NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 17:10 ET — After-hours
- Exxon Mobil shares were up about 0.4% in after-hours trading.
- Energy stocks outperformed even as the broader market ended slightly lower.
- Oil prices steadied after Monday’s jump on Russia-Ukraine and Middle East tensions.
Exxon Mobil (XOM) shares ticked higher in after-hours trading on Tuesday, rising about 0.4% to $120.99 as of 5:10 p.m. ET. The stock traded between $120.63 and $121.75 during the session, with volume around 11.1 million shares.
The move mattered because Exxon and its peers tend to track crude oil prices, and oil has swung on geopolitics into the final stretch of the year. Trading has also been thinner than usual, which can amplify sector moves.
Energy led the S&P 500’s sector performance, with the energy sub-index up 0.8% as fading hopes of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal supported oil, Reuters reported. The S&P 500 slipped 0.14% to end at 6,896.24, while the Nasdaq fell 0.23% and the Dow lost 0.20% in choppy, holiday-thinned trading, according to the same report. Reuters
In oil markets, Brent settled down 2 cents at $61.92 a barrel and U.S. WTI settled down 13 cents at $57.95 after a choppy session, Reuters said. Matt Portillo, an analyst at Tudor, Pickering Holt, wrote that “this latest stumbling block could see a risk premium return to the commodity,” referring to fresh Russia-Ukraine tensions, while Marex analyst Ed Meir said prices were likely to trend lower in early 2026 because of a “growing oil glut.” Reuters
A risk premium is the extra price traders build in to cover the chance of supply disruptions. For integrated oil companies like Exxon — meaning they produce crude and also refine it — swings in oil can lift upstream profits, while downstream results depend more on refining margins.
In company news, Trinidad and Tobago’s planning ministry said the Environmental Management Authority issued a Certificate of Environmental Clearance to ExxonMobil’s local deepwater unit for a 3D seismic survey in offshore Block TTUD-1. A 3D seismic survey uses sound waves to map underground rock formations that can hold oil and gas. Planning Development Ministry
Peers were firmer in late trading, with Chevron up about 0.9%, ConocoPhillips up about 1.6%, and U.S.-listed Shell shares up about 1.0%.
Investors will keep a close watch on crude’s next move as headlines around Russia-Ukraine and the Middle East shift the perceived risk to global supply. Any signs of tighter supply can push oil higher quickly, while oversupply concerns have limited follow-through after rallies.
Traders are also watching for fresh signals from U.S. inventory data and broader macro events that can move the dollar and demand expectations. A stronger dollar can pressure commodity prices by making oil more expensive for non-U.S. buyers, even when energy stocks are holding up.
For Exxon, the modest after-hours gain left the stock close to the day’s range, underscoring how closely near-term direction remains tied to oil’s push and pull between geopolitics and oversupply worries.
