Royal Dutch Shell Cl B (RDSB)

Royal Dutch Shell

Get the latest news on Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) with Capital.com. Royal Dutch Shell is an international group of petroleum and energy companies with around 92,000 employees and business operations in over 70 countries. Capital.com has the latest Royal Dutch Shell share price, plus plenty of background information on the company.

What is Royal Dutch Shell?

Royal Dutch Shell – usually referred to simply as Shell – is an international group of petroleum and energy companies with around 92,000 employees and business operations in over 70 countries. It’s one of the six oil and gas ‘supermajors’ and was ranked by Forbes as the 20th biggest company in the world in 2017 (and the largest based in Europe). 

As at 5 February 2018, Royal Dutch Shell was the biggest company in the FTSE 100 index by some way, with a market capitalisation of £197.3 billion. You can check out the latest Royal Dutch Shell share price here at Capital.com.

Shell has four main business units: Upstream, Downstream, Integrated Gas and New Energies, and Project and Technology. The Shell Oil Company is Royal Dutch Shell’s U.S. subsidiary and its largest business.

Who are the key people at Royal Dutch Shell?

Dutchman Ben van Beurden has been Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell since January 2014. It’s the culmination of a 35-year long career at the company that’s spanned both its Upstream and Downstream activities. 

Charles O. Holliday, a US national, has been Chairman of the company since May 2015, having previously served as a Non-executive Director since September 2010.

What is the modern history of Royal Dutch Shell?

Shell was established in 1907 through the amalgamation of the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company of the Netherlands and the Shell Transport and Trading Company of the UK. It’s been a big presence in the energy industry ever since, though there’ve been a fair number of controversies along the way. In November 2004, after a period of turmoil following news that Shell had been overstating its oil reserves, it was announced that Shell Group would move to a single capital structure, creating a new parent company called Royal Dutch Shell plc.

What are the latest developments at Royal Dutch Shell?

In a landmark move, Royal Dutch Shell acquired BG Group in 2016, making it the world's biggest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

But a programme of divestments has also been underway, with the aim of simplifying Shell’s upstream portfolio. In January 2017, Shell agreed to sell £2.46 billion worth of North Sea assets to oil exploration firm Chrysaor. In the same year, Shell sold its oil sands assets to Canadian Natural Resources in exchange for an 8.8% stake in the company.

Royal Dutch Shell has been doing well recently – its profits more than doubled in the fourth quarter of 2017, supported by a rally in oil and gas prices. Net profit attributable to shareholders on a current cost of supplies (CCS) basis, excluding identified items, was $4.3 billion, against $1.8 billion in Q4 2016. Full-year 2017 net profit, attributable to shareholders on a CCS basis and excluding one-off items, was $15.8 billion – a 119 per cent increase on the previous year.

Our RDSB chart tracks the ups and downs of the company’s stock over recent weeks and months.

Where does Royal Dutch Shell operate?

The company is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, and is incorporated in the UK. Shell provides approximately 10% of Britain’s total oil and gas production. Around the world, some of Royal Dutch Shell’s major projects include the Prelude floating liquefied natural gas facility in Western Australia, the Trans Niger Pipeline and the Cardamom oil and gas field in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It’s got a truly global presence.provide approximately 10% of the UK's total oil and gas production. 

Where is Royal Dutch Shell traded?

RDSB shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), Euronext Amsterdam and the New York Stock Exchange (in ADR form). The company is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Check out Capital.com for the latest RDSB chart.