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Hello Share Chasers. We must never underestimate the power of oil prices to influence stock markets all over the world. If the Footsie drops, it’s almost guaranteed that oil will be on the back foot, too. This old punter monitors fluctuations of Brent Crude much more closely than he does the Footsie.
Hello Share Swingers. This old punter has been of the opinion for many months now that Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) is undervalued. This is based on oil and gas prices going through the roof. Brent Crude continues to rise with more big jumps this week and I agree with Tom when he says fuel prices will continue to soar this year.
Hello, Share Twiddlers. As this venerable old punter has occasionally recommended Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) on this dazzling website, I’m cheered by some interesting news at the weekend. Shareholders voted to move its headquarters from Holland to London. As shareholders will enjoy some jolly benefits from the move, the result was never much in doubt.
Hello, Share Swingers. Allow me to update one of my recommendations I think is particularly promising. That is the conviction that shares in the big oilers, like Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) and BP (BP.) are undervalued. More evidence has come my way that some big hitters in the City agree with me.
Hello, Share Collectors. Recently, I suggested that big oil companies might be undervalued. Since then the case for that view has strengthened. There seems to be even more reasons to buy shares in these companies, or at least to keep holding them.
Hello, Share Folks. As I write, the oil price has reached the giddy height of $75 a barrel. Last November it was only about $20. The current high level is a main cause of inflation in Blighty. And inflation is the enemy of share prices everywhere. However, there is one sector which benefits most from a lofty oil price. And that of course is the one comprising big oil producers like BP (BP.) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA). So why have the share values of these giants only been treading water for the last few months?
Hello, Share Seekers. I rather hesitate to raise this again. I’ve already written about it recently, but I really do think the case can be made for quite a substantial rise in the shares of oil giants like Shell (RDSA) and BP (BP.). For some reason, which escapes me, the share values of these jumbos remain low compared to a couple of years ago. And yet the price of Brent Crude, on which oilers rely for profits, continues to soar.
Hello Share Swivellers. One of the more sensible pieces of advice in the crazy shares game is ‘sell the peaks and buy the dips.’ It’s also the hardest action to get right. Will the dip fall even more or will the peak become higher?
Hello, Share Strummers. The oil price is firing ever higher. Seeing the amazing volume of holiday traffic in my neck of the woods, I’m not surprised. And yet you would imagine in other parts of the world, India for example, individuals and businesses would be using less ebony nectar. So what does all this mean for an oil giant like Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA)?
Hello Share Bunnies. Fool that I am, my biggest holding is in Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA). My intention is to sell up as soon as the price gets closer to its highs, even though I realise it will not get all that close, possibly ever again. Never mind, the share price is currently rising as the value of Brent Crude continues to soar.
Hello, Share Scoopers. Did you know that a fifth of the world’s oil supply comes through the Suez canal? Currently, that useful waterway is blocked by a giant freighter. You can imagine how that is going to affect the price of Brent crude. The hike has already started, but it’s going to keep on going I think.
Hello Share Dabblers. Perhaps because of the unexpected freeze in Texas, as well as icy conditions in other unlikely places around the world, the oil price continues to rise. As I write, Brent Crude is at $65 a barrel and still rising. I’ve written before why this surge is likely to power the big oil companies. And since then Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) and BP (BP.) have risen further…
Hello, Share Crackers. Have you noticed the oil price lately? It’s now around $58 a barrel. And that surprisingly is higher than it was before the pandemic crash in March. You would have thought, with so fewer car journeys being done, that it would stay lower for longer. But it is good news for the army of Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) shareholders…
Hello, Share Birdies. There’s been rather a neat jump in the oil price, with it continuing an upward march since the new vaccines hit the scene. The Footsie tracks the oil price, so it’s good news all round. The only snag is that prices at the petrol pumps have started to hit their normal high levels. Time to think about investing in Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) I fancy…
Hello, Share People. As the oil price struggles back to somewhere nearer reality, it’s worth taking another look at Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA). Though I have to declare an interest. I’ve seen the chunkiest holding in my portfolio halved by the virus. And I still have the same number of shares. But let’s look at the encouraging reasons I have for hanging on…
Hello, Share Mongers. Probably like you, my penny shares are, on the whole, bettering my Footsie giants. I’m now very glad I always split my holdings into two camps – the jumbos for safety (ha-ha) and the minnows. It’s the virus that’s decimated the biggies, of course, especially my over-invested oil interests, like Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) and BP (BP.). But I’m not selling either share. And here’s why…
Hello, Share Smashers. Though some of my portfolio has held up remarkably well during the pestilence, my biggest holding has been among the worst affected Footsie giants. That’s not surprising as it’s Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA & RDSB). This giant could only forge ahead if the oil price was ok and sadly it has proved anything but. The price of Brent Crude is down a massive 35%. Shell’s share price has tumbled by more than a half over the year…
I take my hat off to Woodford dog, revolutionary washing machine maker (geddit?) Xeros (XSG). It closed Friday with a market capitalisation of about £6 million, according to ADVFN, and has just raised another £6 million without totally crashing the share price. In the current environment, that is quite an achievement – especially since the company has been a cash-burning dog all through its life. What might we learn?
