Sydney, Feb 26, 2026, 16:58 AEDT — The session’s over; markets are shut.
- BHP finished 2.3% higher at A$57.84, notching its fifth straight session in the green.
- Big miners are still finding support from copper’s rally, though iron ore pricing talks remain unresolved.
- BHP hits its ex-dividend date in Australia on March 5, marking a key calendar event for next week.
BHP Group (BHP.AX) climbed 2.3% to finish Thursday at A$57.84, having touched an intraday peak of A$58.28. That marks five consecutive days in the green for the stock. (Investing)
BHP carries serious weight in Australia’s market landscape and sets the tone for major mining names. With iron ore prices hanging out near US$100 a tonne and Chinese steel production slipping, investors have pinned hopes on copper — now BHP’s main profit engine — to pick up the slack. (Reuters)
Iron ore remains the main moneymaker. Canberra is keeping tabs on this year’s annual supply negotiations between big miners and China Minerals Resources Group (CMRG), the state-backed buyer. Treasury figures show a US$10 shift in iron ore prices could mean about A$500 million more or less in tax receipts for the government in fiscal 2025-26. Resources Minister Madeleine King described iron ore as “the bedrock of the economy”. BHP boss Mike Henry noted that the gap in expectations is “probably a little bit wider” than usual this year. (Reuters)
Shares in Fortescue surged over 3% after the company posted a 23% gain in first-half profit and boosted its interim dividend, outpacing expectations. The move put iron ore stocks back in focus, with the sector drawing momentum from the upbeat result out of the rival miner. (Reuters)
BHP is lining up its interim dividend: 73 U.S. cents per share. The stock goes ex-dividend March 5 on both the ASX and London Stock Exchange—investors picking up shares after that won’t get the payout. Payment lands March 26. (BHP)
Earlier this month, during the half-year results call, Henry called the period a “milestone,” highlighting copper as now delivering the biggest chunk of earnings. BHP bumped up its FY26 group copper outlook to between 1.9 and 2.0 million tonnes. (BHP)
Still, the rally’s edge is thin. Commodity prices are hypersensitive—a minor move can flip sentiment fast. If China demand falters, or iron ore prices fall short, it hits cash-flow forecasts immediately.
Rates are tugging markets in a different direction. Core inflation in Australia ticked higher in January, with investors now assigning an 80% probability to a rate increase in May, Reuters said. That setup tends to sap demand for cyclical shares, even as commodity news might otherwise offer support. (Reuters)
BHP plans to release its Operational Review for the nine months ended March 31 on or about April 22, per its financial calendar. (BHP)
First, traders are zeroing in on copper and iron ore prices Friday, with an eye on whether BHP can hang onto its recent gains as the March 5 ex-dividend date draws near.
