Shell Q1 Profit Flat

Royal Dutch/Shell group reported flat first-quarter earnings on Thursday, and warned that crude oil prices may show further weakness after they started to fall earlier this year. Earnings, excluding special items, rose one percent to £1.545 billion ($2.5 billion) from £1.535 billion a year ago. Shell said profits were held back by the pound's strength adding that earnings would have risen by seven percent if measured in dollars.