British energy major BP has received unsolicited approaches expressing interest in its North Sea oil assets, according to CEO Meg O’Neill. O’Neill has advised the new U.K. Prime Minister that the country should prioritize using oil and natural gas reserves from the North Sea, noting they generate jobs and tax revenue. Following these reports, BP shares rose 1.2% to 558.7 pence.

In Australia, Origin Energy’s maiden guidance for earnings from its Energy Markets in FY 2027 could be higher than investors expect. Morgan Stanley expects Origin’s Energy Markets business to achieve an Ebitda of A$1.688 billion in FY 2027, which is above consensus forecasts of A$1.627 billion.

Despite this, Morgan Stanley maintains that Origin and rival power generator AGL are its least-preferred stocks among Australian utilities due to lower wholesale electricity prices. Origin is scheduled to report its FY 2026 results on Aug. 13.