London, Feb 19, 2026, 09:11 GMT — Regular session
- BP edged up roughly 0.8% in early trading in London, with shares hovering around 473 pence.
- BP shareholders face the ex-dividend date on Thursday, ahead of the company’s quarterly payout scheduled for March 27.
- Crude moves are on traders’ radar, as are the latest U.S.-Iran headlines.
BP climbed 0.8% to 472.9 pence by 0856 GMT in early London moves Thursday, shrugging off its ex-dividend date for the upcoming quarterly payout.
It’s significant: BP’s decision to pause buybacks this month and steer cash toward debt reduction has thrown the spotlight back on shareholder returns, leaving the dividend to pick up the slack.
Oil’s taken the wheel lately. Brent futures edged up 0.3% to $70.58 a barrel as of 0735 GMT, after both major contracts soared more than 4% on Wednesday. Traders are watching possible fallout from U.S.-Iran tensions and threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. “Full-scale armed conflict is unlikely,” said Hiroyuki Kikukawa, chief strategist at Nissan Securities Investment. Reuters
BP shares finished Wednesday up 2%, ending near 4.70 pounds. That puts the stock just under its 52-week peak, with the FTSE 100 also gaining ground.
Shell ticked up 0.2% to 2,934.5 pence as of 0900 GMT, putting the spotlight on the sector as a whole and not on any particular company news.
The ex-dividend date marks the point when anyone picking up shares misses out on the next dividend payout. That timing has a way of distorting daily price changes—especially in stocks with bigger yields.
BP bulls face a clear risk here: should the geopolitical premium vanish and crude prices slide, support for oil stocks could evaporate quickly. If tensions ease or energy flows remain untouched, those recent gains are likely to get challenged.
Investors eye BP’s first-quarter numbers and dividend update coming up April 28 at 0700 BST. They’ll be watching for any new hints on cash flow, debt, and whether the company shifts its position on buybacks.
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