Try telling BHP there’s a global pandemic and a worldwide economic slump. The world’s biggest listed diversified mining group is hotfoot from reporting its best first-half profit in seven years and declaring a record interim dividend that looks set to make it among the biggest payers in Europe this year.
In an upbeat set of six-month results published overnight on Monday, the blue-chip company hailed the strength of demand for iron ore from China as the world’s second-largest economy pursues its ferocious stimulus programme.
Demand across the rest of the world will begin to recover over the same period, further boosting the biggest part of its business, BHP said.
It undershot consensus forecasts on its underlying profits over the six months to the end of
