Around the World

Shell hits $6bn profit for Q1 2019, distributes $3.9bn dividends

Royal Dutch Shell Plc has released its Q1 2019 result. The official earning declaration shows the company made $6 billion profit.

Published

1 year ago

May 2, 2019

Bamidele Samuel Adesoji

Royal Dutch Shell Plc has released its first quarter 2019 result. According to the official earning declaration on its website, the company announced a $6 billion profit attributable to shareholders.

The leading oil company recorded a 7 percent increase in profit between the fourth quarter of 2018 and the first quarter of 2019. In Q4 2018, the company recorded $5.59 billion. Similarly, year-on-year, Shell recorded a 2 percent profit between the first quarter of 2018 ($5.59bn) and the first quarter of 2019.

CCS Earnings: Shell also announced CCS earnings attributable to shareholders excluding identified items estimated at $5.3 billion. According to the company, this reflects lower realised chemicals and refining margins, decreased realised oil prices, and lower tax credits.

On a current cost of supplies basis, our Q1 2019 earnings attributable to shareholders, excluding identified items, were $5.3 billion, down 2% from $5.4 billion for the first quarter of 2018. #ShellResults More: https://t.co/vGPSyxSRPc pic.twitter.com/wTiHaOsht4

— Shell (@Shell) May 2, 2019

However, the company explained that this was partly offset by stronger contributions from trading as well as increased realised LNG and gas prices compared with the first quarter of 2018. In addition, there was a negative impact of $43 million related to the implementation of IFRS 16.

Cash flow from operating activities: Cash flow from operating activities for the first quarter 2019 period was estimated at $8.6 billion. This included negative working capital movements of $3.5 billion, leading to cash flow from operating activities excluding working capital movements of $12.1 billion.

Also, this excludes working capital movements and a positive impact of $949 million related to the implementation of IFRS 16. Basically, cash flow from operating activities increased to $11.3 billion compared with $10.4 billion in the first quarter of 2018, mainly due to a higher cash-generative portfolio of assets.

“As a result of the implementation of IFRS 16, net debt increased by $16,170 million. First quarter 2019 reported Gearing increased to 26.5% on an IFRS 16 basis, from 21.9% on an IAS17 basis.”

Dividends distributed and launching of share buyback programme: The company further stated that a total of $3.9 billion dividends were distributed to shareholders in the first quarter of 2019. Shell also announced that it will launch the next tranche of the share buyback programme, with a maximum aggregate consideration of $2.75 billion in the period up to and including July 29, 2019.

In aggregate, since the launch of the share buyback programme, 215.7 million A ordinary shares were bought back for cancellation for a consideration of $6.75 billion.

How Shell achieved this feat in the first quarter: Highlighting the strength of its financial performance, the company’s Chief Financial Officer, Jessica Uhl, in a video clip obtained on the website highlighted major events in the first quarter of 2019.

Production started in Lula north deepwater field in Brazil
The U.S Gulf of Mexico made a significant discovery at Blacktip prospect encountering more than 400 feet net oil pay.
In two month of the first quarter, 250 sites were discovered across China, India, Mexico, Indonesia and Russia.
Retail product increased presence in key markets.

While commenting on the company’s financial performance in the first quarter of 2019, the Shell Chief Executive Officer, Ben van Beurden, disclosed that the growth recorded further demonstrates the strength of our strategy and the quality of our portfolio of assets.

“Shell has made a strong start to 2019, with the first quarter financial performance demonstrating the strength of our strategy and the quality of our portfolio of assets. The power of our brand, serving millions of customers every day, continues to be a differentiator. Our integrated value chain enabled our Downstream business to deliver robust results despite challenging market conditions.”– Beurden

The Company’s Outlook and Investors’ relations: The CEO further stated that the company’s consistent financial performance across all business provides confidence in meeting 2020 outlook.

While giving further highlights on the company’s performance and investor’s relations, the CFO further disclosed that the company’s financial performance shows a strong start for the year.

Jessica also stated that despite the market challenging conditions, the strength of the company’s strategy and quality portfolio assets are responsible for the robust result.

Bamidele Samuel Adesoji

Samuel is an Analyst with over 5 years experience. Connect with him via his twitter handle

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Around the World

Africa’s richest woman has assets seized by Portugal

She is being accused of embezzling over $ 1 billion from Angolan state-owned firms.

Published

9 hours ago

July 3, 2020

William Ukpe

Africa’s richest woman has assets seized by Portugal

The Portuguese Government seized shares owned by Angola’s Isabel dos Santos in the Efacec Power Solutions SGPS SA Company, in a bid to help the company find new owners.

Isabel Dos Santos has been battling a corruption probe both home and in Portugal. She is being accused of embezzling over $ 1 billion from Angolan state-owned firms.

