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How to buy BP shares | 304.8p
Own BP shares in just a few minutes. Share price changes are updated daily.
The price of BP shares fell in February due to its first reported annual loss in a decade, after the pandemic caused a crash in the price of oil and gas. The company is now promising a transition towards more renewable energies, which may attract more sustainably-focused investors.
How to buy shares in BP
- Choose a platform. If you're a beginner, our share-dealing table below can help you choose.
- Open your account. You'll need your ID, bank details and national insurance number.
- Confirm your payment details. You'll need to fund your account with a bank transfer, debit card or credit card.
- Search the platform for stock code: BP in this case.
- Research BP shares. The platform should provide the latest information available.
- Buy your BP shares. It's that simple.
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What's in this guide?
- Can I buy shares in BP?
- Has coronavirus impacted BP shares?
- BP shares summary
- Compare share dealing platforms
- Is BP stock a buy or sell?
- Performance over time
- Is BP suitable for ethical investing?
- Are BP shares over-valued?
- Financials
- How volatile are BP shares?
- Does BP pay a dividend?
- Have BP shares ever split?
- Other common questions
How has coronavirus impacted BP's share price?
Since the stock market crash that started in February 2020, BP's share price has had significant negative movement.
Its last market close was 315p, which is 30.55% down on its pre-crash value of 453.55p and 41.32% up on the lowest point reached during the March 2020 crash when the shares fell as low as 222.9p.
If you had bought £1,000 worth of BP shares at the start of February 2020, those shares would have been worth £567.49 at the bottom of the March crash, and if you held on to them, then as of the last market close they'd be worth £695.84.
BP share price
Use our graph to track the performance of BP stocks over time.BP shares at a glance
Information last updated 2021-04-30.
| Open | 303p |
|---|---|
| High | 307.45p |
| Low | 301.75p |
| Close | 304.8p |
| Previous close | 302p |
| Change | 2.8p |
| Change % | 0.9272% |
| Volume | 22,243,752 |
Information last updated 2021-04-27.
| 52-week range | 188.4374p - 376.3154p |
|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | 302.8042p |
| 200-day moving average | 270.2631p |
| Wall St. target price | 7.99p |
| Dividend yield | 0.263p (8.87%) |
| Earnings per share (TTM) | 23.4p |
Invest in BP shares with 0% commission
Other fees apply. Your capital is at risk.
- Unlimited trades, with no dealing charges or management fees
- Pay no stamp duty on UK shares (saving 0.5%)
- Create an account today in a few minutes
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Capital at risk
Fees for buying 100x BP shares with popular platforms
Share prices fluctuate in real time, so the costs presented here should be considered as a guide only. They do not incorporate stamp duty. Always refer to the platform itself for availability and pricing – which may differ from our information.
| Platform | Platform fee | Min. initial deposit | Trading fee estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
£0 | No minimum | £0.00 £304.80 total |
Capital at risk |
|
£0 | $200 | £0.00 £304.80 total |
Capital at risk |
 |
£0 | £0.01 | £1.79 £306.59 total |
Capital at risk |
|
£0 | £1 | £11.95 £316.75 total |
Capital at risk |
|
£9.99 per month | No minimum | £7.99 £312.79 total |
Capital at risk |
 |
£36 per year | £20 | £9.50 £314.30 total |
Capital at risk |
Full comparison of share dealing platforms
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
Is it a good time to buy BP stock?
The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. This is not a recommendation, however. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.
BP price performance over time
Historical closes compared with the last close of 304.8p
| 1 week (2021-04-28) | 0.10% |
|---|---|
| 3 months (2021-02-05) | 20.93% |
| 6 months (2020-11-06) | 52.51% |
| 1 year (2020-05-05) | -4.42% |
|---|---|
| 2 years (2019-05-03) | -44.39% |
| 3 years (2018-05-04) | -45.39% |
| 5 years (2016-05-05) | -14.94% |
Is BP under- or over-valued?
Valuing a stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge value.
PEG ratio
BP's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 0.43. A PEG ratio below 1 can be interpreted as meaning the shares are not overvalued given the current rate of growth.
The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into BP's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.
However, it's sensible to consider BP's PEG ratio in relation to those of similar companies.
