NEW YORK, Feb 16, 2026, 03:44 EST — Market closed.
- BP’s U.S. shares ended Friday at $37.66, up 1.3%.
- Presidents Day keeps U.S. stock markets closed on Monday, so the next trading update won’t land until Tuesday.
- Oil stuck close to flat in early Monday trading, with energy traders staying wary as U.S.-Iran talks loomed.
BP’s U.S. shares ended Friday at $37.66, up 1.26%, clawing back some ground after a turbulent week for oil majors.
This is the final official U.S. reading investors get before the long weekend. With Wall Street shuttered for Presidents Day on Monday, markets won’t pick back up until Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Crude still calls the shots for now. Brent traded at $67.72 per barrel early Monday, with U.S. WTI holding at $62.86. Investors have an eye on Tuesday’s U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva and the potential for OPEC+ to boost supply in April. “The calm before the storm,” said IG’s Tony Sycamore. SS WealthStreet’s Sugandha Sachdeva flagged thin liquidity as a risk for sharp price swings. Reuters Reuters
BP is still working through its latest overhaul. Last week, the company announced it would halt share buybacks — the process of a company purchasing its own stock — and instead channel extra cash toward paying down debt, as it tilts back toward oil and gas. “I really don’t like taking impairments,” CFO Kate Thomson told Reuters. Reuters Reuters
BP’s move set it apart from some rivals. Shell and Exxon stuck with their buybacks. BP, by contrast, emphasized a stricter balance sheet, meaning more reliance on how commodities perform and how well it can deliver, rather than on financial maneuvers.
BP’s ADRs ended Friday trading with lighter-than-usual volume, landing below their 50-day average, according to MarketWatch. The shares still managed to outperform in a session where broader markets were mixed.
Income investors have their eyes on the next ex-dividend dates, with ordinary BP shareholders marked for Feb. 19 and ADS holders a day later, on Feb. 20, according to BP’s latest materials.
The risk here is straightforward: any unexpected development in U.S.-Iran negotiations, or a stronger hint of fresh supply, could hit crude prices. Energy stocks usually mirror that. With holiday volumes running light, those swings can get amplified.
Traders are gearing up for U.S. equities to reopen Tuesday, just as U.S.-Iran nuclear talks kick off in Geneva. Eyes are also on OPEC+ output signals and how oil futures react post-holiday.