Hello, Share Thrashers. You’ll have noticed that while the oil price has been steady, two big British oil giants have seen big falls in their share prices. I refer to Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA and RDSB) and BP (BP.). Meanwhile, some smaller companies, like JKX (JKX) and Tullow (TLW) have kept their value...
Hello, Share Finders. The value of my holding in Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) & (RDSB) has increased by enough for me to consider top slicing profits. It’s never a good idea to hold more than 10% of your bundle in one company and that’s where I find myself today here...
Hello, Share Troopers. Are we still 'Going Well with Shell, Shell, Shell?' The words of the famous Bing Crosby TV advert of the 1950s still seem pertinent here. The oil jumbo Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) & (RDSB) is my biggest holding, mainly for the high dividend. But I also have hopes for the share price, which, given the rise and rise of Brent Crude, seems too low to me...
Hello, Share Cringers. Have you noticed how the price of crude oil is creeping up? In the distant past, I think I recall, it was higher than $140 a barrel. Then it dipped to around $30 in 2016 on glut fears. It managed to rally above $80 a barrel in September last year, before toppling again to around $46 - and now it’s hauled back up to $70. Recently though, the share prices of the oil giants have not improved enormously...
Hello, Share Twirlers. Having just reminded myself that the p/e I have for Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA and RDSB) is a mere 11, I think it may be time to look at this giant company again. It was at least two years ago that at least one big bank was opining the B shares worth 2800p, yet, after posting much bigger profits since then, the price still languishes at around 2400p...
Hello Share Pacers. Recently I opined that BP (BP.) was possibly a better bet than its rival Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA and RDSB) at the moment. But there’s not much in it, and it might be a good idea to take out the insurance of investing in both jumbos. The thing driving both shares at the moment is, of course, the rising oil price...
Hello Share Scratchers. On the heels of my last piece, in which I commended the fortunes of giant oilers, a few readers have asked me which jumbo firm do I prefer. I suppose the choice for British investors is between Shell (RDSA) and BP (BP.) I have big holdings in both outfits, but I lean towards one of them.
Hello, Share Sparers. Over a year or two now, I’ve extolled the arguments for investing in oil giants. That argument, especially for Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) is becoming more compelling. Here's the reason...
Hello, Share Scrapers. Who among us isn't a bit spooked by issues affecting the global economy? But what should we do to protect ourselves - and make the most of any opportunities? Well, after doing the research and basing predictions on it, this is what I think.
Hello Share Trackers. I’ve heard on Radio Four just now that petrol stations are being urged to cut prices by two pence a litre. According to the BBC, this is because the price of Brent Crude has fallen. Talk about an exaggeration! The price has only dropped a few points after skyrocketing in the last six months.
Hello Share Scrollers. I think I recall saying way back in 2017 that the oil price could soar to reach $80 a barrel in the Spring. And we’re only a dollar away from that forecast now. Of course, I did not know that troubles in the Middle East would get so horribly worse.
Hello, Share Pickers. When a share continues to look even more promising after earlier recommendations, there’s an excuse to return to the story. So let’s have yet another stab at Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) - there are also Shell ‘B’ shares, known as 'RDSB', which are subject to Dutch rules on dividends, so you may get a better yield from these.
Hello, Share Cakers. As troubles in the Middle East mount, it’s natural that oil prices will rise. And as I write, the cost of Brent crude has hit a new high. Not a record of course, as the price was once twice what it is now.
Hello Share Shiverers. At the risk of over-simplifying matters, it’s time to winkle out companies who’ll benefit from the icy weather. Some of the choices are obvious, but that’s no reason not to remind you of a few opportunities. And you’ll be surprised how very temporary events - like the current cold snap - can influence share prices. Though the effect is usually confined to a week at the most.
