Sydney, Feb 25, 2026, 17:07 AEDT — Market shut down for the day.
- BHP gained 3.2% to finish at A$56.51, setting a new 52-week high.
- While copper optimism runs high, new doubts are surfacing over China’s iron ore supply negotiations.
- The deadline for the interim dividend is approaching, as the stock is set to trade ex-dividend in early March.
BHP Group Ltd stock closed Wednesday at A$56.51, up 3.21%, notching a one-year high after hitting that same mark earlier in the session. Volume topped 13 million shares.
This is significant: BHP looms large in Australian stocks, and investors are juggling a pair of narratives right now. Copper’s been the straightforward play, but iron ore, which still brings in hefty revenue, is stirring up more chatter.
This week, a Reuters analysis highlighted copper’s ascent past iron ore as the top profit source for BHP, now accounting for 51% of the company’s operating earnings in the most recent half-year. Reuters also noted copper’s solid rally over the last year, in contrast to iron ore, which has slipped under $100 a ton—a pressure compounded by fading Chinese steel demand and the prospect of fresh supply from Guinea’s Simandou project.
BHP has moved decisively in that direction. In its Feb. 17 results, chief executive Mike Henry described copper overtaking as the biggest chunk of underlying EBITDA as “a milestone.” The miner also bumped up its FY26 group copper guidance to 1.9–2.0 million tonnes. BHP
The dividend date is in plain sight. BHP has locked in its interim dividend at US$0.73 a share, with the stock going ex-dividend on March 5 across Australia and London. Investors picking up shares from that day won’t get the payout. The record date comes a day later, on March 6, and the payment heads out March 26.
Miners grabbed attention after Fortescue reported a jump in first-half profit and bumped up its interim dividend, pushing its shares sharply higher. Early on, Fortescue outperformed both BHP and Rio Tinto, according to Reuters.
The iron ore market, though, is anything but quiet. Reuters said Australia’s government is keeping an eye on yearly iron ore supply negotiations involving miners and China Minerals Resources Group, Beijing’s state-backed buyer, citing worries about the possible hit to the national budget if prices slip.
According to the report, CMRG has put limits on a number of mills, barring them from purchasing specific BHP iron ore brands as talks continue. Speaking in Miami, Henry noted the gap this year was “probably a little bit wider than it’s been in the past,” but expressed confidence that BHP could “navigate” toward a resolution. Reuters
Here’s the risk for the stock now: copper prices can drop in a hurry, and iron ore could turn sour—China’s been tightening the screws publicly. If either one pulls back, we’ll see whether this week’s rally is riding on real fundamentals or just traders piling in.
Looking ahead, copper pricing will be front and center for traders, along with fresh signals from the China iron ore negotiations. BHP’s early-March ex-dividend date is also on the radar for the coming week.
