A new report from Betashares has revealed that copper now represents a larger share of the earnings generated by Australia’s listed mining companies than iron ore. 

According to the report, based on the FY26 earnings of 42 mining/materials companies in the S&P/ASX 200 Resources Index (ASX: XJR): 

• 34.4% of earnings came from copper
• 33.4% came from iron ore

Why is this significant?

Australia’s mining industry is entering a new phase. 

Iron ore has long been the dominant source of earnings for Australia’s major miners, but in FY26, copper edged ahead for the first time across the listed mining sector. 

The shift reflects both stronger copper prices and the growing importance of copper to Australia’s largest miners, as demand rises from electrification, power infrastructure, and AI-related investment.

Importantly for investors, this doesn’t mean Australia is producing more copper than iron ore, or that copper is a bigger commodity by tonnes, exports, or total sales. 

It’s specifically about earnings/profit contribution.

Why is this happening?

Copper has benefited from demand associated with AI infrastructure, electricity grids, data centres, and the clean-energy transition. 

BetaShares said the strength in AI and clean-energy investment has been supporting copper prices, while weaker Chinese demand has limited iron-ore prices.

Copper is one of the most important materials in building global AI infrastructure and for the green energy transition. Data centres, power distribution, wiring. All of it uses copper at extraordinary scale. So, while Australian investors cannot buy the AI companies directly through a local index, Australia’s mining sector is now one of the ways to benefit from these buildouts.

How to target copper shares

This structural shift is apparent in Australia’s biggest mining companies. 

Blue-chip stocks like BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) are gradually shifting their growth strategies towards copper, rather than relying as heavily on iron ore for future growth.

In FY26, copper generated more than half of BHP’s underlying EBITDA for the first time, despite the company continuing to produce record amounts of iron ore.

This makes BHP a viable option for investors looking for copper exposure. 

Other copper shares worth considering for direct exposure include: 

• Sandfire Resources Ltd (ASX: SFR) – global mineral exploration and development company, largely focused on copper
• Capstone Copper Corp (ASX: CSC) – operates as a copper producer with a diversified portfolio of operating assets focused in the Americas
• Kaoko Metals Ltd (ASX: KAO) – exploration and development company, which acquires and explores mineral projects, primarily copper and gold in Namibia

Foolish takeaway 

Copper has overtaken iron ore as the largest contributor to earnings across Australia’s listed mining sector, reflecting stronger copper prices and rising demand from AI, electrification, and energy infrastructure. 

As major miners such as BHP increasingly focus their growth strategies on copper, investors have several ways to gain exposure, from diversified blue-chip miners to more copper-focused companies. 

The post Copper has overtaken iron ore – Here are the top copper shares to target appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• Woodside Energy vs Fortescue: Which ASX mining share is best for passive income?
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Motley Fool contributor Aaron Bell has positions in BHP Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Five years ago, BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) shares were catching plenty of attention from ASX passive income investors.

That’s because the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining giant kicked off 2022 by paying an all-time high fully franked interim dividend.

And BHP’s final 2022 dividend was second only to the record high 2021 final payout, spurred by soaring iron ore prices at the time.

While the next three years saw the BHP dividend decline each year, the miner’s FY 2026 dividend payouts reversed that trend, climbing 41.6% from 2025.

So, if you’d invested $10,000 in BHP shares in five years ago, just how much passive income would you already have received?

Investing $10,000 in BHP shares for passive income

Five years ago, on 17 September 2021 you could have picked up BHP stock for $34.87 per share.

So, for $10,000 you could have bought 286 BHP shares with enough change left over for a pizza.

On Thursday, the ASX mining giant was trading for $60.37 a share. Meaning those 286 shares are now worth $17,266.

Those are some tidy capital gains.

As for that passive income, if you’d owned the stock since September 2021, you would have received the last 10 BHP dividend payouts totalling $13.583 per share.

And those 286 BHP shares you bought for $10,000 would already have returned $3,885 in passive income.

Why is the BHP dividend back on the rise?

The 41.6% increase in the FY 2026 BHP dividend payouts was supported by a stronger than expected iron ore price and a surging copper price.