Hello, Share Slickers. The world’s biggest oil company Exxon Mobil has posted disappointing numbers. As a result, the shares dipped 5%. Analysts were expecting profits to jump on the big rally in oil prices. But get this. The company actually announced 4th quarter net profits of £8.4 billion. Yes, $8.4 billion!
Hello, Share Trekkies. The oil price still forges ahead. It’s around $71 for a barrel of Brent crude. And yet the big oil companies are not really reflecting the boom. However, they’ll probably catch up soon.
Hello Share Twangers. After a phoney war start, this winter is turning out to be quite chilly. Most of us saw snow over the Christmas period and though things have warmed up a bit now, there’s still an icy wind blowing. And it's even colder in many parts of the world, including the USA which is seeing temperatures plunge to record lows. Europe has also been unnaturally cold. All this has the effect of using up oil reserves.
Hello Share Blasters. On the road in the grim north, I don't have access to the usual research channels. So allow me to review a trio of shares I've scanned in more detail recently, but which I believe have not so far taken full advantage of the current Santa Rally.
Hello, Share Scoopers. Sometimes, gang, it makes sense to include advice from a different source when bringing shares before you for a possible punt. Especially when the other analysts agree with me. The boys and girls at Barclays have repeated an ‘overweight’ commendation for two big oil giants, and I’m glad to say I have chunky holdings in both of them.
Hello Share Eaters. As I write, the share I recommend you look at today is nudging towards its all-time high price. Will it now run out of steam? Not if most of the signs are anything to go by. And meanwhile, there is a vast divi, paid four times a year.
Hello, Share Collectors. Many of us, I know, are still awash in oil stocks, both the producers and riskier explorers. I’ve been advising that we cut down, as the competition from wind, sun, waves and biomass, threatens to grow. But I think I may have been too hard on ebony nectar and here are a few reasons why.
Hello, Share Splurgers. This seems a good moment to review Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA), that huge Footsie company upon which so many pensions, insurance giants and hedge funds rely. It also happens to represent my biggest shareholding. And that, silly me, is far in excess of my usual 10% of my bag allowed to any company. Holding more than a tenth of your assets in one firm is not a safe thing to do.
Hello Share Smashers. OPEC, the cartel of 12 big oil producers led by Saudi Arabia, has let us down.
Hello Share Grinders. Unusually for me, I’m a little pessimistic this weekend. And the cause - a very weak oil price. This is a big disappointment, as the signs a few months ago were that the price of the ebony nectar was on the rise.
Hello Share Chirpers. Once again, hostilities threaten the world. The Americans have launched a missile strike on a Syrian airfield. The Russians and the Iranians don’t like it. The Middle East is in even more turmoil.
Hello Share Twirlers. Though the Footsie has been striding ahead, it would have done far better if the oil price had behaved itself. We are not just talking oil shares, but the whole of the share economy. A weak oil price has a negative effect all round.
Hello Share Shakers. A bit of a dilemma faces me. I have some BP (BP.) shares in my ordinary trading account. I want to switch them to my ISA. When I do that, there’ll be an interim few days when I no longer hold the stock. For BP at the moment, this is a bit dangerous.
Hello Share Masters. I’ve taken a long hard look at the budget from our point of view and found it improves the shareholder’s lot quite a bit. However, I’m no tax expert, so in case I’ve got anything wrong, please do your own research.
Hello Share Pagers. The results of Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) were not too clever. Profits down by another 37% on last time. But remember how lousy the price of Brent Crude is at the moment.
Hello Share Suckers. You’ve may have noticed, but probably haven’t, that I’ve been selling shares in some companies which I am heavily invested in. This is because times are uncertain and success with a few of my favourites, have left them a little top heavy in their pricing territory.
The bulls among us are rejoicing at the beginning of the new year. But what’s causing the Footsie to beat its all-time highs?
Hello Share Pickers. I'm in the middle of one of those interminable train journeys where you pass loads of familiar town names everybody knows, but where nobody ever stops. In this case Wilmslow, Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Crewe, Craven Arms etc. Well, have you ever been there?
Hello Share Cybers. One does not like to preen. And to be honest I haven't had much justification lately, what with Advanced Oncotherapy's woes. But you will allow that I did see oil prices rising.
Hello Share Twangers. I was beginning to worry that my predictions that the price of Brent crude would rise steadily were not going to happen. The ebony nectar value has been falling in the last month or so (by about 10%).
