Profits almost halved for Royal Dutch Shell, which by 2016 will cut 10 jobs. The Anglo-Dutch oil giant closed the fourth quarter with net profits of 1,8 billion dollars, compared to 3,3 billion recorded in the same period last year. However, the result is placed in the upper part of the market consensus range (1,6-1,9 billion) and on the London Stock Exchange the share jumps by more than 4 percent.
For the full year Shell generated a profit of 1,95 billion dollars, with a contraction of 87% compared to 15 billion in 2014. A vertical collapse linked to the free fall in oil prices.
Just to cope with the contraction of crude oil - but also in view of the merger with British gas - Shell had already announced substantial personnel cuts.
The group has sold over $20 billion in assets in the past two years and canceled exploration projects in Alaska and Canada to cut spending. After the 2015 accounts, it says it is "ready to take new measures if necessary".
