How to buy South32 shares | A$2.16

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. Its last market close was $2.16 – an increase of 1.41% over the previous week. South32 has a trailing 12-month revenue of around $6.3 billion.

How to buy shares in South32

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Decide on how many to buy. At today's price of $2.16, weigh your budget against a diversified portfolio that can minimise risk through the market's ups and downs.
6. 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.

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 $2.16, which is 15.63% down on its pre-crash value of $2.56 and 36.28% 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 $853.76.

South32 share price

Use our graph to track the performance of S32 stocks over time.

South32 shares at a glance

• Key figures

Information last updated 2020-09-20.

Latest market close	AUDA$2.16
52-week range	AUDA$1.585 - AUDA$2.94
50-day moving average	AUDA$2.1649
200-day moving average	AUDA$2.0318
Target price	AUDA$2.76
PE ratio	22.8908
Dividend yield	AUDA$0.03 (1.41%)
Earnings per share (TTM)	AUDA$0.076

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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.

Technical Analysis of South32 Limited by TradingView

South32 price performance over time

Historical closes compared with the last close of A$2.16

1 week (2020-09-11)	1.41%
1 month (2020-08-20)	0.93%
3 months (2020-06-19)	8.27%
6 months (2020-03-20)	22.03%

1 year (2019-09-20)	-22.02%
2 years (2018-09-20)	-43.90%
3 years (2017-09-20)	-31.21%
5 years (2015-09-18)	40.26%

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 0.5165. 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 (£0.0 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	$10.8 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: 37.34

Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and South32's overall score of 37.34 (as at 07/31/2020) is pretty weak – landing it in it in the 71st 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: 11.41/100

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: 2020-08-01.

Total ESG score	37.34
Total ESG percentile	71.18
Environmental score	20.57
Environmental score percentile	7
Social score	14.85
Social score percentile	7
Governance score	11.41
Governance score percentile	7
Level of controversy	2

South32 share dividends

We're not expecting South32 to pay a dividend over the next 12 months.

South32 share price volatility

Over the last 12 months, South32's shares have ranged in value from as little as $1.585 up to $2.94. 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 1.2331. 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

• What percentage of South32 is owned by insiders or institutions?

  Currently 1.015% of South32 shares are held by insiders and 44.037% by institutions.

• When does the fiscal year end for South32?

  South32's fiscal year ends in June.

• Where is South32 based?

  South32's address is: 108 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA, Australia, 6000

• What is South32's ISIN number?

  South32's international securities identification number is: AU000000S320