Why BP (LSE:BP.) is back on income investors radar
BP (LSE:BP.) has quietly outpaced the broader market over the past year, and that steady climb is catching income focused investors attention as they weigh the shares current valuation against long term energy trends.
See our latest analysis for BP.
Recent trading tells a mixed story, with a 30 day share price return of minus 8.2 percent but a solid 1 year total shareholder return of 17.6 percent. This suggests momentum is pausing rather than broken as investors reassess energy demand and transition risks.
If BP has you rethinking your energy exposure, it might also be worth exploring other opportunities across aerospace and defense stocks as a different way to tap into global spending trends.
Yet with BP trading below analyst targets and screening as modestly valued despite rising profits, investors face a key question: is this a genuine value opportunity, or is the market already pricing in future growth?
Most Popular Narrative Narrative: 9.6% Undervalued
With the narrative fair value sitting modestly above BP’s last close, the story tilts toward upside potential if its long term plan delivers.
The ramp up of major upstream projects, breakthrough exploration successes in Brazil, West Africa, and other regions, and an ongoing focus on high return organic growth provide BP with the ability to capture persistent global energy demand growth particularly from emerging markets supporting visible revenue and earnings expansion.
Read the complete narrative.
Want to see what kind of revenue reset and margin rebuild this scenario bakes in, and how aggressively future earnings are being rerated? The full narrative unpacks the specific growth, profitability, and valuation assumptions driving that fair value call, plus how a higher discount rate still leaves room for upside.
Result: Fair Value of $4.71 (UNDERVALUED)
Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what’s behind the forecasts.
However, ongoing impairments in new energy projects and possible missteps around major divestments like Castrol could quickly undermine those margin and valuation assumptions.
Find out about the key risks to this BP narrative.
Another Angle on Value
While the narrative sees modest upside, the SWS DCF model is far more upbeat, suggesting BP is trading about 56.7 percent below its £9.84 fair value estimate. If that gap is even partly right, are markets overreacting to near term noise and underpricing long term cash flows?
Look into how the SWS DCF model arrives at its fair value.
BP. Discounted Cash Flow as at Dec 2025
Build Your Own BP Narrative
If you see the story differently or want to stress test your own assumptions directly against the numbers, you can build a custom view in just a few minutes: Do it your way.
A great starting point for your BP research is our analysis highlighting 2 key rewards and 3 important warning signs that could impact your investment decision.
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BP might be a strong contender, but you will stack the odds further in your favor by scanning other opportunities on Simply Wall St before you act.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data
and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your
financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data.
Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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