BHP Group Limited Sponsored ADR $BHP Shares Acquired by Willis Investment Counsel

Willis Investment Counsel increased its stake in shares of BHP Group Limited Sponsored ADR (NYSE:BHP) by 10.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 504,207 shares of the mining company’s stock after purchasing an additional 47,591 shares during the quarter. BHP Group accounts for 1.5% of Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings in BHP Group were worth $28,110,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of BHP. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of BHP Group by 1.9% during the second quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 22,842,252 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $1,098,484,000 after buying an additional 429,330 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in BHP Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $20,262,000. Townsend & Associates Inc increased its position in shares of BHP Group by 66.6% in the 2nd quarter. Townsend & Associates Inc now owns 600,575 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $31,921,000 after purchasing an additional 240,075 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of BHP Group by 119.3% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 424,361 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $20,408,000 after purchasing an additional 230,848 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of BHP Group by 48.2% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 383,043 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $18,421,000 after purchasing an additional 124,625 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.79% of the company’s stock.

BHP Group Price Performance

Shares of BHP Group stock opened at $69.32 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $62.91 and a two-hundred day moving average of $57.48. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. BHP Group Limited Sponsored ADR has a 12-month low of $39.73 and a 12-month high of $74.98.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on BHP. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of BHP Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Argus upgraded BHP Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $68.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded BHP Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $56.00.

BHP Group Profile

BHP Group is an Anglo-Australian natural resources company engaged principally in the exploration, development, production and marketing of commodities. Its core businesses include the extraction and processing of iron ore, copper, metallurgical and thermal coal, nickel and other minerals. BHP operates large-scale mining and processing assets and supplies raw materials used across steelmaking, energy and industrial supply chains.

The company has a global operating footprint with significant assets and projects in Australia and the Americas, and commercial activities that serve customers worldwide.