MELBOURNE, Feb 5, 2026, 17:00 AEDT — After-hours
BHP Group Ltd shares closed down 3.9% at A$50.36 on Thursday, after trading between A$50.32 and A$51.87. The stock ended the prior session at A$52.40 and has traded in a 52-week range of A$33.25 to A$52.54.
The move mattered for the broader market because BHP is a heavyweight in Australian mining. The S&P/ASX 200 finished down 0.43% and the materials sector slid more than 3%, while the Australian dollar eased to 69.71 U.S. cents, AAP reported.
With the cash session over, attention is shifting quickly to what comes next. BHP is due to report half-year results on Feb. 17, according to the company’s financial calendar.
Iron ore remains the main swing factor for the stock, and the tone has softened again. Trading Economics said iron ore futures fell below 770 yuan a tonne on Thursday, hitting a seven-week low as supply rose into a pre-holiday demand lull.
The benchmark China iron ore price fell to 767 yuan a tonne on Feb. 5, down 0.84% on the day, Trading Economics data showed.
Rates are another pressure point for risk assets, including miners. The Reserve Bank of Australia on Tuesday lifted the cash rate by 25 basis points (0.25 percentage point) to 3.85%; Governor Michele Bullock said, “I don’t know if it’s in a cycle,” while National Australia Bank chief economist Sally Auld said she doubted it was “one-and-done.” Reuters
Global risk appetite stayed shaky as a tech-led selloff spread through Asia and silver tumbled again. “That increase in (Alphabet) capex was absolutely enormous,” said Tony Sycamore, an analyst at IG. Reuters
BHP itself offered little fresh colour on the day. No company announcements were released on the ASX in the past week, a search of exchange disclosures showed.
Other major miners fell too, but by less. Rio Tinto ended down 1.19% and Fortescue slipped 1.16%, leaving BHP as the sharper drag on the sector heading into Friday’s session.
But the picture can still flip quickly if iron ore stabilises or the currency swings the other way. Commonwealth Bank economists said the RBA move likely won’t be the last and flagged a second hike as soon as May; for BHP, the next clear catalyst is Feb. 17, when it reports half-year results.
