00:00Shell and BP are reportedly in early stage discussions for what could be the oil industry's largest merger in decades,
00:06with Shell considering a bid possibly topping BP's current $80 billion valuation.
00:12BP shares jumped sharply, up around 7-8 percent, while Shell's stock declined about 3 percent on the news.
00:20Shell has publicly downplayed the talks as speculative, emphasizing its focus on operational performance, financial discipline, and organic growth.
00:29Analysts caution that even if the deal progressed, significant regulatory scrutiny, valuation premiums, and integration hurdles would have to be overcome.
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