Rio Tinto returns £10bn to investors

MINING giant Rio Tinto announced a record cash return to shareholders, including a £3bn special dividend, after posting a 56pc jump in its annual profits.

The Anglo-Australian firm reported net profit of £10.2bn for 2018, up from £6.6bn the year earlier, thanks to £6bn worth of disposals.

Last year, it sold its stake in a copper mine in Indonesia and an aluminium smelter in France.

The money helped the company declare a record cash return of £10.1bn to shareholders, including a £2.3bn final dividend, the special dividend and a £2.4bn share buyback programme.

The special dividend equated to £1.82 a share.