On the copper front, while production slipped 3% year on year to 1.953 million tonnes, the miner’s average realised price of US$5.74 per pound was up 35% from FY 2025.

This led to a 48% year on year increase in underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) from its copper division to US$18.2 billion. And it marked the first year where copper beat out iron ore on the earnings front, with the red metal contributing 54% contribution of BJP’s total underlying EBITDA of US$32.9.

And copper should continue to be a strong earner for the Aussie mining giant over the long-haul.

According to BHP:

Copper fundamentals remain attractive. Demand is expected to grow from ~34 Mtpa today to >50 Mtpa by CY50, driven by traditional economic growth (home building, electrical equipment and household appliances), energy transition (renewables and electric vehicles) and digital (artificial intelligence and data centres).

On the bottom line, the big uptick in the passive income from BHP shares in FY 2026 came amid the miner’s 30% increase in underlying profit, which climbed to US$13.2 billion.

The post Bought $10,000 worth of BHP shares 5 years ago? Guess how much passive income you’ve already earned appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Copper has overtaken iron ore – Here are the top copper shares to target
• Are BHP, CBA, and CSL shares top buys?
• South32 vs Rio Tinto: 2 popular ASX mining shares compared
• Woodside Energy vs Fortescue: Which ASX mining share is best for passive income?
• 5 ASX shares I’d recommend to beginners

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended BHP Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) contains plenty of shares I would be comfortable owning for years.

For a 10-year investment, I would look for companies with strong positions today and plenty of room to keep growing.

With that said, these three ASX 200 shares would be high on my list.

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)

Xero is already a major player in cloud accounting, but I still think the business has a long way to run.

Its software helps small businesses manage areas such as invoicing, payroll, payments, reporting, and everyday financial administration.

Once a business has moved its accounts onto Xero and connected its accountant and other applications, the software can become deeply embedded in how it operates.

That can make its platform very sticky and help Xero retain customers while also giving it opportunities to offer them more services over time.

I particularly like the size of the market still available. Xero had around 4.9 million customers in FY26, compared with a global addressable market of roughly 100 million small businesses.

Payments, payroll, artificial intelligence (AI), and its expansion into areas such as accounts payable could all help Xero become a larger part of how those businesses manage their finances.

Over the next decade, I think both customer growth and deeper use of the platform could drive the company much higher.

ResMed Inc. (ASX: RMD)

ResMed would give me exposure to a completely different long-term opportunity.

The healthcare company develops devices, masks, and software for sleep apnoea and respiratory care.

ResMed has been growing for decades but is still only scratching the surface of its overall opportunity. More than one billion people globally are estimated to have sleep apnoea, while diagnosis and treatment rates remain relatively low. That leaves ResMed with a huge population still to reach.

Over a decade, I think the combination of an underserved healthcare need, recurring sales, and continued product development gives ResMed plenty of room to expand.

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

Goodman would be my third ASX 200 share pick.

The property group owns and develops industrial assets in major cities around the world, including warehouses, logistics facilities, and increasingly data centres.

I like the locations Goodman has accumulated. Large sites with access to power, transport links, and major population centres can become increasingly difficult to secure as cities grow.

That puts Goodman in a strong position as demand increases for logistics facilities and digital infrastructure.

Data centres could become particularly important as cloud computing and artificial intelligence require more computing capacity and electricity.

Projects of this scale take time and capital to develop, but Goodman already has the land, relationships, and development expertise needed to participate.

Foolish takeaway

10 years gives these businesses plenty of time to build on the positions they already have.

Xero can reach more small businesses, ResMed can treat more patients, and Goodman can continue developing scarce infrastructure in major global markets.

I think those opportunities make all three ASX 200 shares worth considering for a long-term portfolio.

The post 3 ASX 200 shares I’d buy and hold for a decade appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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• How much passive income could I make by investing $500 a month in ASX shares?
• 7 ASX 200 shares with reaffirmed buy ratings this week
• Forget Xero shares! Broker tips this top ASX tech stock for 24% gains
• 5 ASX shares I’d recommend to beginners
• CSL, Resmed, and more. See which ASX health stocks RBC Capital Markets has upgraded

Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goodman Group, ResMed, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended ResMed and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Goodman Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.