Despite low oil prices, Exxon Mobil is poised for success

  • Exxon Mobil upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform
  • Oil companies can still profit nicely even if oil falls to $65 a barrel
  • Exxon Mobil has improved cash flow and financial resilience
  • Exxon Mobil is focused on unlocking $25 billion in yearly cash flow by 2027
  • Exxon Mobil’s Guyana project could generate $4 billion in yearly cash flow
  • Exxon Mobil is making use of lower-quality crude and co-locating fuel plants with plastics production
  • Exxon Mobil is capturing carbon and exploring for lithium and building biofuel production
  • Exxon Mobil’s dividend payment is likely to be covered by a lower oil price
  • Exxon Mobil wants to spend more on stock buybacks than dividends
  • Exxon Mobil’s cash flow and balance sheet capacity will support stock buybacks

Exxon Mobil has been upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform, indicating its potential for growth and a healthy stock gain. Even if oil prices fall to $65 a barrel, oil companies like Exxon Mobil can still profit nicely. Exxon Mobil has taken steps to improve its cash flow and financial resilience, making it an attractive investment. The company is focused on unlocking $25 billion in yearly cash flow by 2027, with projects like the Guyana project expected to generate significant cash flow. Exxon Mobil is also making strategic moves, such as using lower-quality crude and co-locating fuel plants with plastics production, to optimize its operations. Additionally, the company is capturing carbon, exploring for lithium, and building biofuel production to diversify its energy portfolio. Despite the lower oil price needed to cover its dividend payment, Exxon Mobil aims to spend more on stock buybacks than dividends, supported by its cash flow and balance sheet capacity. Overall, Exxon Mobil is well-positioned to thrive in the volatile oil market.

Public Companies: Exxon Mobil (XOM), S&P 500 index (undefined), Chevron (undefined)
Private Companies:
Key People: Jason Gabelman (oil stock analyst at TD Cowen), Alexandre Ramos-Peon (vice president of shale research at Rystad Energy), Darren Woods (chief executive of Exxon Mobil)


Factuality Level: 6
Justification: The article provides some factual information about the oil industry, including recent price trends and the strategies of Exxon Mobil. However, there are also elements of opinion and speculation, such as the analyst’s predictions and the author’s assessment of Exxon’s green-energy efforts. Overall, the article is moderately factual but contains some subjective elements.

Noise Level: 3
Justification: The article contains some irrelevant and exaggerated information, such as the mention of a proprietary oil model that doesn’t exist and the reference to J.R. Ewing. It also goes off-topic by discussing Exxon’s clean-energy efforts. However, it provides some analysis on the oil market and the financial resilience of oil companies, and offers insights on Exxon’s strategies and potential stock performance.

Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: The article discusses the oil industry and the stock performance of Exxon Mobil and Chevron.

Presence of Extreme Event: No
Nature of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating of the Extreme Event: No
Justification: The article primarily focuses on the oil industry and the stock performance of Exxon Mobil and Chevron. It does not mention any extreme events or their impact.

Reported publicly: www.marketwatch.com