.09.
• APA Group: YTD return of 23.4%. APA shares began the period near $9.85 and rose steadily, ending at $10.78, representing a much smoother upward trend compared to Rio’s swings.

Which is the better buy?

For pure, reliable passive income, I’d lean toward Rio Tinto over APA Group. While APA Group boasts a punchier 5.39% yield and a record for steady dividends, its lower franking credit levels and extremely high P/E ratio (68.36) give me pause. By contrast, Rio Tinto’s 3.99% yield may not look as high at first glance, but it is fully franked, so the return after tax is more compelling — especially for those who benefit from franking credits.

Rio’s dividend history also shows substantial, ongoing payouts (plus occasional special dividends) backed by strong earnings and underlying cash flow. APA’s payout, while reliable, comes with much less franking and looks more stretched against its underlying earnings.

APA Group may appeal to investors more focused on lower earnings volatility and the appeal of essential infrastructure. But when I focus on the net after-tax income into my bank account — and factor in value metrics and payout sustainability — Rio Tinto is my pick for better passive income.

The post Rio Tinto vs APA Group: Which is better for passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Apa Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial draft. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

A new report from Betashares has revealed that copper now represents a larger share of the earnings generated by Australia’s listed mining companies than iron ore. 

According to the report, based on the FY26 earnings of 42 mining/materials companies in the S&P/ASX 200 Resources Index (ASX: XJR): 

• 34.4% of earnings came from copper
• 33.4% came from iron ore

Why is this significant?

Australia’s mining industry is entering a new phase. 

Iron ore has long been the dominant source of earnings for Australia’s major miners, but in FY26, copper edged ahead for the first time across the listed mining sector. 

The shift reflects both stronger copper prices and the growing importance of copper to Australia’s largest miners, as demand rises from electrification, power infrastructure, and AI-related investment.

Importantly for investors, this doesn’t mean Australia is producing more copper than iron ore, or that copper is a bigger commodity by tonnes, exports, or total sales. 

It’s specifically about earnings/profit contribution.

Why is this happening?

Copper has benefited from demand associated with AI infrastructure, electricity grids, data centres, and the clean-energy transition. 

BetaShares said the strength in AI and clean-energy investment has been supporting copper prices, while weaker Chinese demand has limited iron-ore prices.

Copper is one of the most important materials in building global AI infrastructure and for the green energy transition. Data centres, power distribution, wiring. All of it uses copper at extraordinary scale. So, while Australian investors cannot buy the AI companies directly through a local index, Australia’s mining sector is now one of the ways to benefit from these buildouts.

How to target copper shares

This structural shift is apparent in Australia’s biggest mining companies. 

Blue-chip stocks like BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) are gradually shifting their growth strategies towards copper, rather than relying as heavily on iron ore for future growth.

In FY26, copper generated more than half of BHP’s underlying EBITDA for the first time, despite the company continuing to produce record amounts of iron ore.

This makes BHP a viable option for investors looking for copper exposure. 

Other copper shares worth considering for direct exposure include: 

• Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) – global mineral exploration and development company, largely focused on copper
• Capstone Copper Corp (ASX: CSC) – operates as a copper producer with a diversified portfolio of operating assets focused in the Americas
• Kaoko Metals Ltd (ASX: KAO) – exploration and development company, which acquires and explores mineral projects, primarily copper and gold in Namibia

Foolish takeaway 

Copper has overtaken iron ore as the largest contributor to earnings across Australia’s listed mining sector, reflecting stronger copper prices and rising demand from AI, electrification, and energy infrastructure. 

As major miners such as BHP increasingly focus their growth strategies on copper, investors have several ways to gain exposure, from diversified blue-chip miners to more copper-focused companies. 

The post Copper has overtaken iron ore – Here are the top copper shares to target appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Bought $10,000 worth of BHP shares 5 years ago? Guess how much passive income you’ve already earned
• Are BHP, CBA, and CSL shares top buys?
• South32 vs Rio Tinto: 2 popular ASX mining shares compared
• Woodside Energy vs Fortescue: Which ASX mining share is best for passive income?
• 5 ASX shares I’d recommend to beginners

Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell has positions in BHP Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Five years ago, BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares were catching plenty of attention from ASX passive income investors.

That’s because the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining giant kicked off 2022 by paying an all-time high fully franked interim dividend.

And BHP’s final 2022 dividend was second only to the record high 2021 final payout, spurred by soaring iron ore prices at the time.

While the next three years saw the BHP dividend decline each year, the miner’s FY 2026 dividend payouts reversed that trend, climbing 41.6% from 2025.

So, if you’d invested $10,000 in BHP shares in five years ago, just how much passive income would you already have received?

Investing $10,000 in BHP shares for passive income

Five years ago, on 17 September 2021 you could have picked up BHP stock for $34.87 per share.

So, for $10,000 you could have bought 286 BHP shares with enough change left over for a pizza.

On Thursday, the ASX mining giant was trading for $60.37 a share. Meaning those 286 shares are now worth $17,266.

Those are some tidy capital gains.

As for that passive income, if you’d owned the stock since September 2021, you would have received the last 10 BHP dividend payouts totalling $13.583 per share.

And those 286 BHP shares you bought for $10,000 would already have returned $3,885 in passive income.

Why is the BHP dividend back on the rise?

The 41.6% increase in the FY 2026 BHP dividend payouts was supported by a stronger than expected iron ore price and a surging copper price.

On the copper front, while production slipped 3% year on year to 1.953 million tonnes, the miner’s average realised price of US$5.74 per pound was up 35% from FY 2025.

This led to a 48% year on year increase in underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) from its copper division to US$18.2 billion. And it marked the first year where copper beat out iron ore on the earnings front, with the red metal contributing 54% contribution of BJP’s total underlying EBITDA of US$32.9.

And copper should continue to be a strong earner for the Aussie mining giant over the long-haul.

According to BHP:

Copper fundamentals remain attractive. Demand is expected to grow from ~34 Mtpa today to >50 Mtpa by CY50, driven by traditional economic growth (home building, electrical equipment and household appliances), energy transition (renewables and electric vehicles) and digital (artificial intelligence and data centres).

On the bottom line, the big uptick in the passive income from BHP shares in FY 2026 came amid the miner’s 30% increase in underlying profit, which climbed to US$13.2 billion.

The post Bought $10,000 worth of BHP shares 5 years ago? Guess how much passive income you’ve already earned appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Copper has overtaken iron ore – Here are the top copper shares to target
• Are BHP, CBA, and CSL shares top buys?
• South32 vs Rio Tinto: 2 popular ASX mining shares compared
• Woodside Energy vs Fortescue: Which ASX mining share is best for passive income?
• 5 ASX shares I’d recommend to beginners

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.