According to Morgan Stanley analyst Rahul Anand, BHP Billiton's first-half performance surpassed market expectations, with EBITDA and interim dividends exceeding average forecasts by 2.2% and 22%, respectively. Anand noted regarding the miner's interim dividend, "BHP distributed an additional approximately $800 million, supported by asset sales." He added, "Combined with recent infrastructure divestments, today's silver stream sale will release $6 billion in cash, to be focused on shareholder returns and growth." Morgan Stanley maintains an Overweight rating on BHP Billiton with a target price of A$55.50.