EBITDA
BP's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is a whopping £12.3 billion.
The EBITDA is a measure of a BP's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure a its profitability.
To put that into context you can compare it against similar companies.
- Premier Oil (PMO.LSE): £388.2 million
- Tullow Oil (TLW.LSE): £684.6 million
- Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA.LSE): £21.9 billion
- Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM.US): USD$9.3 billion
Financials
| Revenue TTM | £180.1 billion |
|---|---|
| Gross profit TTM | £25.8 billion |
| Return on assets TTM | -4.88% |
| Return on equity TTM | -22.26% |
| Profit margin | -11.27% |
| Book value | 3.515p |
| Market capitalisation | £60.7 billion |
TTM: trailing 12 months
Environmental, social and governance track record
Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like BP.
Total ESG risk score
BP's total ESG risk: 39.4
Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and BP's overall score of 39.4 (as at 12/31/2018) is pretty weak – landing it in it in the 82nd percentile of companies rated in the same sector.
ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like BP is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).
To gain some more context, you can compare BP's total ESG risk score against those of similar companies.
- Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA.LSE): 34.84
- Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM.US): 31.83
Environmental score
BP's environmental score: 21.01/100
BP's environmental score of 21.01 puts it squarely in the 4th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that BP is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
Social score
BP's social score: 11.95/100
BP's social score of 11.95 puts it squarely in the 4th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that BP is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.
Governance score
BP's governance score: 11.44/100
BP's governance score puts it squarely in the 4th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that BP is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
Controversy score
BP's controversy score: 2/5
ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. A high-profile company, BP scored a 2 out of 5 for controversy – the second-highest score possible, reflecting that BP has, for the most part, managed to keep its nose clean.
Wondering how that compares? Below are the controversy scores of similar companies.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) summary
BP p.l.c was last rated for ESG on: 2019-01-01.
| Total ESG score | 39.4 |
|---|---|
| Total ESG percentile | 81.56 |
| Environmental score | 21.01 |
| Environmental score percentile | 4 |
| Social score | 11.95 |
| Social score percentile | 4 |
| Governance score | 11.44 |
| Governance score percentile | 4 |
| Level of controversy | 2 |
BP share dividends
Dividend payout ratio: 7.72% of net profits
Recently BP has paid out, on average, around 7.72% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 5.08% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), shareholders could enjoy a 5.08% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In BP's case, that would currently equate to about 0.263p per share.
While BP's payout ratio might seem low, this can signify that the company is investing more in its future growth.
The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 17 February 2021 (the "ex-dividend date").
BP's dividend payout ratio is perhaps best considered in relation to those of similar companies.
- Premier Oil (PMO.LSE): 0.00% (does not pay dividend)
- Tullow Oil (TLW.LSE): 0.00% (does not pay dividend)
- Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA.LSE): 0.00% (does not pay dividend)
- Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM.US): 0.00% (does not pay dividend)
Have BP's shares ever split?
BP's shares were split on a 2:1 basis on 3 October 1999. So if you had owned 1 share the day before before the split, the next day you'd have owned 2 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your BP shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 50% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for BP shares which in turn could have impacted BP's share price.
Share price volatility
Over the last 12 months, BP's shares have ranged in value from as little as 188.4374p up to 376.3154p. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".
Beta is a measure of a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (LSE average) beta is 1, while BP's is 0.7874. This would suggest that BP's shares are less volatile than average (for this exchange).
To put BP's beta into context you can compare it against those of similar companies.
- Premier Oil (PMO.LSE): 3.6998
- Tullow Oil (TLW.LSE): 2.6567
- Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA.LSE): 1.0277
- Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM.US): 1.4137
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Ask an Expert
which Broker should I invest buying BPshares?
Hi Michael,
Thanks for getting in touch with finder. I hope all is well with you. :)
Whilst we are unable to give a recommendation on a specific option, let me help you make the right decision. By assessing your current and future needs, preference, and budget, you will be able to know which broker is the right one for you.
Another thing you can do is compare your options through the table found on this page. The table is found under the subheading “Compare these platforms and trade BP shares.” By doing so, you will be able to see the pros and cons of each broker. Once you find the right one for you, then click the “Go to site” green button to learn more.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua