Change windfall tax to make £137bn by 2050, Chancellor told September 1, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been urged to reform the windfall tax in a move that could boost the economy by £137bn by 2050. Ahead of the start of its conference in Aberdeen this week, trade body Offshore Energy UK (OEUK) released a report claiming replacing the energy profits levy next year with a profits-based mechanism [...]
BP shares jump after oil major ups dividend and launches buyback August 5, 2025 BP shares jumped on Tuesday despite the firm recording a hit to profit and revenue in the first half of 2025 as weaker oil prices and lower trading performance weighed on takings. The London-listed oil major posted total revenue of $95.6bn (£72bn), down from 2.7 per cent from the same previous last year, while profit [...]
Shell: FTSE 100 giant takes profit beat amid weak oil prices July 31, 2025 FTSE 100 juggernaut Shell posted a dramatic hit to earnings in the second quarter amid a volatile period for oil and gas prices. The London-listed oil major recorded $4.26bn (£3.21bn) marking a 32 per cent fall from the second quarter of 2024, where the firm pocketed $6.29bn. But Shell managed to scrape past an LSEG-compiled [...]
Shell: FTSE 100 giant in line for profit hit after oil woes July 26, 2025 Shell is expected to report lower profits for recent months as the energy giant continues to battle oil price volatility and strives to return cash to its shareholders. The FTSE 100-listed company is predicted to report adjusted earnings of 3.74 billion US dollars (£2.78 billion) for the second quarter, when it publishes its latest figures [...]
FTSE 100 held back by Shell and BP as pound hits three-year high June 24, 2025 The FTSE 100 edged up and the pound hit a new high as investors flocked back to risk on Tuesday, but London’s blue-chip index’s rebound was held back by the falling price of oil. The UK’s flagship index nudged up 0.3 per cent in early trading to around 8,7883. But significant gains were held back [...]
Risk of gas crisis as Iran launches missiles at US military bases June 23, 2025 Iran has launched a barrage of missiles at US military bases in Qatar, in response to America’s bombing raids over the weekend. City analysts have been on high alert over the potential economic fallout, with a warning that gas prices could more than double if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is blocked. Analysts fear [...]
Don’t panic: What’s behind markets’ Iran-Israel indifference? June 23, 2025 Commentators have warned that an escalation in the Iran-Israel conflict could set off a chain of events that leads to the outbreak of World War 3. But markets have reacted as if the exchange of air attacks have barely happened at all. Ali Lyon digs into a puzzling few days of equities and oil trading. [...]
Lammy: Iran blocking Strait of Hormuz would be ‘catastrophic mistake’ June 23, 2025 Foreign secretary David Lammy has warned Iran that blocking the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping lane would be a “mistake” after the nation vowed repercussions following the US’ attacks. Lammy told the BBC this morning: “It would be a catastrophic mistake. It would be a mistake to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.” The foreign secretary [...]
Brent crude could hit $110 if oil flow through Strait of Hormuz halved June 23, 2025 Oil prices could surge to new highs, Goldman Sachs has warned, after the US attacked three sites in Iran spiking fears that a crucial Iranian-controlled waterway could be disrupted. The price of Brent crude oil spiked 5.7 per cent in the aftermath to $81.40 a barrel – marking a five month high. Prices later gave [...]
Former Centrica boss in running to be next BP chair June 21, 2025 The former boss of multinational energy firm Centrica is among those in talks to be the next chairman of BP. Sam Laidlaw is being considered as a successor to Helge Lund, who announced he would step down from BP in April. Laidlaw is one of a number of prominent candidates in the running to chair [...]