Poor Poor EXXON:suspicious:
Exxon Mobil earnings plunge 68%
The energy giant says lower commodity prices weighed on sales and profit during the third quarter.
By Ben Rooney, CNNMoney.com staff reporter
Last Updated: October 29, 2009: 9:20 AM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Exxon Mobil reported a 68% decline in third-quarter earnings Thursday as oil and natural gas prices tumbled from last year's highs.
The world's largest publicly traded oil company said it earned $4.73 billion in the second quarter, down 68% from $14.83 billion a year earlier. On a per-share basis, Exxon said it earned 98 cents, down from $2.85 in the third quarter of 2008.
The results were below forecasts. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were expecting earnings of $1.03 per share.
Rex Tillerson, Exxon's chairman, said the results were "impacted by lower commodity prices and weak product margins."
Exxon reported the largest annual profit in U.S. history last year, making $45.22 billion on the back of record oil prices. But the company's earnings have declined along with oil prices as the global economy contracted.
Oil prices averaged around $68 a barrel in the third quarter, compared with an average price of $118 a barrel in the same period during 2008.
While prices remain below last year's highs, oil has rebounded 67% so far this year as economic conditions have improved, encouraging investors to jump back into the market.
"Oil prices have actually been pretty resilient," said Jason Gammel, an analyst who covers Exxon at Macquarie Research Equities. "Demand hasn't resurfaced yet, but the market is building in a expectation of economic recovery next year."
Exxon (
XOM,
Fortune 500) said revenue plunged to $82.26 billion in the quarter from $137.74 billion a year earlier. Analysts had forecast sales of $85.16 billion.
Capital and exploration spending fell 5% to $6.5 billion in the quarter, while production rose 3%.
The company said it invested $19 billion through the first three quarters of the year to develop new energy supplies.
"Despite ongoing global economic weakness and reduced demand for products, we continued our robust investment program and delivered strong results," Tillerson said in a statement.
Shares of the Irving, Texas-based company fell 1.7% to $72.58 in pre-market trading.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/29/news/companies/exxon_mobil/index.htm