Its shift from coal benefits investors

Article Excerpt

BHP GROUP LTD. (ADR) $69 is a buy. This company (New York symbol BHP; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; ADRs outstanding: 2.5 billion; Market cap: $172.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.1; Dividend yield: 3.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.bhp.com) is a leading producer of iron ore (which supplies 50% of its earnings) as well as oil and gas, copper, nickel and coal. BHP will now write down the value of its thermal coal mine in southern Australia by between $1.15 billion and $1.25 billion. That reflects the shift of Australian power plant operators away from coal to other fuels. However, in the past few years, the company has steadily reduced its reliance on thermal coal—it now supplies just 3% of BHP’s revenue. Meantime, the company should benefit from the re-opening of its Samarco iron ore joint venture in Brazil. In 2015, a dam next to the mine burst flooding the site and nearby communities. The mine is now operating at 26% capacity and should return to full…