BHP Group Limited Declares $1.00 Dividend

BHP Group Limited (NYSE:BHP) announced on Thursday, February 20th, that it will issue a dividend of $1.00 per share. This dividend payment will be given to all shareholders who are on record by Friday, March 7th, and it is planned to be distributed on Thursday, March 27th. The ex-dividend date, which marks when a stock begins trading without the dividend entitlement, is set for March 7th.

Understanding BHP Group's Dividend History

Over the past three years, BHP Group has reduced its dividend payments by an average of 21.4% per year. Despite these cuts, the company maintains a payout ratio of 45.5%, indicating that its earnings adequately cover its dividend obligations. Analysts predict that BHP Group will earn around $4.17 per share in the coming year, which suggests that the company should continue to sustain its $2.00 annual dividend. This would result in an expected future payout ratio of 48.0%.

Current Stock Performance of BHP Group

On Friday, BHP Group's shares fell by $0.70, bringing the stock price down to $51.42. In total, 2,155,939 shares changed hands, slightly below the average trading volume of 2,235,408 shares. Over the last twelve months, BHP Group has experienced a low of $48.06 and a high of $63.21. The company’s financial metrics include a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 1.70, and a quick ratio of 1.29. As for the stock's moving averages, the 50-day average is $49.80, while the 200-day average is $53.15.

Analysts and Price Targets for BHP Group

Recent reports from various analysts have led to adjustments in price targets for BHP shares. Jefferies Financial Group has lowered their target price from $57.00 to $53.00, while maintaining a "hold" rating. Additionally, StockNews.com has downgraded BHP Group from a "strong-buy" to a "buy" rating. Currently, the consensus among analysts includes three ratings for "hold", three for "buy", and one for "strong buy". According to MarketBeat data, BHP Group has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus price target of $53.00.

BHP Group's Business Overview

BHP Group Limited is an international resources company with operations across various regions including Australia, Europe, China, and North America. The company primarily engages in mining activities that cover a diverse range of materials such as copper, iron ore, coal, uranium, gold, and several other minerals.

BHP, Dividend, Stock