Financial Performance

Group highlights 2007

Records achieved across all key earnings measures including Underlying Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) up 27.1 per cent to US$23.0 billion and Underlying Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) up 31.4 per cent to US$20.1 billion.
Attributable profit up 34.7 per cent to US$13.7 billion and Earnings Per Share (EPS) up 39.1 per cent, benefiting from ongoing buy-backs (both measures excluding exceptionals).
Record Underlying EBIT margin and Return on Capital Employed increased to 48.4 per cent and 38.4 per cent respectively. This is the sixth consecutive record for both measures.
Final dividend rebased to 27 US cents per share demonstrating our confidence in the outlook. This is an increase of 46 per cent on last year’s final dividend.
US$6.3 billion of a US$13.0 billion capital management program completed, representing 5.2 per cent of outstanding shares.

Five Year Summary
US$M	2007^(a)	2006^(a)	2005^(b)	2004^(b)	2003^(b)
Revenue together with share of jointly controlled entities’ revenue (Turnover)	47,473	39,099	31,150	24,943	17,506
Underlying EBIT^(c)	20,067	15,277	9,921	5,488	3,481
Attributable Profit – excluding exceptional items	13,675	10,154	6,426	3,510	1,920
Attributable Profit – including exceptional items	13,416	10,450	6,396	3,379	1,901
Net operating cash flow including dividends from jointly controlled entities and after net interest and taxation	15,595	10,476	8,374	5,100	3,631
Basic EPS – including exceptional items (US cents per share)	229.5	173.2	104.4	56.4	30.9
Basic EPS – excluding exceptional items (US cents per share)	233.9	168.2	104.9	54.3	30.6
Dividend per share^(d)
BHP Billiton Plc (US cents)	47.0	36.0	28.0	26.0	14.5
BHP Billiton Limited (US cents)	47.0	36.0	28.0	26.0	14.5
Underlying EBITDA Interest Coverage^(c) (times)	54.0	44.3	51.7	21.1	13.3
Underlying gearing (per cent)	25.0	27.2	35.8	25.7	31.7

(a) Information for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 is stated under IFRS.

(b) Information for the years 2003 and 2004 is prepared and presented in accordance with UKGAAP and has not been restated.

(c) Underlying EBIT is earnings before net finance costs and taxation, jointly controlled entities’ net finance costs and taxation and any exceptional items. Underlying EBITDA is Underlying EBIT before depreciation, impairments and amortisation. We believe that Underlying EBIT and Underlying EBITDA provide useful information, but should not be considered as an indication of, or alternative to, attributable profit as an indicator of operating performance or as an alternative to cash flow as a measure of liquidity.

(d) Three dividends were declared for the year ended 30 June 2004 as a result of the Group’s decision to realign dividend declarations to coincide with the announcements of interim and full year results.

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