New York, Feb 6, 2026, 18:29 EST — After-hours
- XOM climbed roughly 2% to close at $149.05, marking a new 52-week high.
- Guyana’s unit wrapped up a $2.32 billion deal for the FPSO, while a settlement in Colombia pegs payments to regulatory approvals.
- Oil prices finished up, with Iran risk still in play. Next up: Exxon’s dividend cutoff, then its investor update on Feb. 20.
Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE:XOM) picked up around 2% Friday, with shares sticking close to $149.05 in after-hours deals after notching a new 52-week high at the close. The stock left Chevron and ConocoPhillips behind, outperforming both as the market pushed higher. 1
This shift lands at a moment when energy shares are behaving less like individual picks and more like a readout on global risk, as crude prices swing around on geopolitical headlines. Exxon finds itself right at that intersection—large enough to echo the broader market, yet still a magnet for traders chasing quick moves.
Investors are juggling shareholder payouts and the speed of new projects. For Exxon, those two threads are closely linked to Guyana — a spot where new barrels have come online faster than what rivals have managed.
SBM Offshore announced ExxonMobil Guyana has wrapped up its $2.32 billion acquisition of the FPSO ONE GUYANA, taking control of the floating production, storage and offloading vessel well ahead of the scheduled August 2027 lease end. Still, SBM will keep running and maintaining the ship through 2035. Most of the net cash proceeds, SBM said, went to pay down $1.74 billion in project debt. 2
Offshore Energy says the FPSO, linked to the Yellowtail project in Guyana’s Stabroek block, is set up to handle an initial annual average of roughly 250,000 barrels a day. 3
Sintana Energy in Colombia has cut a deal with Exxon: its Patriot subsidiary will, pending conditions, transfer its entire stake in the VMM-37 block to the U.S. major. Exxon’s part—an upfront $3 million within 60 days, then $6 million more, subject to government signoff, according to Sintana. CEO Robert Bose called the outcome “a real win for all parties.” 4
Oil ended the day up, with Brent closing at $68.05 a barrel and U.S. WTI at $63.55, as traders kept a wary eye on U.S.-Iran talks that could yet unravel. “Status quo nervousness over Iran,” said Again Capital’s John Kilduff. 5
A broad rally did the trick. U.S. stocks shot higher—Dow finished above 50,000 for the first time on record, while the S&P 500 energy index notched a fresh high, Reuters reported. 6
Elsewhere, ConocoPhillips revealed plans for $1 billion in capital and operating cost reductions for 2026, following a quarterly profit miss that it blamed on softer crude prices. That’s a clear sign: companies with a heavy upstream focus feel the pain quickly when oil turns lower. 7
Exxon on Jan. 30 laid out plans for a $20 billion share buyback through 2026, contingent on what it called reasonable market conditions. The company set its first-quarter dividend at $1.03 per share, with a payout date of March 10 for holders as of Feb. 12—the key date for eligibility. CEO Darren Woods pointed to a “more resilient, lower-cost” business as evidence of the company’s ongoing transformation. Exxon also said it would release an updated investor presentation on Feb. 20. 8
New highs have squeezed the breathing room for crude—any quick drop in Middle East risk premiums, or a fresh flare-up in supply jitters, and oil prices could stumble, dragging the sector along for the ride. The Colombia assignment, for its part, still hangs on regulatory approvals.
Traders now shift attention to Monday’s open to see if energy keeps its momentum. After that, all eyes are on Exxon’s Feb. 12 dividend record date, plus the Feb. 20 investor materials, searching for hints on capital returns and Guyana timing.
