For any income-focused investor moving from initial interest to active consideration of adding a stock to their portfolio, it is advisable to interrogate the extent to which the company’s strategy is supported by a durable and mathematically sound shareholder return framework.

Will they secure the dividend and fund buybacks?

An analysis for income-focused investors

For any major integrated energy company, the central challenge is clear: deliver competitive shareholder returns today while navigating the complexities of the global energy transition. bp has announced a "fundamental update" of its strategy—a decisive answer to this challenge that reflects decades of leadership experience and the imperative to deliver strong performance for shareholders.

Here’s the scorecard to watch

There is little doubt that Metlen’s inaugural capital markets day (CMD) at the London Stock Exchange marked a new strategic chapter for the company. Led by executive chairman and CEO, Evangelos Mytilineos, management delivered a clear message: Metlen is now a focused energy and metals business targeting €2bn in EBITDA in the medium term.

ICL Group is a global specialties-driven minerals company. It targets leadership in the bromine, phosphate and fertiliser markets, and is recognised as having a highly competitive potash business. It was founded more than 100 years ago, has over 12,000 employees worldwide, a market cap of around $6.3bn and last year reported revenues of $7.5bn. If its latest profits make ICL sound potentially attractive – $1.8bn in adjusted EBITDA with a 4.7% dividend yield – there are seven more things Edison believes every investor needs to know about the dual-listed stock.

Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) is a listed private equity investment and fund management company that invests in mid-sized companies in Germany and neighbouring countries, such as Italy, via buyout transactions and growth capital financings.