Mining giant BHP is drawing fresh investment interest as artificial intelligence drives up demand for copper, according to the company’s Chief Financial Officer Vandita Pant.
Speaking at the Macquarie Australia Conference in Sydney on Wednesday, Pant revealed that international investors are increasingly purchasing shares in the world’s largest listed mining company and leading copper producer.
“What we have seen since half results is that there is a growing interest and what we see in our register is more international generalist investors,” Pant explained during the conference.
The mining company’s stock reached an all-time high on March 2 before declining during a broader mining sector downturn as Middle East conflicts began. However, shares have recovered some of those losses since then.
BHP recently delivered half-year profits that exceeded expectations, with copper earnings overtaking iron ore revenues for the first time in company history. This shift occurred as copper prices climbed due to AI-driven demand.
Pant described the investment strategy behind the new interest: “They like electrification like AI, but they don’t want to pick winners. They are going upstream and saying where’s the bottleneck? Copper is a bottleneck. Who do we invest in where the downside risk can be cut, but we still have exposure to this upside. And for them, BHP seems like a good choice.”
The trend reflects broader market movements, as major fund managers predict a continuing surge in mining and metals investments. Money is flowing into the sector at unprecedented rates, fueled by AI infrastructure expansion, increased defense spending, and investors moving away from high-priced technology stocks.
