AU vs. BHP: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AU and BHP, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
BHP’s market capitalization of 64.09 billion USD is significantly greater than AU’s 23.52 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
With betas of 0.49 for AU and 0.73 for BHP, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
BHP is an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), allowing U.S. investors direct exposure to its non-U.S. operations. AU, on the other hand, is a domestic entity.
| Symbol | AU | BHP |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AngloGold Ashanti Plc | BHP Group Limited |
| Country | GB | AU |
| Sector | Basic Materials | Basic Materials |
| Industry | Gold | Industrial Materials |
| CEO | Alberto Calderon Zuleta BA Econ, Econ, Law, M Phil Econ, | Mike P. Henry BSc |
| Price | 46.71 USD | 50.52 USD |
| Market Cap | 23.52 billion USD | 64.09 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.49 | 0.73 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | August 5, 1998 | March 17, 1980 |
| ADR | No | Yes |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AU and BHP by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
AU
25.86%
Gold Industry
- Max
- 25.86%
- Q3
- 12.48%
- Median
- 8.15%
- Q1
- 2.34%
- Min
- -3.82%
In the upper quartile for the Gold industry, AU’s Return on Equity of 25.86% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
BHP
25.21%
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 65.76%
- Q3
- 10.57%
- Median
- -1.72%
- Q1
- -27.14%
- Min
- -46.81%
In the upper quartile for the Industrial Materials industry, BHP’s Return on Equity of 25.21% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Return on Invested Capital
AU
12.23%
Gold Industry
- Max
- 20.84%
- Q3
- 9.90%
- Median
- 5.11%
- Q1
- 1.36%
- Min
- -10.62%
In the upper quartile for the Gold industry, AU’s Return on Invested Capital of 12.23% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
BHP
15.63%
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 15.63%
- Q3
- 0.20%
- Median
- -4.84%
- Q1
- -14.55%
- Min
- -25.65%
In the upper quartile for the Industrial Materials industry, BHP’s Return on Invested Capital of 15.63% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
Net Profit Margin
AU
17.91%
Gold Industry
- Max
- 26.48%
- Q3
- 21.01%
- Median
- 16.48%
- Q1
- 8.22%
- Min
- -6.63%
AU’s Net Profit Margin of 17.91% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Gold industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
BHP
21.18%
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 21.18%
- Q3
- 9.37%
- Median
- -6.02%
- Q1
- -57.39%
- Min
- -67.38%
A Net Profit Margin of 21.18% places BHP in the upper quartile for the Industrial Materials industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
AU
29.67%
Gold Industry
- Max
- 67.43%
- Q3
- 40.39%
- Median
- 30.64%
- Q1
- 19.83%
- Min
- -9.84%
AU’s Operating Profit Margin of 29.67% is around the midpoint for the Gold industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
BHP
40.67%
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 40.67%
- Q3
- 20.05%
- Median
- -2.46%
- Q1
- -56.36%
- Min
- -86.58%
An Operating Profit Margin of 40.67% places BHP in the upper quartile for the Industrial Materials industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AU | BHP |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 25.86% | 25.21% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 10.37% | 11.30% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 12.23% | 15.63% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.91% | 21.18% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 29.67% | 40.67% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 35.78% | 58.32% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AU
2.34
Gold Industry
- Max
- 4.98
- Q3
- 3.76
- Median
- 2.34
- Q1
- 1.51
- Min
- 0.52
AU’s Current Ratio of 2.34 aligns with the median group of the Gold industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
BHP
1.70
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 6.52
- Q3
- 3.10
- Median
- 1.63
- Q1
- 0.70
- Min
- 0.01
BHP’s Current Ratio of 1.70 aligns with the median group of the Industrial Materials industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
AU
0.33
Gold Industry
- Max
- 0.67
- Q3
- 0.34
- Median
- 0.17
- Q1
- 0.06
- Min
- 0.00
AU’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.33 is typical for the Gold industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
BHP
0.48
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 0.60
- Q3
- 0.48
- Median
- 0.25
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
BHP’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.48 is typical for the Industrial Materials industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio
AU
14.20
Gold Industry
- Max
- 45.23
- Q3
- 25.79
- Median
- 13.44
- Q1
- 2.91
- Min
- -6.26
AU’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 14.20 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Gold industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
BHP
--
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 6.50
- Q3
- 1.51
- Median
- -2.20
- Q1
- -13.60
- Min
- -32.99
Interest Coverage Ratio data for BHP is currently unavailable.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AU | BHP |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 2.34 | 1.70 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.57 | 1.25 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.33 | 0.48 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.17 | 0.22 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.25 | 0.48 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 14.20 | -- |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AU and BHP. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AU
0.27%
Gold Industry
- Max
- 3.65%
- Q3
- 1.37%
- Median
- 0.47%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AU’s Dividend Yield of 0.27% is consistent with its peers in the Gold industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
BHP
4.91%
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 8.97%
- Q3
- 1.63%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 4.91%, BHP offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Industrial Materials industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio
AU
45.43%
Gold Industry
- Max
- 110.70%
- Q3
- 42.09%
- Median
- 15.45%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AU’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 45.43% is in the upper quartile for the Gold industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
BHP
65.83%
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 194.54%
- Q3
- 62.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
BHP’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 65.83% is in the upper quartile for the Industrial Materials industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AU | BHP |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.27% | 4.91% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 45.43% | 65.83% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AU
16.93
Gold Industry
- Max
- 64.00
- Q3
- 46.06
- Median
- 29.03
- Q1
- 16.74
- Min
- 1.00
AU’s P/E Ratio of 16.93 is within the middle range for the Gold industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
BHP
11.33
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 164.90
- Q3
- 74.63
- Median
- 12.91
- Q1
- 8.46
- Min
- 2.25
BHP’s P/E Ratio of 11.33 is within the middle range for the Industrial Materials industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
AU
-0.86
Gold Industry
- Max
- 14.01
- Q3
- 6.52
- Median
- 3.33
- Q1
- 0.82
- Min
- 0.05
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Gold industry.
BHP
7.36
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 5.44
- Q3
- 5.44
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.46
- Min
- 0.31
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Industrial Materials industry.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
AU
3.03
Gold Industry
- Max
- 15.12
- Q3
- 7.63
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 2.30
- Min
- 0.79
AU’s P/S Ratio of 3.03 aligns with the market consensus for the Gold industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
BHP
2.40
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 34.66
- Q3
- 19.76
- Median
- 2.28
- Q1
- 1.04
- Min
- 0.23
BHP’s P/S Ratio of 2.40 aligns with the market consensus for the Industrial Materials industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
AU
3.47
Gold Industry
- Max
- 6.10
- Q3
- 3.60
- Median
- 2.02
- Q1
- 1.35
- Min
- 0.26
AU’s P/B Ratio of 3.47 is within the conventional range for the Gold industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
BHP
2.83
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 11.64
- Q3
- 5.46
- Median
- 1.94
- Q1
- 1.04
- Min
- 0.01
BHP’s P/B Ratio of 2.83 is within the conventional range for the Industrial Materials industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AU | BHP |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 16.93 | 11.33 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | -0.86 | 7.36 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.03 | 2.40 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 3.47 | 2.83 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 18.13 | 12.43 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 7.94 | 5.51 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.13 | 2.62 |