The BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) share price now dominates the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) in a way that it hasn't for years. For one, BHP is now the largest ASX share on the ASX 200 index, and by quite a distance too. Its unification program, which saw the end of the London dual-listing, has boosted BHP's presence on the ASX to unprecedented heights. Today, the 'Big Australian' makes up more than 11% of the entire weighting of the ASX 200, well eclipsing the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA).
But BHP has also attracted attention in other ways recently. Namely by share price appreciation. This company has enjoyed a very pleasing share price performance over the past few years. Back in March 2017, BHP shares were asking under $25 each. Today, the miner is going for $50.46 at the time of writing. That's a five-year gain of just under 110%. Not bad for an old blue-chip share like BHP.
But when was BHP's last all-time high, when the BHP share price was at its highest ever? Well, it wasn't that long ago.
What is BHP's highest ever share price?
It was only back in early August last year that BHP printed its current all-time high. Back then, we saw the mining giant hit a record $54.55 a share, the highest BHP has ever traded at. That's only 7.5% above where we see the company today.
It's been a dramatic year for BHP shares. Not only have we seen this record share price in the past year, but the last 12 months have also seen BHP payout its largest dividends of all time. BHP's last two dividends total a whopping $4.82 per share, giving the miner a trailing dividend yield of 9.5% (or a mind-bending 13.57% grossed-up with full franking) at the current share price.
Investors can largely thank the incredibly strong commodities market we have seen recently for these share price gains and dividends.
Who knows what the future will bring next for the Big Australian. But it has certainly been a year to remember for shareholders.
At the current BHP share price, this ASX 200 mining giant has a market capitalisation of $256.25 billion.
