據8月2日National News報道，受油價上漲和今年全球經濟全面復蘇的影響，英國石油(BP)第二季度扭虧為盈，盈利31億美元，而去年同期虧損168億美元。

　　英國石油將派息提高4%，還將啟動一項14億美元的股票回購計劃。而在去年，該公司大幅削減了對股東的派息。

　　周二公布業績后，該公司股價上漲2.5%。

　　今年，英國石油扭虧為盈，一季度實現了46億美元的強勁利潤，使其上半年整體凈利潤達到77億美元，而去年同期為虧損212億美元。

　　由于新冠肺炎疫情導致需求減少，去年上半年虧損增加，迫使這家總部位于英國的公司削減了股息。BP首席伯納德·魯尼表示，“基于我們業務的基本表現、環境前景的改善以及對我們資產負債表的信心，我們將把每股普通股的彈性股息提高4%，此外，我們還將開始從上半年的盈余現金流中回購14億美元的股票。平均而言，在每桶60美元左右的水平上，我們預計，到2025年，我們每季度能夠進行約10億美元的回購，并有能力將每股股息每年增加約4%。”

　　英國石油并不是唯一一家在原油大宗商品價格有利環境下開始回購股票的大型石油公司。雪佛龍上周五表示，將在本季度開始股票回購，每年回購20億至30億美元。荷蘭皇家殼牌(Royal Dutch Shell)和道達爾能源(Total energy)等其他能源公司也恢復了股票回購。

　　自今年初以來，油價已上漲約50%，提振了大型石油公司的盈利能力。在疫情爆發之后，英國石油公司開始對其業務方式進行重大改革。

　　該公司計劃到2050年，在其所有業務中實現凈零碳排放。去年，該公司將其石油和天然氣業務價值減記175億美元，因為該公司降低了至2050年的石油價格預期。

　　今年第三季度，英國石油將繼續其撤資計劃。去年，這家石油公司將其化工業務以50億美元的價格出售給了英力士(Ineos)。

　　該公司在向股市披露的信息中表示，“我們預計，在2021年后期，今年的撤資和其他收益將達到50億至60億美元。我們的目標是在2020年下半年至2025年期間撤資250億美元，目前已達成或已完成的交易約為149億美元，收益逾100億美元。”

　　王佳晶 摘譯自 National News

　　原文如下：

　　BP swings to $3.1bn profit in second quarter amid higher oil prices

　　Oil company BP swung to profit in the second quarter amid higher oil prices and a broader recovery in the global economy this year, after posting a loss in the same period a year earlier.

　　The company earned $3.1 billion in the three months to the end of June, compared with a $16.8bn loss in the same period a year ago.

　　BP is raising its dividend by 4 per cent, after slashing payouts to shareholders last year. It will also begin a $1.4bn share buyback programme.

　　The company's shares gained 2.5 per cent after the earnings announcement on Tuesday.

　　BP clawed back losses this year, after posting a robust $4.6bn profit for the first three months of the year, taking its overall first-half net profit to $7.7bn, compared with a $21.2bn loss in the same period a year earlier.

　　Losses in the first half of last year increased amid a crunch in demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing the UK-based company to slash its dividend payouts.

　　"based on the underlying performance of our business, an improving outlook for the environment and confidence in our balance sheet, we are increasing our resilient dividend by 4 per cent per ordinary share and, in addition, we are commencing a buyback of $1.4bn from first-half surplus cash flow," said BP chief Bernard Looney.

　　"On average, at around $60 per barrel, we expect to be able to deliver buybacks of around $1bn per quarter and to have capacity for an annual increase in the dividend per ordinary share of around 4 per cent, through 2025."

　　BP is not the only big oil company to start share repurchases amid a favourable environment for crude commodity prices.

　　Chevron said on Friday that it would begin share buybacks during the current quarter, with repurchases of $2bn to $3bn a year. Other energy companies such as Royal Dutch Shell and Total Energies have also reinstated share buybacks.

　　Oil prices have risen by about 50 per cent since the start of the year, boosting the profitability of big oil companies.

　　BP has embarked on a major overhaul of how it does business following the Covid-19 pandemic.

　　It plans to reach net zero carbon emissions across all its operations on an absolute basis by 2050. Last year, the company wrote off $17.5bn from the value of its oil and gas business as it lowered its oil price expectations through to 2050.

　　In the third quarter, BP will continue with its divestment programme, which last year resulted in the oil company selling its chemicals business to Ineos for $5bn.

　　"We continue to expect divestment and other proceeds for the year to reach $5bn to $6bn during the latter stages of 2021," the company said in a disclosure to the stock market.

　　"As a result of the first half-year divestments, our target of $25bn of divestment and other proceeds between the second half of 2020 and 2025 is now underpinned by agreed or completed transactions of around $14.9bn, with over $10bn of proceeds received."