Rio Tinto's blowout cash puts dividends and deals in focus

Rio Tinto Group’s best profit in three years and a record dividend is yet another sign that miners are reaping the benefits of a surge in commodity prices. Yet the sheer size of Rio’s cash flow is starting to raise another question: how else will the world’s second-biggest mining company invest all its money? The company has so far focused on rewarding shareholders and on Wednesday, it promised a full-year dividend of $5.2-billion and an additional $1-billion stock buyback.