Dos Santos owned a 72% stake in the company through a Maltese registered company called “Winterfell 2”. Angola’s Finance Minister, Pedro Vieira said on Thursday that the Angolan government has started plans to sell the stake and already has interest from interested bidders.

Efacec has annual sales of $449 million, according to the Minister.

Efacec announced back in January that Isabel dos Santos had planned to sell most of her majority stake in the company.

Isabel dos Santos had her assets frozen in December 2019 by Angolan courts, she claims the corruption probe against her was based on a fake passport signed by late Hollywood star Bruce Lee. Portugal also froze her assets in February.

Around the World

FBI seeks help finding 6 Nigerians accused of fraud totaling over $6 million

The Nigerians are also accused of working with money launderers, romance scammers, and others.

Published

6 days ago

June 27, 2020

William Ukpe

FBI seeks help finding 6 Nigerians accused of fraud totaling over $6 million

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced, through its Twitter handle, that it needs the help of the public to find six Nigerians who were complicit in Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes, which led to the loss of over $6 million.

Help the #FBI find six Nigerian nationals wanted for their involvement in business email compromise (BEC) schemes resulting in over $6 million in losses. Read more about each defendant at https://t.co/Q1OToaIVsl, and submit tips at https://t.co/iL7sD5efWD. #FugitiveFriday pic.twitter.com/67TZPHLgHA

— FBI (@FBI) June 27, 2020

The accused Nigerians in the FBI’s Cyber Most wanted are Richard Izuchuckwu Uzuh, Alex Afolabi Ogunshakin, Felix Osilama Okpoh, Abiola Ayorinde Kayode, Nnamdi Benson, and Micheal Olorunyomi.

The FBI says that over 70 different businesses were defrauded of the amount. The fugitives are accused of sending spoofed emails to thousands of businesses requesting fraudulent wire services.

The Nigerians are also accused of working with money launderers, romance scammers, and others involved in BEC schemes “through a complex web of witting and unwitting people in the United States and abroad.”

Uzuh and Ogunshakin are alleged to have conducted their own BEC Schemes; while learning from Uzuh, Ogunshakin provided the bank accounts to him, Benson, Kayode and Okpo, whose accounts were used to receive fraudulent wire transfers. Okpoh alone is accused of providing bank accounts for receiving fraudulent transfers valued at $1 million.

Uzuh was indicted in October 2016 in the United States District Court, District of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, on wire fraud charges and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, while the other co-conspirators were indicted in August 2019 at the same district court and had Federal warrants issued for their arrests.

Meanwhile, Micheal Olorunyomi, who was indicted in November 2019, is accused of defrauding victims of over $1 million by targeting vulnerable elders or widows through romance fraud schemes.

Around the World

Trump halts access to green cards, employment-based visa till end of 2020

Workers who are already in the United States will not be affected by this order.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 23, 2020

Ruth Okwumbu

Donald Trump, What does Iran’s war with America mean for Africa?, US to stop issuing visa for Birth Tourism, Trump Travel Ban List: Why Nigeria should be excluded , US spends over $5b in health assistance to Nigeria in 20 years, gives $32.8m for covid-19, Oil Is Back

President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, is set to sign an order temporarily halting access to several employment-based visas, and issuance of green cards for the rest of the year.

This decision, which comes as a result of the 13.3% unemployment rate caused by the coronavirus pandemic, will restrain hundreds of thousands of people seeking to work in the U.S. However, workers who are already in the United States will not be affected by this order.

According to a senior administration official quoted on Bloomberg, the order will freeze new H1-B, H2-B, H-4, L and most J visas through the end of the year, the official said.

The only exceptions are the food processing workers who will still be allowed to access H2-B visas.

In a Saturday interview with Fox News, Trump had stated that he wanted Americans to take the jobs that would otherwise go to those granted the visas.

“We have plenty of people looking for jobs,” he told Fox. “I think it’s going to make a lot of people very happy. And it’s common sense.”

Trump had earlier hinted at plans to temporarily suspend migrations to the US, amid concerns from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Information Technology Industry Council, that such moves could disrupt business.

Employment based visas

H-1B visas cover temporary work authorizations for people with highly specialized knowledge, while H-4 visas are issued to immediate family members of H-1B visa holders.

The H-2 visas allow temporary work in agriculture, construction, forestry and many other industries.

L visas are for temporary intracompany transfers for those who are in management positions or have specialized knowledge, while J visas are for work- and study-based exchange visitor programs.

Although the American technology industry has relied on H-1B visas to hire foreign talent, particularly in the fields of science and engineering in the past years, critics say some companies have abused the program to displace American workers.

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Bloomberg reports that there are plans to restructure the H1-B program to rewrite rules in which applicants will get priority for H1-B visas, giving reference to would-be immigrants with the highest salary offers.