A surge in iron-ore prices is fueling hopes for bigger returns and a share-buyback spree as the world’s top miners prepare to report results.
BHP, Rio Tinto, Glencore and Anglo American are expected to announce bumper profits over the next two weeks. So far, the biggest producers have remained stubbornly focused on shareholder returns, rather than spending on the types of acquisitions and big-ticket projects that burned investors during the last commodity boom.