BHP Billiton is an Australian-owned group which originated in that country and Indonesia in the 1800s as the result of a merger between Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP) and Billiton, two distinctly successful mining companies. BHP originated in the inland Australian mining city of Broken Hill, specialising in the discovery, development and marketing of iron ore, copper, oil and gas, diamonds, silver, and zinc, amongst others.

Billiton originated on the Indonesian island of Billiton (Belitung), and became a forerunner in the global market for metals and minerals, cementing itself as a major producer of aluminium, chrome, steaming coal and nickel.

Both enterprises enjoyed a distinct and unique history in the region: BHP produced the Wirraway fighter plane for the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in 1939, and launched its first line of ships for the Australian navy in 1941. Royal/Dutch shell purchased Billiton in 1970, and it went on to become a mining empire that extended from Australia to South America. The company was also at the forefront of sustainable mining practices, establishing the precedent for all major mining operations globally.

In 1994 a major portion of Billiton was acquired by South African mining company Gencor, and after a prosperous joint acquisition Billiton divested from Gencor in 1997 and was first listed on the London Stock Exchange.

As the two major regional players, BHP and Billiton agreed to merge in 2001, and while the group continued a strong focus on mining in Australia, it also secured an extensive portfolio that includes Chili, the Gulf of Mexico, and Canada (where it announced the discovery of the most significant gem quality diamond at EKATI Diamond Mine in 2011).

Today the company has headquarters in London and Melbourne, and while it is listed primarily on the London and Australian stock exchanges, it has a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), providing domestic investors with the opportunity to buy shares in a global mining firm – one of the largest listed on the JSE, with a market capitalisation of over R600 billion.

BHP Billiton outlined a strong growth strategy to counter the negative financial data reflected in the live online stocks chart as a result of instability in commodity prices and the US oil sector. This strategy is set to boost market value due to the group’s established and extensive portfolio, with coal, copper, iron ore, and petroleum exploration extending across the Americas, Asia, Africa and America, as well as financial gains due to sound financial planning. The company has mining operations in 25 mineral rich countries, mining gold, titanium, ferroalloys and nickel.

The group reported gains of US$3.6 billion dollars in 2017 while it continued to explore capital investments and expanded its exploration activity. Added to this, the group examined the opportunity to buy into their major assets, further boosting value significantly. This disciplined financial strategy coupled with strong returns on bolstered productivity have meant a positive forecast for the company’s share value going forward, benefitting also from its global reach and successful marketing strategy.

Marketing has long been integral to the company’s success, particularly due to their global operations, which sees iron ore mined in Austrialia sold to Chinese steel companies, copper cathode from Chile supplied to Japanese factories, or oil from the Gulf of Mexica fuelling US transport.

BHP Billiton currently trades on the Johannesburg stock exchange under the stock symbol -BHP. Due to the recent drop in share prices, investors now have the opportunity to buy shares at a low price in time for strong growth going forward and good dividend yields. As commodity prices begin to improve, shareholders can enjoy a significant return on share prices, making BHP a sound mid- to long-term investment in 2019. The group also provides high-return growth opportunities due to its extensive portfolio and its history of successful capital management as it continues to prioritize businesses that generate the most income with high potential for future productivity gains.

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