Shell's (SHEL) "Neutral" Rating Reiterated at UBS Group

Key Points

• UBS reissued a "Neutral" rating on Shell; the firm sits at a market consensus of "Hold" (four Buys, five Holds) with a consensus price target of GBX 3,183.33.
• The near-term picture is mixed: Shell expects a boost from significantly higher Q1 oil trading profits and is reducing share count via buybacks, but production hits and a lowered gas outlook tied to the Iran war pose downside risks.
• Shares opened at GBX 3,442.50 (market cap £192.96bn, PE 11.47), trading above the consensus target, and insiders including Sinead Gorman and Wael Sawan purchased stock in late February, signaling some insider confidence.

Shell (LON:SHEL - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "neutral" rating reissued by analysts at UBS Group in a report issued on Thursday,MarketScreener reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on SHEL. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Shell in a report on Wednesday. Rothschild & Co Redburn cut Shell to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Shell to an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Shell from GBX 3,600 to GBX 3,900 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Berenberg Bank reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Shell in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of GBX 3,183.33.

Shell Stock Performance

LON SHEL opened at GBX 3,442.50 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 59.97, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.30. The company has a market capitalization of £192.96 billion, a PE ratio of 11.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.51. Shell has a 52-week low of GBX 2,289.69 and a 52-week high of GBX 3,592. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 3,158.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 2,889.82.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Shell news, insider Sinead Gorman bought 15,841 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 3,011 per share, for a total transaction of £476,972.51. Also, insider Wael Sawan acquired 23,980 shares of Shell stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 3,011 per share, for a total transaction of £722,037.80. Insiders own 0.04% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Shell

Here are the key news stories impacting Shell this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Shell says oil trading profits surged and it expects "significantly higher" oil trading profits in Q1 — a near‑term earnings boost that helps offset production disruption. Shell Expects 'Significantly Higher' Oil Trading Profits in Q1
• Positive Sentiment: Shell continues active capital return via share buybacks and cancellations (transactions announced for 7–8 April), which reduces share count and supports EPS. Shell Continues Share Buy-Back with Multi-Venue Repurchases for Cancellation
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on Shell — a sign analysts view near‑term upside as balanced by risk, so no immediate change in analyst stance. Shell NEU Gets a Neutral Rating From RBC
• Neutral Sentiment: Several media pieces reference "Jeff Shell" (Paramount) exiting his role — not related to Shell plc (SHEL); likely noise for investors but could cause headline confusion. Jeff Shell Steps Down as President of Paramount
• Negative Sentiment: Shell and peers report production hits tied to the Iran war — disruptions to operations and supply routes have forced cuts and create uncertainty for gas output and near‑term volumes. Exxon and Shell Reveal Production Hits From Iranian War
• Negative Sentiment: Shell cut its gas production outlook and flagged capital outflow pressures tied to the Middle East conflict — a downside to medium‑term production guidance and cash flow assumptions. Shell Flags Lower Gas Output, Capital Outflow Amid Iran Conflict but Sees Oil Trading Boost

Shell Company Profile

Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies. Shell's strategy is to deliver more value with less emissions as we work to become a net-zero emissions business by 2050. As we navigate the energy transition through the next decade, we will leverage our global footprint, the trust in our brand, and our innovation and technology capabilities to be the energy company that customers and countries choose to be their partner. We are positioning Shell to become the investment case and partner of choice through the energy transition.

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