BHP Group Limited Declares $1.00 Dividend

BHP Group Limited (NYSE:BHP) made an announcement regarding its dividend on Thursday, February 20th. The mining company has declared a dividend of $1.00 per share. Shareholders who are on record as of Friday, March 7th will receive this dividend on Thursday, March 27th. It's important to note that the ex-dividend date falls on Friday, March 7th.

BHP Group has seen a trend of reducing its dividend payments, with an average decrease of 21.4% annually over the past three years. Currently, the company's payout ratio stands at 45.5%, indicating that the dividend is well-supported by its earnings. Analysts project that BHP Group will earn approximately $4.17 per share in the next fiscal year, suggesting the company will maintain its coverage of the $2.00 annual dividend, which would bring the expected future payout ratio to 48.0%.

BHP Group Stock Performance

On Friday, shares of BHP Group traded down by $0.70, bringing the stock price to $51.42. A total of 2,155,939 shares were traded, which is slightly below the average volume of 2,235,408. Over the past twelve months, the stock has reached a low of $48.06 and a high of $63.21. In terms of financial metrics, the company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 1.70, and a quick ratio of 1.29. The 50-day moving average price is currently at $49.80, while the 200-day moving average price is at $53.15.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

In recent reports, various analysts have provided updates regarding BHP shares. For instance, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target for BHP Group from $57.00 to $53.00 and maintained a "hold" rating in a report dated January 6th. Meanwhile, StockNews.com has shifted its rating from "strong-buy" to "buy" in their recent analyses. Overall, three analysts have rated the stock as a hold, three have given it a buy rating, and one has issued a strong buy rating. According to data from MarketBeat, BHP Group currently holds an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus price target of $53.00.

BHP Group Company Overview

BHP Group Limited functions as a global resources company, engaging in operations across various regions including Australia, Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, North America, South America, and beyond. The company is primarily involved in the mining of essential resources such as copper, uranium, gold, zinc, lead, molybdenum, silver, iron ore, cobalt, along with metallurgical and energy coal.

In summary, while BHP Group is currently recognized for its dividend amidst a backdrop of reduced payouts and fluctuating stock prices, analysts view the stock with a balanced perspective, reflecting both cautious optimism and continued watchfulness over its financial health.

Dividend, BHP, Mining