Shell and BP's shareholder schism on green targets wider than ever

Shareholder returns among the oil majors are back in the spotlight. By Jefferies’ estimations, Shell is projected to buy back up to 50% of the company by 2030- that’s £80 billion at current prices. The oil major’s decision to keep quarterly buybacks at $3.5 billion means it is projected to return 42% of its cash flow from operations to shareholders, comfortably above its 30-40% policy range when including dividends. This should be seen “as a commitment to maintaining a stable distribution level”, said analy ...