BHP boosts dividend as half-year profit jumps 25 per cent

Melbourne

GLOBAL miner BHP Billiton reported a 25 per cent rise in underlying half-year profit on Tuesday, helped by robust metals prices, and handed an extra US$800 million to shareholders as it forecast rising cash flows in the second half.

The payout echoes a similar move by rival Rio Tinto earlier this month as big miners recovering from the commodity crash two years ago look to cut debt and reward investors rather than spend.