BHP(BHP) - 2025 H2 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - BHP achieved an underlying EBITDA margin of 53%, maintaining an average margin exceeding 50% over the past twenty years [8] - The company incurred almost $10 billion in taxes and royalties against an underlying attributable profit of $10.2 billion, resulting in a final dividend of $0.60 per share, with a payout ratio of 60% [9] - There was a 10% decline in EBITDA attributed solely to commodity prices, with unit costs improving nearly 5% year on year despite inflation [10][11] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Record production in copper exceeded 2 million tons, with a 28% volume growth over the past three years, contributing to a record EBITDA of $12 billion, representing 45% of the group total [4][13] - Western Australia Iron Ore demonstrated an EBITDA margin of 63%, with C1 costs at $17.29 per tonne, maintaining its position as the lowest cost major iron ore producer globally [11][12] - BMA saw a 5% increase in volumes despite weather-related disruptions, while Copper South Australia produced over 300,000 tons of copper in each of the last two years [12][36] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - China and India showed resilient economic and commodity demand growth, with China exceeding economic growth expectations and India projected to remain the fastest growing major economy [20][21] - The global focus on critical mineral supply and supply chain security is increasing, reflecting the mining sector's role in national security and energy transition [22] Company Strategy and Development Direction - BHP's strategy focuses on being in highly attractive commodities with resilient demand and steep cost curves, optimizing for risk, value, and growth [2][3] - The company plans to reduce capital spend by $1 billion per year over the medium term and has revised its net debt target range to $10 billion to $20 billion [3][19] - BHP is committed to maintaining a strong balance sheet and paying a minimum dividend of 50% of underlying attributable profit each reporting period [15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - The management highlighted that while global policy uncertainty persists, demand for commodities remains resilient, particularly from China and India [20][21] - The company expects to achieve average production growth of 2.2% per annum over the next decade, driven by investments in attractive commodities and world-class assets [40][41] Other Important Information - BHP contributed nearly $47 billion globally through wages, taxes, royalties, and community contributions, achieving gender balance in its workforce with female representation at 41.3% [5] - The company has made significant safety improvements, achieving a 63% reduction in high potential injury frequency over the past five years [6] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the expectations for copper production growth? - The company aspires to double copper production and expects to take a final investment decision on phase one of the smelter and refinery expansion in the 2028 financial year [36] Question: How is BHP addressing the challenges in project execution? - BHP acknowledged higher inflation and cost escalation in project execution and is applying learnings to improve planning and execution across projects [31] Question: What is the outlook for iron ore production? - The company maintains plans to grow iron ore production to 305 million tonnes per year by the end of the financial year 2028, with expectations to further improve unit costs [33]