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How to buy BP shares | 262.9p
Own BP shares in just a few minutes. Share price changes are updated daily.
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BP p.l.c (BP) is a leading oil & gas integrated business based in the UK. It opened the day at 258.95p after a previous close of 263.5p. During the day the price has varied from a low of 256.75p to a high of 264.6p. The latest price was 262.9p (25 minute delay). BP is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and employs 67,600 staff. All prices are listed in pence sterling.
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?
- BP performance over time
- Is BP suitable for ethical investing?
- Are BP shares over-valued?
- BP's 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 in March caused by coronavirus, BP's share price has had significant negative movement.
Its last market close was 207.75p, which is 54.19% down on its pre-crash value of 453.55p and 7.29% down on the lowest point reached during the March 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 £458.92.
BP share price
Use our graph to track the performance of BP stocks over time.BP shares at a glance
Information last updated 2020-11-27.
| Open | 258.95p |
|---|---|
| High | 264.6p |
| Low | 256.75p |
| Close | 262.9p |
| Previous close | 263.5p |
| Change | -0.6p |
| Change % | -0.228% |
| Volume | 88,097,663 |
Information last updated 2020-11-22.
| 52-week range | 184.9038p - 470.878p |
|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | 217.5003p |
| 200-day moving average | 274.3106p |
| Wall St. target price | 7.99p |
| PE ratio | 20.2373 |
| Dividend yield | 0.16p (6.54%) |
| Earnings per share (TTM) | 23.4p |
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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. Capital is 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 262.9p
| 1 week (2020-11-19) | 7.86% |
|---|---|
| 1 month (2020-10-29) | 35.89% |
| 3 months (2020-08-28) | -0.49% |
| 6 months (2020-05-29) | -14.01% |
| 1 year (2019-11-29) | -45.25% |
|---|---|
| 2 years (2018-11-29) | -49.65% |
| 3 years (2017-11-29) | -46.84% |
| 5 years (2015-11-27) | -31.99% |
Is BP under- or over-valued?
Valuing BP stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of BP's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.
BP's P/E ratio
BP's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 20x. In other words, BP shares trade at around 20x recent earnings.
That's comparable to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the FTSE 250 at the end of September 2019 (19.71).
However, BP's P/E ratio is best considered in relation to those of others within the oil & gas integrated industry or those of similar companies.
- Premier Oil (PMO.LSE): 3.19
- Tullow Oil (TLW.LSE): 6.17
- Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA.LSE): 13.00
- Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM.US): 47.36
BP's 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 low ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer better value, while a higher ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value.
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.
BP's EBITDA
BP's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is a whopping £17.3 billion.
The EBITDA is a measure of a BP's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure a its profitability.
To put BP's EBITDA into context you can compare it against that of similar companies.
- Premier Oil (PMO.LSE): £533.5 million
- Tullow Oil (TLW.LSE): £848.6 million
- Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA.LSE): £36.1 billion
- Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM.US): USD$18.7 billion
BP financials
| Revenue TTM | £205.8 billion |
|---|---|
| Gross profit TTM | £45.7 billion |
| Return on assets TTM | -1.43% |
| Return on equity TTM | -24.37% |
| Profit margin | -10.52% |
| Book value | 3.356p |
| Market capitalisation | £49.5 billion |
TTM: trailing 12 months
BP's 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.
When it comes to ESG scores, lower is better, and lower scores are generally associated with lower risk for would-be investors.
BP's total ESG risk score
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 01/01/2019) 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
BP's environmental score
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.
BP's social score
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.
BP's governance score
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.
BP's controversy score
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
We're not expecting BP to pay a dividend over the next 12 months. However, you can browse other dividend-paying shares in our guide.
You may also wish to consider:
- Tullow Oil (TLW.LSE) (23.09% forward annual dividend yield)
- Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA.LSE) (5.07% forward annual dividend yield)
- Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM.US) (8.84% forward annual dividend yield)
Have BP's shares ever split?
BP's shares were split on a 2:1 basis on 4 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.
BP share price volatility
Over the last 12 months, BP's shares have ranged in value from as little as 184.9038p up to 470.878p. 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 0.4443. 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): 3.1034
- Tullow Oil (TLW.LSE): 2.5874
- Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA.LSE): 0.7759
- Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM.US): 1.2858
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BP overview
BP PLC engages in the energy business worldwide. It operates through three segments: Upstream, Downstream, and Rosneft. The Upstream segment is involved in the oil and natural gas exploration, and field development and production; midstream transportation, storage, and processing; and marketing and trading of liquefied natural gas (LNG), biogas, power, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). This segment also engages in the ownership and management of crude oil and natural gas pipelines; processing facilities and export terminals; and LNG processing facilities and transportation, as well as NGLs processing business. The Downstream segment refines, manufactures, markets, transports, supplies, and trades in crude oil, petroleum, and petrochemical products and related services to wholesale and retail customers. It offers gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuels; lubricants, and related products and services to the automotive, industrial, marine, and energy markets under the Castrol, BP, and Aral brands; and petrochemical products, such as purified terephthalic acid, paraxylene, acetic acid, olefins and derivatives, and specialty petrochemical products. The Rosneft segment engages in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons, as well as jet fuel, bunkering, bitumen, and lubricants activities. This segment also owns and operates 13 refineries in Russia; and approximately 3,000 retail service stations in Russia and internationally. The company also produces ethanol, bio-isobutanol, bio-power, and solar energy; transports hydrocarbon products through time-chartered and spot-chartered vessels; and holds interests in wind sites. BP PLC was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
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