Who would want to be an oil analyst, having to forecast where prices are likely to be in a month or even 12 months' time? In the last five years alone, Brent crude futures have collapsed to below $20 per barrel ? and infamously actually went negative at one point during mid-2020 ? before soaring to more than $130 per barrel following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since their 2022 peak,...

Behavioural biases affecting the way analysts change their earnings forecasts and stock recommendations can be exploited to unearth potential investment opportunities. The key idea is to find discrepancies between what analysts are doing to their earnings forecasts and what they are saying through their recommendations. We start by identifying the least loved UK stocks as seen through the lens...

Close scrutiny of the AIC's (Association of Investment Companies) UK Equity Income sector shows two trusts with strong retail followings occupying top and bottom spots in the five-year share price total return performance table, namely Temple Bar (TMPL) and Finsbury Growth & Income (FGT). In what represents a reversal of fortunes for two popular portfolios, the value-oriented former has...

Stocks in London finished higher on Tuesday, helped by positive results for major firms, but tempered some earlier gains after weak data from the US. 'Strong corporate results are helping as they show businesses can still thrive despite the turbulent backdrop,' said Russ Mould at AJ Bell. The FTSE 100 index closed up 14.43 points, 0.2%, at 9,142.73. It had earlier traded as high as 9,177.95....

New BP chair joining on 1 September Increase of 4% in dividend per ordinary share to 8.32 cents Bumerangue discovery in Brazil biggest in 25 years Shares in BP (BP.) gained more than 3% to 417p in morning as the global energy giant reported a record second quarter ahead of analysts' expectatios. The company reported an underlying RC (replacement cost) profit of $2.4 billion for the second...

'Significant' find offshore Brazil Planned upstream production growth Q2 results to reveal hit from lower prices Global energy giant BP (BP.) has announced its biggest oil and gas discovery in 25 years, off the coast of Brazil, a find which also represents its tenth discovery in 2025-to-date. Shares in the FTSE 100 oil major were marked up 1.7% to 405.5p on the news, a subdued reaction with...

Stocks in London, Paris and Frankfurt were generally higher on Monday morning, following Friday's UK Supreme Court decision on motor finance commissions, with Lloyds, Close Brothers and S&U all rising comfortably. The FTSE 100 index opened up 35.24 points, 0.4%, at 9,103.82. The FTSE 250 was up 132.26 points, 0.6%, at 21,831.60, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.22 points, 0.2%, at 758.38. The...

Manifold hired as new chair BP's strategic overhaul continues US onshore wind business sold BP (BP.) has appointed former CRH (CRH) boss Albert Manifold as its new chair as the energy giant looks to address investor concerns over its strategic direction as well as a poor share price performance which has triggered takeover and break-up speculation. Shares in the FTSE 100 oil and gas giant...

London's blue chip index was higher midday Monday, but tariff concerns unnerved European shares, after the weekend announcement from Donald Trump. The FTSE 100 index rose 35.71 points, 0.4%, to 8,976.83. The index spiked as high as 8,979.31 points on Monday, not far off its record high of 8,984.14. The FTSE 250 was up 59.65 points, 0.3%, at 21,672.90, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.98 points,...

Higher Q2 production Investors shrug off lower prices Net debt expected to fall Oil and Gas giant BP (BP.) topped the FTSE 100 leader board on Friday (11 July) gaining almost 3% to 398.7p, after saying it expected second-quarter upstream output to be higher compared to the first three months of 2025. The shares remain slightly underwater for the year compared with an 8% advance for the FTSE...

London's blue chip index opened slightly lower on Monday, ahead of UK mortgage approvals data, after the Office for National Statistics reported that the UK economy grew as expected in the first quarter. The FTSE 100 index opened down 9.40 points, 0.1%, at 8,789.51. The FTSE 250 was down 38.68 points, 0.2%, at 21,677.28, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.52 points, 0.1%, at 769.85. The Cboe UK...

Stocks in Europe were mostly higher on Friday morning, with oil majors giving some ground as the oil price eased following US President Donald Trump's announcement to consider his options for two weeks regarding the conflict between Israel and Iran. The Office for National Statistics said borrowing surged to £17.7 billion last month, the second highest figure on record for May, surpassed only...

Oil prices are back at levels last seen in January thanks to escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. This is an unpredictable and fast-moving situation which could have implications for the performance of the FTSE 100, inflation and much more besides. Prior to the exchange of missiles between the two countries, oil was trading at multi-year lows thanks to concerns over global demand as...

Stocks finished mostly lower on Friday in London, while oil prices surged upwards, after Israel launched dozens of air strikes against Iran's nuclear programme and Iran promised a 'bitter and painful' response. Elsewhere, easing concerns about the US economy caused the Michigan consumer sentiment index reading to improve significantly. The FTSE 100 index closed down 34.29 points, 0.4%, at...

London's FTSE 100 perked up on Friday and found its best level since 'liberation day', as the tariff de-escalation between the US and China continues to boost investor risk appetite. The FTSE 100 index rose 50.81 points, 0.6%, at 8,684.56. It had earlier hit its best level since late-March. The FTSE 250 rose 127.50 points, 0.6%, at 20,972.26, and the AIM All-Share added 1.96 points, 0.3%, at...

If speculation about a BP (BP.) and Shell (SHEL) merger were a bowl of rice it would surely give you a monster bout of food poisoning given the number of times it has been reheated. But BP has rarely looked so vulnerable, so it's not a huge surprise to see rumours of Shell swooping in gather a head of steam. That vulnerability and a diminished valuation are one of the key reasons to think a...

Q1 earnings top forecasts 14 quarters of at least $3 billion in buybacks But net debt ticks higher Shell (SHEL) and BP (BP.) are both finding life difficult at the moment due to slumping commodity prices, a weak outlook for oil markets and the uncertainties stoked by the US Administration's trade tariffs. Shares in the former bounced 3.5% to £25.15 in early dealings on 2 May after the energy...

Stock prices in London were in the green on Tuesday morning, despite Associated British Foods and BP shares falling after reporting profit dives. Also, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney on his election win. 'The UK and Canada are the closest of allies, partners and friends,' Starmer said in a statement. 'Our partnership is based on shared...

Together, BP (BP.) and Shell (SHEL) accounted for more than 10% of the FTSE 100 index at the end of the first quarter, meaning their fortunes matter to anyone with exposure to the UK market through a tracker fund. Both firms are finding life difficult thanks to slumping commodity prices, although BP gave investors a rare bit of good news on 14 April as it unveiled a major oil discovery at its...

Oil prices moving against energy giant Weaker gas trading Debt pile growing Shares in BP (BP.) cheapened 2.6% to 333p in early dealings on 11 April after the energy giant braced investors for a 'weak' first quarter gas marketing and trading result and warned of an uptick in net debt, heaping further pressure on the oil major's management. Ahead of the results on 29 April, BP said debt at the...