ExxonMobil fourth-quarter earnings rose 89 per cent year-on-year and came in well above forecasts, lifted by the soaring prices of crude oil and gas prices.
The company reported operating earnings of $5.120 billion, or $1.46 per share, compared with $2.709 billion, or 77 cents, the year-earlier quarter.
The First Call consensus of analysts forecasts was for EPS of $1.31.
In a statement, ExxonMobil chairman Lee Raymond said the results reflect "historically high" crude oil and natural gas prices, higher refining margins and further improvements in operating efficiencies.
Revenue for the fourth quarter totaled $64.132 billion compared with $54.582 billion in 2000.
The majority of the year-on-year improvement came from outside of the US and from ExxonMobil's upstream operations, as the company sold its production at much higher prices.
Capital and exploration expenditures of $3.850 billion in the fourth quarter rose 46 per cent from the third quarter and were higher than the fourth quarter of 1999.
AFP