copper in shanghai declines after china raises exp, page-17

re: struggling Buy-backs amount to the same thing as dividends.
And BHP have returned mountains of cash to shareholders in recent times, with more to come.
I suppose, BHP could have paid a special dividend in lieu of the buybacks, but in a lot of ways it is better for BHP to stick to the formula of paying sustainable growing dividends, over the long-term, in good times and bad.
And they dont come more reliable than BHP.
This last final dividend was the 353rd consecutive dividend paid by BHP.
They have never missed paying a dividend.
Not even during the depression.
This is your fair dinkum long-term investment.