BP (BP) Competitors

BP (LON:BP) and Shell (LON:SHEL) are both large-cap energy companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, media sentiment and dividends.

Does the media prefer BP or SHEL?

In the previous week, Shell had 10 more articles in the media than BP. MarketBeat recorded 20 mentions for Shell and 10 mentions for BP. Shell's average media sentiment score of 0.46 beat BP's score of 0.19 indicating that Shell is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
BP	3 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	4 Neutral mention(s)	2 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral
Shell	9 Very Positive mention(s)	5 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	2 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral

Do analysts rate BP or SHEL?

BP presently has a consensus price target of GBX 494, suggesting a potential upside of 30.26%. Shell has a consensus price target of GBX 3,287.50, suggesting a potential upside of 25.10%. Given BP's higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe BP is more favorable than Shell.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
BP	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	2 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.40
Shell	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	4 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00

Is BP or SHEL a better dividend stock?

BP pays an annual dividend of GBX 23 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.1%. Shell pays an annual dividend of GBX 105 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.0%. BP pays out 171.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Shell pays out 52.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Is BP or SHEL more profitable?

Shell has a net margin of 5.27% compared to BP's net margin of 1.39%. Shell's return on equity of 8.38% beat BP's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
BP	1.39%	3.99%	4.07%
Shell	5.27%	8.38%	5.28%

Which has more volatility & risk, BP or SHEL?

BP has a beta of 0.49, meaning that its stock price is 51% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Shell has a beta of 0.51, meaning that its stock price is 49% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Which has better earnings and valuation, BP or SHEL?

Shell has higher revenue and earnings than BP. Shell is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than BP, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
BP	£233.22B	0.32	£3.23B	£13.39	28.33
Shell	£357.18B	0.55	£18.82B	£200.69	13.10

Do institutionals & insiders have more ownership in BP or SHEL?

41.6% of BP shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 37.3% of Shell shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.3% of BP shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.1% of Shell shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Shell beats BP on 13 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.