The French energy giant’s results are line with other major oil and gas producers, with rivals Shell Plc and Chevron Corp. also prioritizing cash returns to investors even as they posted declining end-of-year profits. Lower earnings could put pressure on the industry’s ability to fund hefty share buybacks in the longer term, but for now the industry is coping with sluggish economic growth in Europe and mounting trade tensions provoked by the policies of US President Donald Trump.
