UK 08:03 Monday, 5 October 2026
Breaking news and expert analysis on fast-moving AIM and LSE listed shares
Hello, Share Pingers. This kind of prediction can be doomed to failure, but I rather think the Santa Rally will kick in, at last, this week. There has been a slight retrench due to a faltering oil price. But at the end of last week, the cost of Brent crude had risen again - to $62.72 a barrel.
Hello Share Twiddlers. It’s not long ago that I commended BP (BP.) to you. And it’s been rising ever since. The quarterly results are out and show the tip was justified. Normally, shares dip even on good news on reporting days, but for BP the shares rose again.
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 Pals. The Footsie is creeping awfully near its all-time high and the Santa Rally is still to come yet. So I thought it might be a jolly wheeze to mention four more shares in my current bag which I have the highest hopes for. And here they are.
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 Swiggers. I had a lot of money invested in BP (BP.) shares and was happy as a pig in muck with a galloping share price and juicy dividends. But that was before the big leak in the Gulf of Mexico, followed by a crash in the oil price.
One of the most fascinating scenes I’ve seen for some time is the sight of Big Donald jigging around with some sort of weird entertainment put on by the Saudi’s for the President's visit. It almost made me forget the big benefit of this amiable state visit on share shifters like us. And that of course is that the President’s friendly reception sent the oil price up.
Hello Share Rattlers. On checking the number of BP shares I hold, I was rather shocked. It’s one of those shares I’ve been gradually building up, whenever I find myself with a bit of share cash and no clear company currently worthy of investment.
Hello Share Thumpers. I’ve been spending a lot on shares in recent days. The reason is that I’ve not topped up my ISA and, as the financial year is fast disappearing towards a new horizon, I have been selling a few turkeys in my ordinary trading accounts to fund my tax-protected ISA.
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 Chippers. I rate my large number of oil stocks in the same bracket I consider banks - a real solid gold let down. As I mainly invested in oil and banks because I once thought the sectors were relatively safe, I am even more disappointed. Banks of course have been a drain on our pockets ever since the big crunch of 2007. Whereas oil has only recently taken a nasty dive.
Hello Share Shafters. I keep stressing, to the point of boredom I expect, that these days, it’s best to choose companies which pay richer dividends. We cannot rely on share prices rising, but even in the choppiest waters, some firms manage to award a decent divi two to four times a year.
The global mega cap energy sector reporting period kicked off today with BP (BP/) reporting 'underlying profit of US$1.8bn for the third quarter of 2015, up US$500m on the previous quarter, along with plans to rebalance its financial framework and grow value long term'. Well that sounds like something for everyone then: profits sequentially up and more than a hint or two about the importance of remunerating it shareholders.
