BHP Group reported annual underlying profit of $13.2 billion for the year ended June 30, up 30% and ahead of the $12.66 billion Visible Alpha consensus, as record copper prices made the metal the miner's largest earnings driver for the first time. Revenue rose 15% to $58.8 billion, underlying EBITDA increased 27% to $32.9 billion, copper generated a record $18.19 billion of underlying EBITDA or 54% of the group total with a 70% margin, and BHP declared a final dividend of 99 cents a share, taking the fully franked full-year payout to $1.72 and total announced shareholder cash returns to $8.7 billion. Net debt fell to $8.69 billion from $12.92 billion, BHP said its pipeline across Chile, Australia and Argentina could lift attributable copper output by about 40% by fiscal 2035, while Jansen potash Stage 1 reached 84% completion with first production targeted for mid-2027 even as a $2.3 billion impairment, Samarco cash obligations and Port Hedland labor tensions weighed on the outlook.