Shell Is Up 6% in Q1 as Recovering Oil, Markets Come to Its Aid

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) stock has risen 6% to date in the first quarter of 2019 led primarily by a recovery in oil prices and a rise in equity markets in the first quarter so far. WTI has risen 21% in the current quarter. Also, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), a broader market indicator, has risen 11% in the first quarter so far.

Higher oil prices and better markets have mainly affected Shell stock. Oil prices have risen due to production cuts implemented by OPEC. Plus, US sanctions against Venezuela and Iran have further supported oil prices. However, supply glut fears remain due to higher production expectations from the United States and slowing global demand. Equity markets have also recovered in the quarter due to ongoing trade talks between the United States and China.

At the end of January, Shell posted its fourth-quarter earnings results, which surpassed analysts’ estimates. Shell posted a robust set of yearly earnings, and its stock reacted positively to the news. For more on this, read Shell’s Q4 Earnings Rose across Segments: Stock Up 4%.

ExxonMobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX), and BP (BP) have risen 12%, 8%, and 10%, respectively, in the current quarter. Other players such as Equinor (EQNR), PetroChina (PTR), and Suncor Energy (SU) have risen 7%, 9%, and 22%, respectively, in the first quarter so far.

In the next article, let’s evaluate Shell’s moving averages.