Sydney, Feb 23, 2026, 17:02 AEDT — The market has wrapped up for the day.
- BHP closed in the green, reaching the upper edge of its 52-week range during the session.
- Australian shares lost ground after investors absorbed yet another shift in U.S. tariff policy.
- Offshore risk appetite steps into the spotlight, with BHP’s dividend schedule for early March drawing attention.
BHP Group Ltd closed Monday at A$54.02, gaining 1.3%. Shares hit A$54.75 earlier—the highest point in their 52-week stretch. They’re up roughly 12% for the month. (Investing.com)
The stock’s jump came as the broader S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.61%, dragged lower by declines across IT, healthcare, and property investment names. (Investing.com UK)
Markets flinched as fresh tariff signals from Washington rattled risk sentiment, but miners managed to outpace the wider decline. “While investors may attempt to digest and move beyond the announcement efficiently, the broader implications remain complex,” Pepperstone’s head of research Chris Weston said. (mint)
BHP picked up momentum off last week’s half-year numbers, delivering a 22% surge in underlying profit and revealing copper now leads iron ore as the company’s top earner. The miner also announced a 73 cent interim dividend per share. “They smashed everyone’s expectations from a dividend perspective,” said Andy Forster, portfolio manager at Argo Investments, which holds BHP stock. CEO Mike Henry said there’s “not feeling any burning need” for copper-focused acquisitions just now. (Reuters)
Still, the stock stands in as a global growth bellwether—and that backdrop remains tangled. New tariff questions have a way of rattling industrial metals sentiment almost instantly. If copper or iron ore prices swing the other way, this rapid rally could come under pressure.
Overnight action is holding more sway than local market closes these days. Wall Street futures dropped alongside the dollar during Asian hours, as traders tried to digest the Supreme Court’s take on Trump’s emergency tariffs—and a subsequent decision bumps the “temporary” tariff up to 15%. “The tariff landscape is now more uncertain than before, uncertainty is not good news for any economy or market,” said Rodrigo Catril, senior FX strategist at NAB. (Reuters)
BHP’s next key date for shareholders is tied to its interim dividend. According to the company’s dividend notice, shares listed in both Australia (ASX) and London will trade ex-dividend on March 5. Investors purchasing stock on or after that day won’t qualify for the upcoming payout. The record date is March 6, and payment lands March 26. (BHP)
Traders are eyeing tariff headlines for any signs they’ll spark fresh risk-off moves abroad, and what that might mean for copper and iron ore prices.
