Time is ripe for copper’s biggest takeover deal

Mike Henry, chief executive officer of BHP Group Ltd., at the company's global headquarters in Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. BHP said first-half profit slumped 23% as China’s faltering economy dampened demand for iron ore, prompting the miner to cut its interim dividend to an eight-year low. Photographer: Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg

IN times of plenty, you can afford to be picky. When scarcity stalks the land, you may have to lower your standards.

That’s a lesson for BHP Group Ltd as it scours the globe looking for ways to fill a looming deficit of copper, with the energy transition stoking demand for the conductive metal.