Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 14-Mar-18

BHP Billiton has reduced its net debt by US10.5bn ($A13.3bn) since Standard & Poor’s downgraded its credit rating from "A+" to "A" in 2016. Although S&P has since upgraded BHP’s outlook from "negative" to "stable", analyst Elad Jelasko says a decline in BHP’s portfolio diversification has contributed to the lack of a credit rating upgrade. He notes that the downturn in earnings from BHP’s petroleum division has helped to offset the positive impact of the reduction in net debt. Jelasko adds that the proposed sale of BHP’s US shale assets is unlikely to affect its credit rating.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, STANDARD AND POOR’S FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, SAMARCO MINERACAO SA