BP faces growing pressure from investors as it prepares to publish full-year results expected to show weaker profits. Analysts forecast earnings of about $7.5bn, down from nearly $9bn in 2024, after oil prices fell sharply in 2025. The company also suffered a fourth-quarter hit as crude dropped below $60 a barrel.
Incoming chief executive Meg O’Neill will face demands to present a clear long-term strategy. Shareholder groups, including the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility and Follow This, want BP to explain how it will manage spending as fossil fuel demand declines. Activists argue BP’s recent return to oil and gas projects risks future value as clean energy and electric vehicles reduce demand.
BP has launched seven new oil and gas projects and says several were delivered early, helping its share price outperform European rivals. However, critics say the company’s strategy has lacked clarity and warn new fossil fuel investments may not be sustainable. Investors expect O’Neill to restore confidence and end years of strategic uncertainty.
