Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Shell (NYSE:SHEL)

06 Feb 2026, 12:43 by Renee Jackson · The Cerbat Gem

Shell PLC Unsponsored ADR (NYSE:SHEL – Get Free Report) saw unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Stock traders acquired 14,321 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 55% compared to the average volume of 9,252 call options.

More Shell News

Here are the key news stories impacting Shell this week:

Positive Sentiment: Board-approved $3.5bn share buyback start and ongoing repurchases reinforce shareholder returns and helped limit downside after the profit miss. Shell announces commencement of a share buyback programme
Positive Sentiment: Dividend raised 4% (Q4 interim $0.372/sh) and strong 2025 free cash flow ($26bn) and cost savings ($5bn) give management ammunition to keep payouts. Shell Plc 4th Quarter 2025 and Full Year Unaudited Results
Positive Sentiment: Management is exploring multibillion-dollar offshore gas projects in Venezuela — a potential near‑term growth opportunity if sanctions/terms allow. Shell weighing Venezuela offshore investments worth billions
Neutral Sentiment: Board has chosen PwC to replace EY as external auditor from FY2027; procedural change that requires shareholder approval and is unlikely to move fundamentals. Shell picks PwC as auditor to replace EY
Negative Sentiment: Q4 adjusted earnings and revenue missed consensus — weaker oil prices, tax headwinds and poor oil trading pushed adjusted EPS/earnings below estimates, prompting questions on near-term earnings momentum. Shell Q4 Earnings Miss as Lower Oil Prices Pressure Results
Negative Sentiment: RBC Capital Markets downgraded Shell to Sector Perform and cut its price target after the soft trading update and what it called a “double miss” — analyst skepticism could cap near-term upside. Shell Plc downgraded after soft trading update
Negative Sentiment: Shell will pause new investments in Kazakhstan amid legal/arbitration actions — geopolitical and legal risk to future upstream growth and project timing. Shell pauses further Kazakhstan investments over legal disputes
Negative Sentiment: Executive pay headlines (reported potential CEO pay rise) could attract investor scrutiny on capital allocation given recent weaker quarterly profit and large payouts. Shell plans up to £4.6mn pay rise for chief executive Wael Sawan

Shell Trading Up 1.1%

NYSE SHEL traded up $0.78 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $75.41. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,647,889 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,501,570. The firm has a market capitalization of $216.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.84 and a beta of 0.16. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $73.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $73.24. Shell has a 52-week low of $58.54 and a 52-week high of $79.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

Shell (NYSE:SHEL – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The energy company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by ($0.07). Shell had a net margin of 5.34% and a return on equity of 10.49%. The company had revenue of $64.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $65.82 billion. Research analysts expect that Shell will post 7.67 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Shell from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday. Bank of America lowered shares of Shell from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Shell in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Shell in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded shares of Shell from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Shell has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $81.33.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Shell

Institutional Trading of Shell

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Westside Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Shell during the second quarter worth $25,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in Shell in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new position in shares of Shell during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Shell during the third quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its position in Shell by 50.5% in the second quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 480 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. 28.60% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Shell

(Get Free Report)

Shell plc (NYSE: SHEL) is a global integrated energy company that operates across the full oil and gas value chain as well as in developing lower-carbon energy solutions. The company traces its roots to the early 20th century merger of Royal Dutch Petroleum and Shell Transport and Trading, and today it is organized to explore for and produce hydrocarbons, process and refine them, manufacture petrochemicals, and market fuel, lubricants and related products under the Shell brand around the world.