壳牌自二战以来首次下调股息

据道琼斯伦敦5月1日消息，在一季度受疫情冲击导致利润接近减半后，壳牌自第二次世界大战以来首次下调股息。

近几个月能源需求和油价急剧下降，因为全国性封锁措施限制出行及冲击经济增长。随着部分国家试探重启经济，壳牌及其同业公司正迎来贸易环境持续不确定的局面。

壳牌将第一季度的股息下调66%，至每股16美分，这是该公司自1945年以来首次下调股息。

壳牌首席执行官范伯登表示:“鉴于宏观经济前景持续恶化，以及重大的中长期不确定性，我们正采取进一步审慎措施，增强我们的韧性，巩固我们的资产负债表，支持壳牌的长期价值创造。”

壳牌的这一举措与英国石油公司(BP)形成鲜明对比，后者宣布将维持股息。

壳牌公布，在截至3月31日的三个月里，按当前供应成本(CCS)基础计算的利润为27.6亿美元，而上年同期为52.9亿美元。这一指标类似于美国石油公司公布的净利润。

张春晓 摘译自 道琼斯

原文如下：

Shell Cuts Dividend for First Time Since World War II

Royal Dutch Shell PLC cut its dividend for the first time since World War II after first-quarter profit fell by nearly half as the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Energy demand and oil prices have plunged in recent months as nationwide lockdowns restrict travel and hit economic growth. With some countries tentatively reopening their economies, Shell and its peers are bracing for the uncertain trading conditions to continue.

Shell cut its first-quarter dividend by 66% to 16 cents a share, its first cut since 1945.

"Given the continued deterioration in the macroeconomic outlook and the significant mid and long-term uncertainty, we are taking further prudent steps to bolster our resilience, underpin the strength of our balance sheet and support the long-term value creation of Shell," said Chief Executive Ben van Beurden.

Shell's move was in contrast to BP PLC, which said it would maintain its dividend.

The Anglo-Dutch oil giant reported a profit on a net current cost-of-supplies basis -- a figure similar to the net income that U.S. oil companies report -- for the three months ended March 31 of $2.76 billion, compared with $5.29 billion in the same period a year ago.