Exxon Mobil Corp, the largest oil producer in the United States, estimated on Tuesday that it received $5 billion more from the sale of motor fuels than it did in the first quarter, prompting Wall Street analysts to substantially raise their second-quarter profit predictions for the company.
Crude oil traded for more than $105 a barrel in the first half, while U.S. pump prices for gasoline increased to about $5 per gallon. The producer hinted that sales of fuel, crude oil, and natural gas could lead to a record quarterly profit of more than $16 billion on Friday. The business reported an adjusted first-quarter profit of $8.8 billion, excluding a write-down for Russia. Before the late Friday securities filing, analysts increased their projected quarterly profit estimate from $2.99 per share to approximately $4.02 per share. Profits for the entire year may be $11.59 per share.
According to analysts, Exxon’s earnings report predicts significant second-quarter profits for refiners and other oil companies. Renewing proposals for windfall profit taxes from American lawmakers. According to Sankey Research analyst Paul Sankey, the oil business is about to steamroller the administration and significantly expand buybacks.
Tuesday morning trading saw Exxon shares drop nearly 4.2 percent to $84.84, as oil prices dropped $6 a barrel due to concerns that a potential global recession could harm demand. WTI fell more than $5 a barrel while Brent dropped more than $6. According to economists, Exxon, the largest refiner among the oil giants, will benefit greatly from a competitive market for refined goods. According to Biraj Borkhataria, associate director of European Research at RBC Capital Markets, increased fuel margins point to an operating profit of around $4.3 billion each quarter, up from the $3.1 billion average yearly profit between 2017 and 2019.
U.S. President Joe Biden complained last month that the business was abusing a worldwide oil supply crisis to boost profits as a result of Exxon and other oil companies’ earnings. He claimed that Exxon, which recently reported its largest quarterly profit in seven years, was making “more money than God.” Exxon has been utilizing its additional cash flow to pay down debt and has ambitious share repurchase plans through 2023 that could total up to $30 billion, more than double its prior forecast.
Exxon has been reducing its holdings in nations like Russia and the United Kingdom to boost output in the Americas. It plans to increase output by 25% this year in the Permian basin, the largest unconventional oil area in the United States, to the equivalent of more than 550,000 barrels per day. The business added that it is still making investments to raise refining capacity.
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