BHP vs MOS: How BHP Group and The Mosaic Company Compare (2026)

Last updated July 2026

Short answer

BHP is the larger of the two ($210.34B market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (16.99x forward earnings, beta 0.83). MOS is the smaller challenger ($7.11B), cheaper on forward earnings (12.16x): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.

BHP vs MOS: the tie-breaker metrics

Same yardstick, side by side (as of July 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

MetricBHPMOSWhat it tells you
Market cap$210.34B$7.11BSize. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove.
Forward P/E16.9912.16Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up.
Trailing P/E20.60159.68Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price.
Beta0.830.82Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through.
Price vs 52-week range75% of range15% of rangeWhere today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why.
Price / book4.170.60How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price.

Reading it: MOS is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

Before you buy: how BHP and MOS affect your concentration

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. BHP and MOS share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined BHP and MOS exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

What does BHP Group (BHP) do?

BHP Group is a global diversified resources company headquartered in Australia and dual-listed, with a US ADR trading on the NYSE under BHP. Its core businesses are Western Australia iron ore (the largest earnings contributor historically and among the lowest-cost in the world), copper (mines including Escondida in Chile plus operations in Australia and the Americas), metallurgical coal, and a growing potash business anchored by the Jansen project in Canada. BHP reports on an Australian fiscal year ending June 30 and reports in US dollars; in FY2025 revenue was around $51 billion with underlying EBITDA near $26 billion at roughly a 53% margin.

Full BHP guide

What does The Mosaic Company (MOS) do?

The Mosaic Company is a leading global producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash, the two primary crop nutrients it mines, processes, and distributes to farmers and dealers worldwide. Its business runs across three reporting segments: Phosphates (finished phosphate fertilizers plus premium products like MicroEssentials), Potash (potassium fertilizer from mines in Saskatchewan, New Mexico, and elsewhere), and Mosaic Fertilizantes, a large Brazil-based production and distribution arm that now drives roughly a third of the company's business. Mosaic sells into agriculture, where nutrient demand is tied to planted acreage, crop prices, and farmer economics.

Full MOS guide

BHP vs MOS: how do they differ?

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

  • BHP drivers: Copper as the growth engine; Low-cost iron ore cash engine.
  • MOS drivers: Global crop-nutrient demand; Potash and Esterhazy productivity.

Which fits which kind of investor

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: BHP's earnings are highly sensitive to iron ore and copper prices, which are driven by Chinese property and steel demand, global growth, and supply from rivals. For MOS, mosaic is a cyclical commodity producer, so its earnings can swing dramatically with potash and phosphate prices and are exposed to sharp input-cost inflation in sulfur, ammonia, and natural gas.

BHP or MOS: which should you pick?

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick BHP if you believe its drivers more; MOS if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the BHP and MOS guides.

BHP vs MOS: the full fundamentals

BHP. BHP reports on an Australian fiscal year ending June 30 and reports in US dollars. FY2025 revenue fell about 8% to roughly $51 billion on lower iron ore and coal prices, even as copper reached a record. The variable dividend and cyclical earnings mean valuation multiples and yield shift with the commodity cycle rather than staying fixed.

MOS. Mosaic's trailing revenue of roughly $12.4 billion contrasts with thin trailing profitability, reflecting the input-cost squeeze that produced a first-quarter 2026 net loss. The very high trailing price-to-earnings ratio is a function of depressed earnings rather than a growth premium, which is typical for a commodity producer near a cyclical low. Figures are approximate and move with nutrient prices and quarterly results.

Headline figures (approximate, JULY 2026): BHP shows revenue (fy2025) ~$51 billion, underlying ebitda (fy2025) ~$26 billion (~53% margin), market capitalization ~$205 billion, dividend yield (adr) ~3.3% to 3.5%; MOS shows revenue (ttm) ~$12.4 billion, market cap ~$6.8 billion, q1 2026 net result ~$258 million net loss, diluted eps (ttm) ~$0.14.

The bottom line: BHP vs MOS

BHP and MOS are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined BHP and MOS exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.

Investing in BHP Group with AI

Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how BHP fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.

FAQ

What is the difference between BHP and MOS?

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BHP Group is a global diversified resources company headquartered in Australia and dual-listed, with a US ADR trading on the NYSE under BHP. The Mosaic Company is a leading global producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash, the two primary crop nutrients it mines, processes, and distributes to farmers and dealers worldwide. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.

Is BHP or MOS the better stock?

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Neither is universally better. BHP is the larger incumbent; MOS is the smaller challenger and looks cheaper on forward earnings. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.

Which is cheaper, BHP or MOS?

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On forward P/E (as of July 2026), BHP trades at 16.99x and MOS at 12.16x, so MOS is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.

Should you own both BHP and MOS?

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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.

What are the risks of BHP vs MOS?

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BHP: BHP's earnings are highly sensitive to iron ore and copper prices, which are driven by Chinese property and steel demand, global growth, and supply from rivals. A downturn in commodity prices compresses margins and reduces the variable dividend, so income is not guaranteed. Large projects such as Jansen carry execution, cost-overrun and timing risk, and Escondida faces natural grade decline and water and labor constraints in Chile. The company also faces regulatory, environmental and community risks across many jurisdictions, plus legacy liabilities such as the Samarco dam-failure litigation in Brazil. As an ADR, US holders also take on currency and dividend-withholding considerations. MOS: Mosaic is a cyclical commodity producer, so its earnings can swing dramatically with potash and phosphate prices and are exposed to sharp input-cost inflation in sulfur, ammonia, and natural gas. In early 2026 rising input costs pushed the company to a quarterly net loss and forced temporary curtailments at U.S. phosphate plants and idled some Brazilian SSP output, and it withdrew full-year phosphate production guidance. Global competition is intense, with OCP Group in phosphates and Belarusian and Russian producers in potash affecting prices and supply. Weather, weak farm economics, trade policy, currency moves (especially the Brazilian real), and regulatory or environmental costs at mining and processing sites add further volatility.

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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell BHP or MOS; figures are approximate and dated (as of July 2026). Verify current data before investing.

    BHP vs MOS: How BHP Group and The Mosaic Company Compare (2026), Walnut