London, Feb 16, 2026, 07:51 GMT — Premarket
- Shell closed Friday down 0.5% at 2,872.5 pence.
- Brent held near $68 as traders eyed U.S.-Iran talks and possible OPEC+ supply changes.
- Shell’s next dividend “ex” date is Feb. 19.
Shell shares head into Monday with crude back in the driver’s seat after the stock ended Friday down 0.5% at 2,872.5 pence on the London Stock Exchange. (Reuters)
Oil was little changed early on Monday, with Brent around $67.7 a barrel ahead of renewed U.S.-Iran nuclear talks due in Geneva on Tuesday and with OPEC+ — the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies — leaning toward restarting output increases from April, Reuters reported. “With both sides expected to hold firm on their core red lines, expectations are low that a deal can be reached and this is likely to be the calm before the storm,” IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said. Sugandha Sachdeva, founder of SS WealthStreet, said thin liquidity could leave crude “erratic”, a note for energy stocks into the open. (Reuters)
For Shell, cash returns remain part of the backdrop. The company has said it started a $3.5 billion share buyback programme in early February, with shares repurchased under the plan to be cancelled, cutting the share count. (Shell)
Another near-term marker is the dividend calendar. Shell’s ordinary shares go ex-dividend on Feb. 19 — the date when the stock trades without the right to the next payout. (Shell)
In day-to-day trading, Shell and peers such as BP and TotalEnergies often move with crude because upstream profits tend to rise and fall with oil and gas prices, even when refining or trading cushions the swings.
The risk for bulls is straightforward: if Washington and Tehran make progress, traders could start pricing in higher Iranian exports, pulling oil lower. Any signal that OPEC+ will add supply faster would push in the same direction.
The flip side is also familiar. A breakdown in talks, or a fresh escalation in the Gulf, can lift crude quickly — and drag energy equities with it — but it can also jar broader risk appetite and hit cyclicals.
