Shell posts £16.3bn profit haul for 2018

Royal Dutch Shell has notched up a 36% hike in annual earnings thanks to higher oil prices.

The blue chip giant posted underlying earnings of 21.4 billion US dollars (£16.3 billion) for 2018, with its fourth-quarter profits up by 32% to 5.7 billion US dollars (£4.3 billion) despite more recent falls in the cost of crude.

On a reported basis, earnings attributable to shareholders nearly doubled, up 97% to 23.8 billion US dollars (£18.1 billion).

Chief executive Ben van Beurden said: “Shell delivered a very strong financial performance in 2018.

“We delivered on our promises for the year, including the completion of the 30 billion US dollar divestment programme and starting up key growth projects while maintaining discipline on capital investment.”

Advertisement