LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Anglo-Dutch oil company RoyalDutch Shell on Thursday said it would step-up disposalsand seek to return a greater share of earnings to investors asit posted fourth quarter profits in line with its downgradedforecast.
Shell, the world's no. 3 investor owned oil company, earlierthis month issued a "significant" profit warning for the threemonths to the end of December, detailing across-the-boardproblems just weeks into the tenure of new boss Ben van Beurden.
"Our overall strategy remains robust, but 2014 will be ayear where we are changing emphasis, to improve our returns andcash flow performance," van Beurden said in a statement.
Fourth quarter earnings excluding identified items and on acurrent cost of supply basis came in at $2.9 billion, in linewith what it said it expected to make on Jan. 17, and making thequarter its least profitable for five years.