Mining giant BHP Billiton's profit drop to skip dividend Most analysts expect BHP to report a 26 per cent fall in its net profit. Source: Bloomberg BHP Billiton's laser-like focus on cutting costs is not expected to extend to shareholders with the mining titan forecast to increase its dividend payout at its annual result. The miner will release its result for the 2013 financial year tomorrow with analysts tipping it to up its final dividend despite delivering a steep fall in profit. Most analysts expect the world's largest mining company to report a 26 per cent fall in its net profit to $US12.6 billion ($A13.7 billion) for the year to June. But the hit to the bottom line will not prevent it from increasing its final dividend 7 per cent to US61c, taking its full-year dividend from $US1.12 to $US1.18. Fat Prophets analyst David Lennox said falling commodity prices would hit the miner's bottom line but investors would be looking to take positives from its ramp-up in production of key commodities as well as the benefit of a falling Australian dollar. Mr Lennox said the market would also be listening closely for any more details about how the company was reducing costs, as well as further asset sales. BHP has sold off more than $US6.5 billion in assets over the past year as it works to reduce its debt. Softer (commodity) pricing will cost them a couple of billion but volumes will be positive. The currency will also help. They will up their dividend in line with their progressive dividend policy. If Rio could do it, then I can't see BHP pulling back. Rio Tinto increased its interim dividend by 15 per cent to 83.5c when it reported its half-year results earlier in the month. BHP chief executive Andrew Mackenzie will also update the market on the $US18 billion in capital expenditure the miner has allocated for the current financial year, a figure which falls to $US15 billion next financial year. Of key interest is the company's $US12 billion Jansen potash project in Canada. BHP has flagged potash as a future "fifth pillar" of its business and the Jansen development has been viewed as the company's leading mega project up for funding. That status was blurred following ructions in the global potash market late last month which sparked predictions that the price of the key ingredient in fertiliser would fall by 25 per cent. The miner would also gain from the scrapping of the carbon tax should the nation change government at the September 7 election, according to research by JPMorgan Chase. BHP's net present value -- a measure of a company's cash flow -- would climb by 3 per cent, the investment bank forecast in a note released late last week. Rival Rio Tinto, where iron ore accounts for about 80 per cent of revenue, would be the biggest winner, with its valuation climbing 6 per cent, according to the bank. Fortescue Metals, Australia's third-biggest iron-ore exporter, would see its value lifted by 1 per cent, the report found.