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How to buy South32 shares
Own South32 shares in just a few minutes.
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South32 Limited is an other industrial metals & mining business based in Australia. South32 shares (S32) are listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and all prices are listed in Australian Dollars. South32 has a trailing 12-month revenue of around $6.3 billion.
How to buy shares in South32
- Compare share trading platforms. To buy shares listed in Australia, you'll need to sign up to a broker with access to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). Our table below can help you choose.
- Open and fund your brokerage account. Complete an application with your personal and financial details, like your ID and tax file number. Fund your account with a bank transfer, PayPal or debit card.
- Search for South32. Find the share by name or ticker symbol: S32. Research its history to confirm it's a solid investment against your financial goals.
- Purchase now or later. Buy today with a market order or use a limit order to delay your purchase until South32 reaches your desired price. To spread out your risk, look into dollar-cost averaging, which smooths out buying at consistent intervals and amounts.
- Decide on how many to buy. At today's price of $2.22, weigh your budget against a diversified portfolio that can minimise risk through the market's ups and downs.
- Check in on your investment. Congratulations, you own a part of South32. Optimise your portfolio by tracking how your stock — and even the business — performs with an eye on the long term. You may be eligible for dividends and shareholder voting rights on directors and management that can affect your stock.
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How has coronavirus impacted South32's share price?
Since the stock market crash in March caused by coronavirus, South32's share price has had significant negative movement.
Its last market close was $2.22, which is 13.28% down on its pre-crash value of $2.56 and 40.06% up on the lowest point reached during the March crash when the shares fell as low as $1.585.
If you had bought $1,000 worth of South32 shares at the start of February 2020, those shares would have been worth $658.11 at the bottom of the March crash, and if you held on to them, then as of the last market close they'd be worth $877.48.
South32 share price
Use our graph to track the performance of S32 stocks over time.South32 shares at a glance
Information last updated 2021-01-14.
| 52-week range | $1.5748 - $2.89 |
|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | $2.5415 |
| 200-day moving average | $2.2525 |
| Target price | $2.76 |
| PE ratio | 22.8908 |
| Dividend yield | $0.03 (1.12%) |
| Earnings per share (TTM) | $0.076 |
Share Trading Account Offer
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AUD 8
Standard brokerage - Australian shares
Share Trading Account Offer
Competitive broker fees on Australian and international shares
- Brokerage - AU shares: From AUD 5 or 0.05%
- Brokerage - US shares: USD 0
- Sign-up process: Instant
- Support - After hours: Yes
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Important: Share trading carries risk of capital loss.
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The value of your investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no indication of future results.
Is it a good time to buy South32 stock?
The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. This is not a recommendation, however. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.
South32 price performance over time
Historical closes compared with the close of A$2.22 on 2020-10-22
| 1 week (2021-01-08) | -13.62% |
|---|---|
| 1 month (2020-12-16) | -14.62% |
| 3 months (2020-10-16) | 5.21% |
| 6 months (2020-07-16) | 4.23% |
| 1 year (2020-01-15) | -22.11% |
|---|---|
| 2 years (2019-01-15) | -34.71% |
| 3 years (2018-01-15) | -44.08% |
| 5 years (2016-01-15) | 141.30% |
Is South32 under- or over-valued?
Valuing South32 stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of South32's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.
South32's P/E ratio
South32's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 23x. In other words, South32 shares trade at around 23x recent earnings.
That's relatively low compared to, say, the P/E ratio for the ASX over the 12 months to December 2019 (32.14). The low P/E ratio could mean that investors are pessimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're under-valued.
South32's PEG ratio
South32's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 0.6294. A low ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer better value, while a higher ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value.
The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into South32's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.
South32's EBITDA
South32's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is $752 million (£428 million).
The EBITDA is a measure of a South32's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure a its profitability.
South32 financials
| Revenue TTM | $6.3 billion |
|---|---|
| Operating margin TTM | 1.29% |
| Gross profit TTM | $3.3 billion |
| Return on assets TTM | 0.36% |
| Return on equity TTM | -0.66% |
| Profit margin | -1.04% |
| Book value | 1.982 |
| Market capitalisation | $13 billion |
TTM: trailing 12 months
South32's environmental, social and governance track record
Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like South32.
When it comes to ESG scores, lower is better, and lower scores are generally associated with lower risk for would-be investors.
South32's total ESG risk score
Total ESG risk: 35.38
Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and South32's overall score of 35.38 (as at 01/01/2019) is pretty weak – landing it in it in the 70th percentile of companies rated in the same sector.
ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like South32 is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).
South32's environmental score
Environmental score: 20.57/100
South32's environmental score of 20.57 puts it squarely in the 7th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that South32 is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
South32's social score
Social score: 14.85/100
South32's social score of 14.85 puts it squarely in the 7th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that South32 is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.
South32's governance score
Governance score: 8.96/100
South32's governance score puts it squarely in the 7th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that South32 is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
South32's controversy score
Controversy score: 2/5
ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. South32 scored a 2 out of 5 for controversy – the second-highest score possible, reflecting that South32 has, for the most part, managed to keep its nose clean.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) summary
South32 Limited was last rated for ESG on: 2019-01-01.
| Total ESG score | 35.38 |
|---|---|
| Total ESG percentile | 69.78 |
| Environmental score | 20.57 |
| Environmental score percentile | 7 |
| Social score | 14.85 |
| Social score percentile | 7 |
| Governance score | 8.96 |
| Governance score percentile | 7 |
| Level of controversy | 2 |
South32 share dividends
Dividend payout ratio: 38.04% of net profits
Recently South32 has paid out, on average, around 38.04% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 1.12% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), South32 shareholders could enjoy a 1.12% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In South32's case, that would currently equate to about A$0.03 per share.
While South32's payout ratio might seem fairly standard, it's worth remembering that South32 may be investing much of the rest of its net profits in future growth.
The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 10 September 2020 (the "ex-dividend date").
South32 share price volatility
Over the last 12 months, South32's shares have ranged in value from as little as $1.5748 up to $2.89. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".
Beta is a measure of a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (AU average) beta is 1, while South32's is 1.1369. This would suggest that South32's shares are a little bit more volatile than the average for this exchange and represent, relatively-speaking, a slightly higher risk (but potentially also market-beating returns).
South32 overview
South32 Limited operates as a diversified metals and mining company primarily in Australia, Southern Africa, North America, and South America. The company has a portfolio of assets producing alumina, aluminum, bauxite, energy and metallurgical coal, manganese ore and alloy, ferronickel, silver, lead, and zinc. It also exports its products. South32 Limited has a strategic alliance agreement with AusQuest Limited to target gold-copper project. The company was formerly known as BHP Coal Holdings Pty Limited and changed its name to South32 Limited in March 2015. South32 Limited was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Perth, Australia.
Frequently asked questions
Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, CFDs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for all investors. Trading CFDs comes with a higher risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before making any trades.
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