The spotlight will sharpen on the world's biggest miner BHP and the performance of other miners including Andrew Forrest's Fortescue Metals Group and BHP spin-off South32. Combined, the three could report underlying earnings of about $US10.76 billion, according to analysts' projections.

BHP will release its full-year results on Tuesday morning before the Australian market opens, with expectations of a vast improvement in the company's result compared to fiscal 2016, when it recorded a $US6.38 billion ($8.3 billion) loss.

According to Bloomberg the consensus expectation from analysts who follow BHP is for it to report underlying earnings of $US7.3 billion, and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $US20.71 billion.

Such a result would be expected to deliver a better reward for BHP's army of about 600,000 retail shareholders.

Analysts from Deutsche Bank are forecasting a final dividend of US46 cents a share, noting such a result would be "an increase on the US40 cents interim dividend".

Analysts, investors and others - including the vocal US activist investor Elliott Management which is calling for an overhaul of BHP - will also be watching the "Big Australian" closely this week to see if it sends any signals about the possibility of selling assets such as its onshore US shale assets.

Elliott wants BHP to sell out of US shale, and has also called for an in-depth, independent review of BHP's petroleum business.

In a new report last week Peter O'Connor, metals and mining analyst at Shaw and Partners, said BHP shares could climb above $40 over the next few years thanks to a collection of factors.

Mr O'Connor described these as historical precedent, margin and return on invested capital leverage, the crown jewel assets, capital management and divestments, and macro and commodity tailwinds "that will underpin the necessary earnings capability to achieve this target".

He also mapped out a "through the cycle framework" that could see BHP head north of A$40/share in the medium/long term with the appropriate macro and micro tailwinds. We expect that the repositioning of BHP under the stewardship of new chairman Ken MacKenzie will mirror similar episodes in 1998-2000 and mid-1980's such that the optimisation, ongoing restructuring and repositioning will create shareholder value via capital growth as well as income - dividends and further buybacks".

On the prospects of tweaks to BHP's portfolio, Mr O'Connor said these were "expected to continue, in fact ramp up in our view, headlined by US shale plus energy coal (Mount Arthur North and Cerejon, Colombia), with potential proceeds totalling US$12-18 billion. These divestments will free up capital to facilitate deleveraging and/or capital management".

Shares in BHP fell 53 cents (or just over two per cent) on Friday, to close at $25.39.

Fortescue will kick things off for the miners on Monday. According to Bloomberg, analysts are expecting the Perth-based miner to deliver underlying earnings of $US2.28 billion, from revenue of $US8.68 billion.

The diversified mid-tier miner South32 will report its results on Thursday. According to Bloomberg, the consensus among analysts is for underlying earnings of $US1.18 billion, from total revenue for the year of an estimated $US6.97 billion.