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Partner at activist investor Bluebell calls on BP to scale back its green agenda

Activist investor Bluebell Capital Partners is pushing for BP to urgently change tack, saying it is “highly debatable” whether the oil major’s strategy of reducing fossil fuel investments in favor of clean energy has any chance of succeeding.

Giuseppe Bivona, partner and co-chief investment officer at Bluebell, on Tuesday said that the FTSE 100 energy company’s depressed share price relative to its U.S. and European peers had been “totally underwhelming” in recent years, and that it should now consider deploying capital in a “rational way.”

“This was as a result of a strategy which was intended to blindly shrink BP’s core business in oil and gas and venture in other business in clean energy where, quite frankly, it is highly debatable whether BP has any chance to succeed,” Bivona told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe.”

“The path to get to net zero by 2050 is very narrow, which means it is very unlikely that we are going to be at net zero in 2050. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy that we all — not just the oil major companies — as part of society aim toward this goal,” he added.

“But I think it is very rational for a company to make as its base case a scenario which, actually is very, very unlikely to happen. And on that front, we are not asking BP to renege on its strategy, but to adapt its strategy to the reality.”

His comments come shortly after it was revealed Bluebell co-founders Bivone and Marco Taricco wrote a letter to BP chair Helge Lund and then-interim CEO Murray Auchincloss in October. Auchincloss has since been appointed as permanent CEO of the British oil and gas major.

Bluebell’s letter, which was first reported on by the Financial Times on Monday, said that BP’s investment strategy assumed a “drastic decline in oil and gas demand, which we consider to be utterly unrealistic.”

In response to the publication of the letter, a spokesperson for BP said the company “welcomes constructive engagement” with its shareholders.

A general view of the BP logo and petrol station forecourt sign on January 22, 2024 in Southend, United Kingdom.

John Keeble | Getty Images News | Getty Images

“We have met with most of our major shareholders recently and continue to receive support for our strategy. We continue to make significant progress, remain focused on delivery, and are confident the strategy will grow the value of bp and deliver sustainable long-term value for shareholders,” BP said.

Bivona declined to disclose Bluebell’s stake in BP, saying that it was below a reporting threshold. The relatively small but influential London-based firm, which focuses on large cap European equities, has previously mounted campaigns against French food company Danone and mining giant Glencore.

‘Clear admission’ of a strategic mistake

Under the leadership of Bernard Looney, who resigned in September after less than four years on the job, the oil major had promised that its overall emissions would be 35% to 40% lower by the end of the decade.

The firm, which was one of the first energy giants to announce plans to cut emissions to net zero “by 2050 or sooner,” watered down these climate plans last year.

It said on Feb. 7 that the firm would instead target a 20% to 30% cut, noting that it needed to keep investing in oil and gas to meet demand.

Bluebell’s Bivona said last year’s announcement was a “clear admission” of a strategic mistake and another adjustment was now needed.

“I’m very glad for the discussion we are having with BP, which anyway is listening and is proving to be a company willing to constructively engage with all of their shareholders,” Bivona said.

Shares of BP were slightly higher on Tuesday afternoon in London. The company is scheduled to release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 results on Feb. 6.

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CNBC Daily Open: Tech sell-off? Investors could just be taking profit and enjoying the summer

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CNBC Daily Open: Tech sell-off? Investors could just be taking profit and enjoying the summer

A Palantir sign at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on May 22, 2022.

Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Images

If you have any U.S. technology stocks in your portfolio (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?), you might want to look away.

For the second day in a row, tech stocks dragged markets lower, with the Nasdaq Composite slipping 0.67%. Juggernauts such as Apple, Amazon and Alphabet were more meh-nificent than magnificent, falling more than 1%.

Palantir — the standout S&P 500 stock, having more than doubled so far this year — had its sixth consecutive day in the red and lost its place among a ranking of the 20 most valuable U.S. companies.

While Palantir’s slide was partly triggered by a report from short seller Andrew Left’s Citron Research, which called the company “detached from fundamentals and analysis,” there was no single trigger for the broader pullback.

Investors could have been spooked by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s caution about an AI bubble forming, although some analysts dispute that assertion. “In our view the tech bull cycle will be well intact at least for another 2-3 years,” said Wall Street tech bull Dan Ives.

Or it could be something benign, like traders locking in profits. “Tech stocks,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth, “have had an incredibly strong run – with some up over 80% since the early April lows.”

Summer, after all, is far from over. Some investors might have just wanted to cash out for another round of margaritas.

What you need to know today

And finally…

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Aug. 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska.

Andrew Harnik | Getty Images

Red carpet for Putin, trade relief for China, penalties on India: Inside Trump’s peculiar policy playbook

U.S. President Donald Trump is pursuing an unusual strategy — courting Russian President Vladimir Putin, holding fire on Beijing, all the while turning the screws on India.

Despite India being one of the earliest nations to engage in negotiations with the Trump administration, there is still no sign of it sealing a deal with America. New Delhi is now also staring at a secondary tariff of 25% or a “penalty” for its purchases of Russian oil that is set to come into effect later this month.

