MacBozo, you know what's most likely to happen? If the stink over this spill keeps sticking to BP, you can expect them to change their name. That's probably all it will take to get the public to revert back to their customary comatose state.

BP is a huge multinational. They'll change their name for PR purposes and get right back down to business.

They could resurrect the Amoco brand here in the states and most people wouldn't get the connection.

A company can't just change its name - are you guys that clueless? It would have to be passed by a special resolution which is not going to happen.

km

I agree Max, when it comes to stocks. Its a money game.

I think trust only comes into it, is when you plan on the long long term, such as will the company be there when you retire sorta thing.

What do you mean? A company can change it's name any time it wants... or is that forbidden in the UK ?



ValueJet became AirTran after a bad PR crash in Florida back in the 90's.

so they apply to have their stock code changed... BFD !

If they want to do it, watch them. It'll happen !!

There could be a change of name by special resolution i.e. it would have to be approved by 75 per cent of ordinary shareholders.

km

No need to take umbrage and call us clueless, Key. I still think a name change could yet happen. So-called ordinary shareholders might be the very ones most inclined to see their stock perform better due to shedding a name that's taken on some terrific extra baggage of late.

Probably because you exaggerate the importance of American hysteria. Since no one has proposed an EGM a change of name is obviously not on the agenda.

km

It won't necessarily happen straight away. Just because it's not happening now doesn't mean it won't. Trust me... if this thing continues to gush it's going to be epic... they might have little choice... granted, public memory of many an industrial mishap tends to be short and therefore very forgiving. But this is a whopper of an event.

There would be no purpose served by changing the name of BP while the disaster is occurring. It would have to be after the fact. The American public has short memories but not that short. A lot of people will still not buy EXXON because of the Valdez. When BP bought up AMOCO and a few other things and changed its name to BP in the 90's Beyond Petroleum it still sold a lot of AMOCO gas. It turns out that people thought AMOCO gas was better. (Kind of weird since on any given day all gasoline goes through a lot of the same pipes. A magic additive is poured in and poof AMOCO.) BP probably still owns the name. I would bet that, especially in the southeast, a few BP gas stations switch back to AMOCO. They might all switch and the BP name disappears from the US. Then it can become something else.

If I had a couple of nickels I would buy some BP in August right before the side wells cap it. And if they don't work I would double down after it got knocked down another 50%.