AU vs. BHP: AngloGold Ashanti vs. BHP Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP) both belong to the Metals & Mining industry, though AU is classified under Gold while BHP falls under Diversified Metals & Mining.

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) trades as ordinary local shares, while BHP (BHP) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP)
Profile Item	AU	BHP
Name	AngloGold Ashanti plc	BHP Group Ltd. Sponsored ADR
Country/Region	United States	Australia
GICS Sector	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry Group	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry	Metals & Mining	Metals & Mining
GICS Sub-Industry	Gold	Diversified Metals & Mining
Market Capitalization	47.04 billion USD	203.04 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	August 5, 1998	March 17, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	ADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

BHP

GSPC

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP)
Metric	AU	BHP
Total Return (1Y)	47.97%	55.75%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	87.34%	17.27%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	42.76%	18.05%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

BHP

GSPC

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP)
Metric	AU	BHP
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	60.11%	34.60%
Beta (5Y)	0.67	0.77
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-51.75%	-37.21%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.54M	2.84M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

AU and BHP are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP)
Metric	AU	BHP
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.73	1.49
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	1.07	2.22

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 44.33% and BHP (BHP) at 24.00% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.

AU

Materials industry group

44.33%

Max: 52.88%
AU: 44.33%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 8.76%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

BHP

Materials industry group

24.00%

Max: 52.88%
BHP: 24.00%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 8.76%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP): A comparison of their ROE against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 32.64% and BHP (BHP) at 16.73% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

AU

Materials industry group

32.64%

Max: 38.66%
AU: 32.64%
Q3: 15.98%
Median: 5.28%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

BHP

Materials industry group

16.73%

Max: 38.66%
BHP: 16.73%
Q3: 15.98%
Median: 5.28%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP): A comparison of their net margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 45.36% and BHP (BHP) at 43.34% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

AU

Materials industry group

45.36%

Max: 66.70%
AU: 45.36%
Q3: 28.92%
Median: 12.56%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

BHP

Materials industry group

43.34%

Max: 66.70%
BHP: 43.34%
Q3: 28.92%
Median: 12.56%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP): A comparison of their operating margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP)
Metric	AU	BHP
ROE (TTM)	44.33%	24.00%
ROA (TTM)	24.39%	13.43%
Net Margin (TTM)	32.64%	16.73%
Operating Margin (TTM)	45.36%	43.34%
Gross Margin (TTM)	54.84%	85.92%

Growth

Revenue Growth

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 70.78% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while BHP (BHP) at 14.63% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for AU.

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 122.32% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while BHP (BHP) at 8.91% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for AU.

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP)
Metric	AU	BHP
Revenue Growth (YoY)	70.78%	14.63%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	30.02%	2.97%
EPS Growth (YoY)	122.32%	8.91%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	93.95%	-8.80%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 2.55 and BHP (BHP) at 1.89 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

AU

Materials industry group

2.55

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
AU: 2.55
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.45
Min: 0.16

BHP

Materials industry group

1.89

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
Median: 2.24
BHP: 1.89
Q1: 1.45
Min: 0.16

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP): A comparison of their current ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 0.16 and BHP (BHP) at 0.50 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

AU

Materials industry group

0.16

Max: 1.98
Q3: 0.89
Median: 0.47
AU: 0.16
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

BHP

Materials industry group

0.50

Max: 1.98
Q3: 0.89
BHP: 0.50
Median: 0.47
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP)
Metric	AU	BHP
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.55	1.89
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.16	0.50
Net Debt / EBITDA	-0.17	0.33

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

BHP (BHP) at 2.19% earns its spot in the top quartile of its industry’s yields; AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 4.88% is past the top of its own peer range — territory where a dividend-safety check matters more than the headline number.

AU

Materials industry group

4.88%

AU: 4.88%
Max: 4.52%
Q3: 1.85%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BHP

Materials industry group

2.19%

Max: 4.52%
BHP: 2.19%
Q3: 1.85%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 58.78% and BHP (BHP) at 68.84% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

AU

Materials industry group

58.78%

Max: 83.62%
AU: 58.78%
Q3: 41.37%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BHP

Materials industry group

68.84%

Max: 83.62%
BHP: 68.84%
Q3: 41.37%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP)
Metric	AU	BHP
Dividend Yield (TTM)	4.88%	2.19%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	58.78%	68.84%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 12.09 and BHP (BHP) at 20.70 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

AU

Materials industry group

12.09

Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
Median: 18.82
AU: 12.09
Q1: 11.96
Min: 3.93

BHP

Materials industry group

20.70

Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
BHP: 20.70
Median: 18.82
Q1: 11.96
Min: 3.93

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 3.91 and BHP (BHP) at 3.46 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

AU

Materials industry group

3.91

Max: 9.62
Q3: 4.34
AU: 3.91
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.00

BHP

Materials industry group

3.46

Max: 9.62
Q3: 4.34
BHP: 3.46
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.00

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 5.01 and BHP (BHP) at 3.98 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.

AU

Materials industry group

5.01

Max: 6.59
AU: 5.01
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

BHP

Materials industry group

3.98

Max: 6.59
BHP: 3.98
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. BHP (BHP): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and BHP (BHP)
Metric	AU	BHP
P/E Ratio (TTM)	12.09	20.70
P/S Ratio (TTM)	3.91	3.46
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	5.01	3.98
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	7.61%	4.72%