Shell posts stronger-than-expected profits as more cash handed to investors

Oil giant Shell has said profits lifted higher than expected over the past three months, amid a boost from higher sales volumes and trading margins.

The group said it would hand a further 3.5 billion US dollars (£2.65 billion) back to shareholders.

The FTSE 100 firm reported adjusted earnings of 5.43 billion US dollars (£4.1 billion) for the third quarter of 2025, surpassing analyst guidance.

It said this represented a 27% increase on the previous quarter but was lower than the six billion dollars (£4.6 billion) reported over the same period a year earlier.

Volumes improved against the previous quarter, while the business also flagged a 161 million dollar benefit from favourable tax write-offs over the quarter.

It did however highlight that some of those benefits were offset by higher depreciation, depletion and amortisation expenses.

Shell was supported by its integrated gas business, which saw income jump 28% and earnings lift by 23% for the quarter.

Elsewhere, the firm’s renewables business returned to profitability, as losses across large parts of the division were offset by improvements in trading and marketing.

Chief executive Wael Sawan said: “Shell delivered another strong set of results, with clear progress across our portfolio and excellent performance in our marketing business and deepwater assets in the Gulf of America and Brazil.

“Despite continued volatility, our strong delivery this quarter enables us to commence another 3.5 billion US dollars of buybacks for the next three months.”

The results come a day after Norwegian rival Equinor reported a sharper-than-expected fall in profitability.

Shell has performed ahead of many energy market competitors over the past year, with its shares up by almost 16% over the last 12 months.