PERTH, March 5, 2026, 14:08 AWST
- Three Fortescue directors picked up shares on Feb. 26, according to ASX disclosures published March 4-5.
- Larry Marshall, the lead independent director, picked up 4,930 shares. Deputy chair Mark Barnaba and director Usha Rao-Monari also added to their holdings, though their purchases were smaller.
- Fortescue ended Thursday in positive territory. The miner’s interim dividend lands March 30.
Disclosures posted on March 4 and March 5 revealed that three directors at Fortescue Ltd picked up shares in the Australian iron ore miner late in February.
Fortescue finished Thursday up roughly 2% at A$19.39. Rio Tinto also posted gains, but BHP edged lower, Investing.com data showed.
The buying came just more than a week after Fortescue, ranked fourth among global iron ore miners, posted a 23% jump in first-half earnings and bumped its interim payout up to 62 Australian cents per share. Back then, metals and operations CEO Dino Otranto said, “Our products are moving well. We expect that to continue.” Reuters
Lead independent director Larry Marshall disclosed in an Appendix 3Y filed with the ASX that he picked up 4,930 shares on Feb. 26, spending A$102,687.20. That brings his total stake to 27,793 shares.
Mark Barnaba, deputy chair, picked up 288 shares for A$5,998.77 that day, bumping his direct stake to 1,205 shares. His indirect holding through a super fund remains unchanged at 45,182 shares.
Usha Rao-Monari, a director, picked up 287 shares for A$5,977.94 on Feb. 26, according to the filing. That move lifts her total stake to 872 shares.
Barnaba holds the role of deputy chairman at Fortescue, while Marshall acts as lead independent director on the board, the company’s board listing shows.
Fortescue’s interim dividend covers the six months to Dec. 31, 2025, and is fully franked—so shareholders pick up those Australian tax credits. Payment lands March 30. Investors can opt for stock instead of cash via the company’s dividend reinvestment plan, with the share price calculated on a volume-weighted average basis.
During the Feb. 25 results call, CFO Apple Paget noted that “a one cent movement in the exchange rate impacts C1 costs by around 16 cents.” C1 refers to a cash-cost metric commonly used by miners.
Still, director buying isn’t always a clear signal, and Fortescue’s profits are tethered to iron ore markets and China’s appetite for steel. Back in late February, Australia’s government flagged it was keeping an eye on negotiations between the top iron ore shippers and China’s state-run importer. Resources minister Madeleine King described iron ore as “the bedrock of the economy.” Reuters
Fortescue’s investor calendar shows the company plans to release its March-quarter production numbers on April 23.
