NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 17:52 ET — After-hours
- Exxon Mobil closed up 1.2% as crude settled more than 2% higher on supply-risk headlines.
- A delayed U.S. government report showed crude inventories rose last week, against expectations for a draw.
- Traders now turn to oil’s follow-through and a thin U.S. data calendar that includes Fed minutes and jobless claims.
Exxon Mobil Corporation shares rose 1.2% to $120.53 in Monday’s regular session and were little changed in after-hours trading, after crude prices finished sharply higher.
The stock often trades as a proxy for oil because Exxon’s upstream business sells crude and natural gas, making cash-flow expectations sensitive to commodity prices. Its refining business can move differently, since lower crude feedstock costs can support margins if fuel demand holds.
The timing matters as markets head into the final stretch of 2025 with investors debating whether a supply glut will cap crude in 2026, even as geopolitical risk keeps flaring. The International Energy Agency expects supply to exceed demand in 2026 by 3.85 million barrels per day, while OPEC analysts see a more balanced market, Reuters reported.
Brent settled up $1.30 at $61.94 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate ended up $1.34 at $58.08, Reuters reported, as tensions in Yemen and developments tied to the Russia-Ukraine war kept supply disruption risks in play.
In U.S. equities, the energy sector outperformed even as major indexes slipped on weakness in large-cap technology stocks, according to Reuters.
After the oil market closed, the U.S. Energy Information Administration released a weekly stockpiles report that had been delayed by more than six hours. The report showed crude inventories rose by 405,000 barrels to 424.8 million barrels in the week ended Dec. 19, compared with expectations for a 2.4 million-barrel draw in a Reuters poll. Stocks at Cushing, Oklahoma — the delivery point for WTI crude futures — climbed by 707,000 barrels. “The hub remains close to operationally low levels despite the uptick,” said Matt Smith, an analyst at Kpler. Reuters
For Exxon and its peers, the inventory surprise can matter as much as the crude rally: larger stock builds can pressure oil prices if traders read them as a demand warning. At the same time, the direction of gasoline and diesel inventories can influence refining sentiment, a key swing factor for integrated majors.
The day’s move was not isolated. Chevron rose about 0.7% and ConocoPhillips gained about 1.2%, tracking the sector’s lift alongside higher oil.
Exxon has been leaning into shareholder returns and longer-cycle project spending. In a Dec. 9 plan update, the company said it was on track to repurchase $20 billion of shares this year and planned to maintain that pace through 2026, assuming “reasonable market conditions,” while raising its 2030 growth targets. Exxon Mobil Corporation
Before Tuesday’s session, traders will be watching whether crude holds Monday’s gains after the late inventory data, and whether energy can keep its bid if broader risk appetite stays shaky. On the macro front, investors are also awaiting U.S. releases that include minutes from the Federal Reserve’s most recent meeting and weekly jobless claims.
On the chart, Exxon traded between $119.41 and $121.29 on Monday, leaving the $121 area as the near-term ceiling bulls will want to test again. A move back below roughly $119 would put the day’s low in focus as support.
Earnings are the next company-specific checkpoint, though the date is not confirmed. Earnings calendars estimate Exxon will report fourth-quarter results around Jan. 30, 2026; investors typically key on production volumes, refining margins and the pace of buybacks and dividends.
