State oil giant Saudi Aramco’s profit has plunged 73 percent in the second quarter of the year, as a slump in energy demand and prices due to the coronavirus crisis hit sales at the world’s biggest oil exporter.
But the company stuck with plans to pay $75bn in dividends this year and CEO Amin Nasser said on Sunday global oil demand was recovering.
All major oil companies have taken a hit in the second quarter as lockdowns to contain the coronavirus limited travel, which reduced oil consumption and sent prices tumbling to levels not seen in nearly two decades.
Aramco, which listed in Riyadh last year in a record $29.4bn flotation, said the rapid spread of COVID-19 globally had significantly reduced demand for crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products.
Nasser told reporters he had seen a partial recovery in the energy market and a pick up in demand as economies gradually open after the easing of coronavirus lockdowns.
“Look at China, their gasoline and diesel demand is almost at pre-COVID 19 levels. We are seeing that Asia is picking up and other markets (too),” he told reporters after announcing the company’s quarterly results.
Nasser said Aramco was committed to its 2020 dividend.
“We intend to pay the $75bn, subject to board approval and market conditions,” he said.
The group’s dividends play a critical role in helping the Saudi government to manage its fiscal deficit.
Aramco reported a 73.4 percent fall in second-quarter net profit, a steeper drop than analysts had forecast, and said it expected capital expenditure for 2020 to be at the lower end of a $25bn to $30bn range.
Analysts had expected net profit of 31.3 billion riyals, according to the mean estimate from three analysts, provided by Refinitiv.
“Aramco figures are healthy compared to other global peers,” Mazen al-Sudairi, head of research at Al Rajhi Capital, said. “This was the worst quarter in the modern history of the oil industry, and surviving it with healthy figures points to a very positive outlook.”
Aramco shares were up about 0.4 percent in early trade. The group is currently the world’s second most valuable publicly traded company after Apple.
Aramco said it will pay a dividend of $18.75bn for the second quarter of this year, in line with plans for a $75bn dividend for 2020.
BP earlier this month cut its dividend for the first time in a decade after a record second-quarter loss, while Royal Dutch Shell in April cut its dividend for the first time since World War II.
Aramco’s gearing ratio was 20.1 percent at the end of June, mainly reflecting the deferred consideration for the acquisition of Saudi Basic Industries Corp and the consolidation of SABIC’s net debt on to Aramco’s balance sheet.
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