— Anniek Bao

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CNBC Daily Open: The U.S. tech-sell off extends to its second day — but don’t let it ruin your summer

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CNBC Daily Open: The U.S. tech-sell off extends to its second day — but don't let it ruin your summer

Palantir Technologies signage on an options contract ticker as traders work on the floor of American Stock Exchange at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, U.S., on Friday, June 20, 2025.

Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

If you have any U.S. technology stocks in your portfolio (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?), you might want to look away.

For the second day in a row, tech stocks dragged markets lower, with the Nasdaq Composite slipping 0.67%. Juggernauts such as Apple, Amazon and Alphabet were more meh-nificent than magnificent, falling more than 1%.

Palantir — the standout S&P 500 stock, having more than doubled so far this year — spent its sixth consecutive day in the red and lost its place among a ranking of the 20 most valuable U.S. companies.

While Palantir’s slide was partly triggered by a report from short seller Andrew Left’s Citron Research, which called the company “detached from fundamentals and analysis,” there was no single trigger for the broader pullback.

Investors could have been spooked by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s caution about an AI bubble forming, although some analysts dispute that assertion. “In our view the tech bull cycle will be well intact at least for another 2-3 years,” said Wall Street tech bull Dan Ives.

Or it could be something benign, like traders locking in profits. “Tech stocks,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth, “have had an incredibly strong run – with some up over 80% since the early April lows.”

Summer, after all, is far from over. Some investors might have just wanted to cash out for another round of margaritas.

What you need to know today

Fed officials divided over inflation and employment worries. Central bank governors generally agreed there were risks on both sides. But a couple — breaking from the majority — saw the labor market woes as more pressing, according to minutes of the Fed’s July meeting.

Trump likely to pick Kevin Hassett as next Fed Chair. The director of the National Economic Council firmly led the pack, according to a CNBC Fed Survey. However, respondents think the president “should” pick former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh.

No new solar or wind power projects, Trump says. Renewable energy projects will no longer receive approval, Trump posted Wednesday on Truth Social. His comment comes after the administration already tightened federal permitting last month. 

Fourth day of losses for the S&P 500. Investors continued selling off technology stocks on Wednesday, with Palantir having its sixth straight losing day. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 closed at another high despite inflation in July coming in hotter than expected.

[PRO] The Fed is expected to cut just as markets trade at highs. This is what tends to happen when both factors coincide, according to Goldman Sachs research.

And finally…

United States President Donald Trump participates in a Multilateral Meeting with European Leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US. Picture date: Monday August 18, 2025.

Aaron Schwartz – Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty Images

Trump has snapped up more than $100 million in bonds since taking office

U.S. President Donald Trump has been on a multimillion-dollar bond-buying spree since taking office in January, investing in debt issued by local authorities, gas districts and major American corporations.

Across 33 pages of filings with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, or OGE, dated Aug. 12, the president outlined 690 transactions that have taken place since he took office. The documents were made public on Tuesday.

— Chloe Taylor

Correction: This report has been updated to correct the spelling of Kevin Hasset’s name.

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Tesla offers used car leases with $0 down as it desperately tries move cars

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Tesla offers used car leases with alt=

Tesla has started offering leases of certified pre-owned cars, which is relatively rare in the industry, with $0 down as it desperately tries to move vehicles before the end of the quarter.

With the federal tax credit for electric vehicles set to expire at the end of the quarter, automakers in the US are all trying to optimize EV sales, as demand is being pulled forward.

This also applies to used EVs, as the $4,000 federal incentive for used electric vehicles will also expire on September 30th.

Now, leasing used vehicles is much less common than leasing new cars, but some automakers, or mainly dealers, do offer it.

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Tesla is getting into this business for the first time.

In California and Texas, Tesla is now offering leases on certified pre-owned (aka used) Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.

These are reasonably priced and can be as low as $215 per month with $0 down for a 24-month lease and 10,000 miles per year.

Tesla also offers a 12-month lease and up to 15,000 miles annually. While there’s no down payment needed, there’s an “Acquisition Fee” of $695.

That, and the first month, is all you need to get in a used Tesla for the next year or two.

This is undoubtedly the cheapest way to get into a Tesla vehicle right now.

Tesla is trying to sell as many vehicles as possible in the US this quarter, as demand for EVs has been pulled forward due to the end of the tax credit. This is expected to result in a record quarter in the US, but it also going to create a few difficult ones in the future.

With demand being pulled forward and future buyers feeling like they missed out on EV discounts, the US EV market is expected to experience a significant slowdown over the next 12 to 18 months.

Tesla sales are down about 13% globally so far this year. While this quarter is expected to be better, many analysts still anticipate Tesla’s year-over-year performance to be down.

This year alone, Tesla added more than 50,000 electric vehicles to its inventory.

Used cars have also been piling up.

Tesla owners rushed to sell their vehicles as Tesla’s brand perception dived following its CEO’s involvement in politics.

We previously reported that the average used Tesla sale price has recently dipped below the overall average used car sale price in the US.

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