Higher copper prices boost BHP shares on electrification trade | The Business | ABC NEWS

Reporting season is nearing an end and Morningstar's market strategist, Lochlan Halloway, says "there's really two big stories going on, there's mining and commodities based companies and there's everything else."

BHP's share price is up 46 per cent year to date, hitting its most recent high of $68.77 on the 26 August. Lochlan Halloway says this is predominantly a story about copper, and that it might be overdone.

Lochlan Halloway so discusses the main themes of this reporting season; including tough times for retailers and the data centre "craze".

As for his overall view of reporting season, he describes it as "average to a touch soft. The mining earnings were very strong but the rest of the economy is only bumbling along."

After a strong session on Friday, the market rounded out the week higher, with the ASX 200 index adding 0.4% over the five days to 9,092. He spoke with finance presenter Alicia Barry.

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