At the end of February, I was worried about the repercussions of a US attack on Iran. On Friday, 27 February, my wife and I discussed selling several large shareholdings to take profits. The very next day, a new Middle East war broke out, sending the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil gushing 42.8% higher in March. However, there is plenty of passive income to be made from this crisis…
Oil be back
This month, the Brent crude oil price has soared to levels not seen since June 2022 when the Russia-Ukraine war deepened. The price has leapt by 48% in one month, 58.5% in six months, and 46.3% over one year.
Of course, when energy prices soar during crises, there are winners and losers. Higher prices benefit companies and nations that export large quantities of oil, gas, and refined products. Conversely, energy importers and heavy users get hit hardest as prices spiral upwards.
Other gainers from higher prices include shareholders of major energy companies. Here in the UK, we have two oil ‘supermajors’, BP (LSE: BP) and Shell. Shell is a global behemoth worth £191.1bn, making it the third-largest business listed on the London stock market.
Despite BP’s valuation of £88.6bn being less than half Shell’s market value, it is the FTSE 100‘s seventh-biggest company. Disclosure: my family portfolio owns BP shares, bought for 484.1p a share in August 2023. We bought this holding partly as a hedge against higher oil prices and for its generous dividends.
BP: bumper profits?
As an older investor (58), I love watching our share dividends come rolling in. However, instead of spending this cash, we reinvest it into buying yet more shares. When my wife and I finally retire, we will use this passive income to supplement our pensions.
As I write, the BP share price stands at 562.5p, up 20.3% in a month and 32.5% over six months. This capital gain alone easily offsets the extra costs my household must pay from increased gas, electricity, and fuel bills. Also, BP shares offer a market-beating dividend yield. Currently, this is nearly 4.4% a year, easily beating the FTSE 100’s yearly cash yield of around 3.1%.
In other words, the combination of the higher BP share price and the passive income they pay means that my family is actually better off than before energy prices soared. Again, this is why we invested in BP in the first place.
Of course, this is not a recommendation to buy BP or any other energy stock. Energy prices are notoriously volatile and can move dramatically in response to sudden developments. Likewise, if the US-Iran war comes to a swift and peaceful end, then oil and gas prices could slump, perhaps even overnight.
Other challenges for BP include a new boss (CEO Meg O’Neill starts next month), plus the inevitable push towards renewable energy sources. Even so, we will hang tightly onto our BP shares in 2026, not least for their valuable dividends.
Finally, which other shares are moving markets right now? Find out more below!
