Quarter Analysis1
Income attributable to Shell plc shareholders, compared with the third quarter 2023, reflected higher LNG trading and optimisation margins, favourable deferred tax movements, and higher production, offset by lower refining margins, lower margins from crude and oil products trading and optimisation, and higher operating expenses.
Fourth quarter 2023 income attributable to Shell plc shareholders also included net impairment charges and reversals ($3.9 billion), and unfavourable movements due to the fair value accounting of commodity derivatives. These charges and unfavourable movements are included in identified items amounting to a net loss of $6.0 billion in the quarter. This compares with identified items in the third quarter 2023 which amounted to a net loss of $0.1 billion, and mainly related to impairment charges, largely offset by favourable movements due to the fair value accounting of commodity derivatives.
Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EBITDA2 were driven by the same factors as income attributable to Shell plc shareholders and adjusted for the above identified items and the cost of supplies adjustment of positive $0.8 billion.
Cash flow from operating activities for the fourth quarter 2023 was $12.6 billion, and primarily driven by Adjusted EBITDA, and a working capital inflow of $3.3 billion, partly offset by tax payments of $3.6 billion, and a derivatives outflow of $1.0 billion and the timing impact of payments relating to emission certificates and biofuel programmes of $0.9 billion. The working capital inflow mainly reflected inventory movements due to lower prices.
And;
Shareholder distributions
Total shareholder distributions in the quarter amounted to $6.2 billion comprising repurchases of shares of $4.0 billion and cash dividends paid to Shell plc shareholders of $2.2 billion. Dividends declared to Shell plc shareholders for the fourth quarter 2023 amount to $0.3440 per share. Shell has now completed $3.5 billion of share buybacks announced in the third quarter 2023 results announcement. Today, Shell announces a share buyback programme of $3.5 billion which is expected to be completed by the first quarter 2024 results announcement.
https://www.investegate.co.uk/announcem ... u-/8016133
Also posted on Company News here; viewtopic.php?p=644085#p644085
Ex div 15 Feb 24, paid 25 Mar 24, $0.344 per share.
I hold these in my HYP, and know others here do too, so this may be of interest here.
Ian.