BHP Group Limited (NYSE:BHP) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

BHP Group Limited (NYSE:BHP) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the six analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $68.00.

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of BHP Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of BHP Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Argus upgraded shares of BHP Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of BHP Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $72.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Friday, October 4th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BHP Group

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Asset Dedication LLC lifted its holdings in shares of BHP Group by 7,516.7% in the 2nd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 457 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 451 shares during the last quarter. Eastern Bank bought a new stake in BHP Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in BHP Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in BHP Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in BHP Group by 124.6% during the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 530 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 3.79% of the company’s stock.

BHP Group Stock Performance

BHP stock opened at $52.47 on Thursday. BHP Group has a 52 week low of $50.90 and a 52 week high of $69.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $56.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $56.50.

BHP Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a Semi-Annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th were issued a $1.465 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 5.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 13th. This is a positive change from BHP Group’s previous Semi-Annual dividend of $1.44.

BHP Group Company Profile

BHP Group Limited operates as a resources company in Australia, Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, the rest of Asia, North America, South America, and internationally. The company operates through Copper, Iron Ore, and Coal segments. It engages in the mining of copper, uranium, gold, zinc, lead, molybdenum, silver, iron ore, cobalt, and metallurgical and energy coal.