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Exxon Mobil stock is having a weird week. Honestly, if you just looked at the headlines, you’d think the company was in total freefall. You've got the President of the United States publicly feuding with the CEO, a projected $1.2 billion hit to earnings because of sliding oil prices, and a global LNG glut on the horizon.
And yet? The exxon stock quote today tells a completely different story.
As of the last market close on Friday, January 16, 2026, XOM was sitting pretty at $129.87. It even flirted with an all-time high of $131.72 earlier in the week. People are scratching their heads. Why is a company that just got called "uninvestable" by its own CEO (in regards to Venezuela, anyway) and threatened with a ban by Donald Trump actually rising?
The Venezuela Drama Nobody Expected
Here’s the deal: Darren Woods, Exxon’s big boss, sat down for a White House meeting recently and didn't hold back. He basically called Venezuela "uninvestable" unless the country undergoes a massive legal and commercial overhaul. This didn't sit well with President Trump, who’s been pushing to revive the Venezuelan oil industry now that Nicolás Maduro is out of the picture.
Trump’s response was classic Trump. He basically said that if Exxon doesn't want to play ball, he’ll just exclude them from any future drilling deals in the country.
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Usually, when a President threatens a massive corporation, the stock tanks. But investors are smarter than that. They know Exxon is already killing it in Guyana—literally right next door—and they’ve already written off their Venezuelan losses from years ago. Plus, with Brent crude hovering in the low $60s, why would Exxon want to dump billions into a broken infrastructure in Caracas anyway? The market isn't scared because the market knows Exxon doesn't need Venezuela.
By the Numbers: XOM’s Current Standing
The exxon stock quote today reflects a company that has learned how to make money even when the "black gold" isn't so golden.
- Current Price: $129.87 (Up about 0.55% in the last session)
- Dividend Yield: 3.19% (Still a massive favorite for the "widows and orphans" crowd)
- Annual Payout: $4.12 per share
- Market Cap: A staggering $547.8 billion
Why the $1.2 Billion Earnings Drop Might Not Matter
On January 7, the company dropped a bit of a bombshell. They warned that lower crude prices could shave $1.2 billion off their Q4 2025 upstream earnings. Wall Street adjusted its expectations, now looking for an EPS (earnings per share) of about $1.66 instead of the earlier $1.88.
But here’s the thing.
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Exxon has become a master of cost-cutting. They’ve integrated Pioneer Natural Resources, slashed hundreds of jobs in Texas, and are on track to cut 2,000 more globally. They are leaner than they’ve been in decades. When you pair that with their massive share buyback program—they’re aiming for a $20 billion annual run rate—you realize that even if total profit dips, the value for the remaining shareholders stays high.
The "Permian Factor" and the Guyana Goldmine
The real reason the exxon stock quote today is holding steady is the Permian Basin and Guyana. These aren't just oil fields; they are ATM machines for the company. While European rivals were busy trying to pivot to wind farms and solar panels a few years back, Exxon doubled down on what they do best: pulling liquids out of the ground.
They are currently pumping about 3 million barrels of liquids a day. That is an insane amount of volume. Even if the price per barrel stays low, the sheer scale of their operation keeps the lights on and the dividends flowing.
What the Analysts are Saying
It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but mostly positive.
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- The Bulls: They point to the $158 price targets and the massive cash flow. To them, Exxon is the safest port in a stormy energy market.
- The Bears: They’re worried about $40 oil. If Brent drops that low in late 2026, the party might finally end.
- The Middle Ground: Most analysts (about 12 of them) have a "Hold" rating with a target of $130.25. We are basically there right now.
What You Should Do Next
If you're looking at the exxon stock quote today and wondering if you've missed the boat, you need to look at your timeline. This isn't a "get rich quick" tech stock. It’s a "collect a check every quarter" play.
Watch the Q4 Earnings Call on January 30, 2026. That is the big one. Listen closely to how Kathy Mikells (the CFO) talks about the dividend. As long as that 3% yield is safe and the buybacks continue, the stock has a floor that’s hard to break.
Keep an eye on the TRUMP-Woods feud. If it escalates into actual sanctions or regulatory hurdles for Exxon’s US operations, that’s a real risk. But for now, it just looks like political theater that the market is happy to ignore.
Diversify your energy exposure. Exxon is the king of oil, but the LNG market is heading for a glut in 2026. If you’re heavy on gas, you might want to balance that out with some midstream plays or even some of the beaten-down renewables that are starting to look cheap again.
The bottom line? Exxon is a fortress. It takes more than a few angry Truth Social posts and a dip in crude prices to knock it down.