Hello Share Diviners. Jim Slater's legendary book on shares, second in my view only to my own works, including the recent Share Attack, advocated investing in shares you really know something about. I seem to remember - though could be wrong - that the Zulu Principal got its name because his wife knew plenty of stuff about Zulus.
Hello Share Smackers. You may be getting a little tired of my banging on about my expected recovery in the price of Brent crude. Never my, my vicar’s sermon on Sunday was all about the importance of ‘pestering’ if we want to be heard by the Almighty. So I’ll keep pestering you about this.
Hello Share Twiggers. The price of oil continues to nudge up. As I write, it is only a whisper away from a 10 month high. I see no reason why that trend won’t continue, especially with winter drawing on and my central heating boilers going full pelt for the first time today. Another clue to rising oil prices is that big costs are returning at the petrol pumps.
In my humble view, now could be a good time to return to oil shares. I certainly hope so, as I have lost a packet since the big oil crash which began a few years ago. I’ve gradually dumped my holdings in the hopeful explorers, but I still have major holdings in the big producers, like Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA), BP (BP.) and Tullow (TLW). All of them are well shy of their previous bests.
Hello Share Scuffers. As I write the price of Brent crude is $47.62 dollars a barrel. That is lower than recent days when the price crawled back above $50. However, the trend is up and after reaching a nadir of $38 dollars a year or so ago, well the current oil price is a lot better now than it was.
Hello Share Swiggers. If you have shares in producing oil firms you might want to consider hanging onto them. And if you have spare cash you might research a few likely companies with a view to a bit more investment. The reason is that the price of Brent crude oil is going up again. It is tickling $50 a barrel as I write. It was there a few months ago when the price level caused some excitement. Quite a few oil companies nudged up on the news, including Shell (RDSA) and BP (BP.).
Hello Share Mates. My flight was about two hours late getting into Cardiff Airport after my trip to Munich. Then the plane was held for about another hour because all the lights had gone out in the terminal due to a massive power cut. So I missed the big match between Wales, where I live, and Portugal where I don't. Consequently I'm penning this in the early hours of the morning. Worse still, in a few hours' time, I will be under the surgeon's knife.
Hello Share Cats. One thing the Brexit vote hasn’t attacked so far is the oil price. Well, Brent did go down a tiny fraction, but hardly worth noticing. And that could be due to world factors, anyway. Which reminds me that Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) has risen for the two trading days since the Big Vote result was announced. I am a giant holder of Shell oil. It is the biggest lump in my portfolio. I already held a lot of Shell shares. Then it gobbled up BG and part of that deal was its handing over even more Shell stock.
Hello Share Bunnies. Tullow Oil (TLW) shares I've held a long time. Too long, as it turned out. Not many years ago they doubled my outlay in a year or two. Then, like nearly all other big oilers they were hit a year ago, or so by the big black stuff crash. Actually the share had been on the back foot before that. But I reckon Tullow could be on the march again. Over the last few days, the advancing oil price has decided to take a rest. But not for long, I fancy. You can see my reasons in a few recent examples of my modest Shareprophets column.
Hello Share Plungers. I’ve been teetering round some serious Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) research for a week or two now. That’s because I - along with a goodly few other City commentators - expect the price of Brent to skid upwards. But why buy Shell shares in preference to those offered by all that competition? Because of size mainly. Shell is probably too big to fail and if that oil price keeps bubbling up, then good old Shell we will among the biggest beneficiaries.
Hello Share Poodles. As so many of us hold shares in companies involved in the ebony nectar, it’s seems a good wheeze to once again bring you bang up to date on how the price of Brent crude should fare in the next few months. Because there’s little doubt that the value of the black stuff has a huge bearing on share prices. And not just those of oil companies, but nearly every other listed firm as well. It’s a question of high oil prices raising general confidence.
Hello Share Changers. What gave me the arrogance to say that the oil price would rally quite nicely this year was experience. Though I am no longer an energetic young trader, I have been plying our golden game since I first dated Bodicea. So I know that when the price of a commodity falls, it always bounces back. Always. So the recovery of oil was never the world’s greatest prediction.
Hello Share Chancers. It wasn’t so long ago that my colleague Amanda Van Dyke was getting it in the neck on this beloved website for commending us all to buy gold. Now those detractors have had to admit they were wrong. We heard at the UK Investor Show more than one expert say that gold was the thing to buy, still. But though I’m holding onto my gold miners, I am now switching my main hopes to a rally in the next business which is likely to hit back. after a very bad time.
