oln931 Jan 2013 21:13
Fourth Quarter & Full Year results: Today's numbers have failed to inspire against the backdrop of a generally lacklustre market. There are certainly positives within the statement. Refining margins improved in the last quarter, the company's increased investment is part of a long-term strategy, and the accompanying management comments were upbeat on future prospects. This was reflected by further hiking the dividend, where the yield is already a healthy 4.5%, a clear attraction to income seeking investors. However, the overall profit number was shy of expectations, costs are on an upward trend within the industry and the weakness of the gas price has impacted on Shell, which for the first time sold more gas than oil last year. This uncertainty has weighed somewhat on the shares, with the price having risen 3% over the last year, as compared to an 11% gain for the wider FTSE100. Market consensus has eased of late to a hold, albeit a strong one, which has fractionally edged BP into becoming the more favoured play of the two arch rivals.