Hello Share Riders. As a long, but mild, winter gets set to change into Spring, I am going cold on Centrica (CNA). Time was when I was a great supporter. Much good did it do me. I made a lot of cash in my early years with them, but then the share price more or less flattened out.
Hello Share Trundlers. The big Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) and BG (BG.) merger has been the elephant in the room at many a big discussion on current share trading.
Hello Share Trundlers. The big Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) and BG (BG.) merger has been the elephant in the room at many a big discussion on current share trading. It was nearly a year ago, or seems like it, that Shell said it wanted to take over BG. (We are not talking about British Gas here, which is really Centrica (CNA). Confused? You will be.)
Hello share Mates. Those of us who have big holdings, or even small ones, in BG (BG.) have been on pins for most of a year now. That’s since Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) announced it was to merge with the big oil and natural gas giant. The $70billion offer was in cash and shares and made BG shares worth about £13.
Following yesterday's table of the top dividend payers among resource stocks in the FTSE100, below are the top five dividend paying shares whose share prices closed within 1% of a 52-week low on Friday. Qualifying stocks have a yield of >5%.
The recent pullback in stocks has created some attractive fundamental plays among the largest resource stocks. Although commodity prices remain in the doldrums and the medium term outlook is bearish, share prices of the stocks below make the expected dividend yields look extremely generous.
Hello Share Freakies. May I offer a few opinions on the way the world economies are going - and, to adapt the famous line from Harold Wilson - their effect on the shares in our pocket.
There are quite a few share dilemmas to be resolved as the long hot summer of not very much happening draws on. The first is what do we do about oil shares. I certainly am not going to invest any money in those companies, which put all their hopes on finding more of the black stuff. I’ve been let down too often.
Hello Share Sloggers. There’s a lot to be said gang for only investing in Footsie giants. Or at least companies which are big, rock solid and constant cash earners.
Hi Share Shapers. New life has been breathed into BG (BG.) the big British natural gas combine. The share has been gradually falling away in value even though Shell (RDSA) has bid for the company and had been accepted by the BG board as a goodly lot of fellows who would do a splendid job for we shareholders.
Hello Share Sweepers. Bloomin’ Heck! While I still agonise over whether I should accept the offer for Dragon Oil (DGO) shares from a bigger oil company, I get landed with another difficult choice over an insurance giant. That insurance set-up is RSA (RSA) the old Royal Insurance lot.
Hello Share Cats. Nobody talks about oil shares much anymore. It seems the low price of crude has taken its toll on those of us who have invested big time in oil companies, both big and small.
Anyone kicking themselves for missing out on the takeover bid for BG Group (BG.) looks to have another chance to benefit from any deal.
Hello Share Swipers. When I opined last month that Dragon Oil (DGO) was a goodly punt, I’ve been surprised that the performance of the exotic share purveyor would be quite as zapper as it is now.
Hello Share Scoffers. Uncle Tom believes that the present bull market is ‘ridiculous’. There are some other very perceptive and experienced writers on this scintillating website who agree with him. Including the morose, but sharply intelligent Frenchman and Amanda the Golden.
A month ago, I wrote a critical piece about Chariot Oil & Gas (CHAR) in reaction to its £8.8million placement. The company has responded perfectly. It didn’t petulantly jump up and down, demanding a retraction, but instead approached me, asking if I’d like to talk directly with CEO Larry Bottomley. I thought this was a risky move on Chariot’s part, as our reputation here for not taking prisoners is well deserved. However, the request was courteous and seemed genuine. I was happy to take the call on the understanding everything we discussed would be on the record and I wouldn’t write a PR puff piece. Chariot agreed and Mr Bottomley was refreshingly candid in his answers. In this first piece I deal with the looming deadline for the company’s Central Block licence, offshore Namibia.
Hello Share Snafflers: The latest trading update by Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) has well exceeded what City analysts had predicted. Such reports often do these days, as the 'experts' continue to under-estimate the effect of increasing growth on world economies.
There is a bit of current interest in Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) that is worth some comment. The shares now priced 2430p (last seen) have not only broken out from a recent sideways moving trading range (approximately 2340p -2370p) but have also reached new territory; not only that, they also reached at 2433p, their highest point in five years.. The share price has climbed by 15% this year; handsomely beating the All Share Index, which only managed a rise of 7%. Over the last month, when the FTSE 100 hardly budged, Royal Dutch Shares clocked a 3% increase which has taken them to this peak.
