Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE:XOM), a global leader in the energy and chemical sectors, is preparing to post its fourth quarter 2025 earnings on January 30. Wall Street analysts currently project the company to report earnings per share (EPS) of $1.67, a figure unchanged from the previous quarter. Revenues for the quarter are expected to hit $83.58 billion, marking a decline from $95.43 billion reported a year ago.

Looking back over the past decade, those who invested in Exxon Mobil have seen mixed results compared to the broader market. Ten years ago, XOM stock was priced at approximately $100 per share. A $10,000 investment at that time would have purchased about 100 shares. With the current share price now hovering around $105, this investment would be worth roughly $10,500 based on price appreciation alone.

However, one of Exxon's consistent strengths has been its dividend payouts, which currently boast a dividend yield of 3.4%. Over the past ten years, Exxon Mobil has distributed approximately $36 per share in dividends, equating to a return of $3,600 for an investor with 100 shares. Factoring in both price appreciation and dividends, an initial $10,000 investment would now be valued at around $14,100. While this represents a gain of 41% over ten years, it is significantly below the 153% return posted by the S&P 500 over the same period.

Those who invested $10,000 at the end of 2015, when Exxon shares closed at $50.29, would have acquired around 198 shares. With the latest share price at $116.63 (as of December 2, 2025), this investment would now be worth approximately $23,116. When accounting for an estimated average annual dividend of $3.50 per share, this results in an additional $6,938 over ten years. In total, the investment would appreciate to about $30,054, delivering a return of roughly 200%.

Exxon Mobil remains a prominent player on the U.S. equity market, trading under the ticker XOM. On December 1, the company’s stock last traded at $116.63 (an increase of $0.72 from the previous close), with intraday prices ranging from $116.04 to $117.41. The trading volume reached 12,658,100 shares, with the last recorded trade at 16:46:18 PST.

Analysts currently hold a consensus rating of 'Hold' on Exxon shares and have set an average price target of $117.43, suggesting potential upside of nearly 12%.

In its last quarterly report on October 27, 2023, Exxon Mobil announced third quarter earnings per share of $2.27, beating analyst expectations. However, revenues came in at $90.76 billion, below the expected $96.16 billion. The company reported quarterly production of more than 4.2 million barrels per day, including record levels from the Permian Basin (approaching 600,000 barrels per day) and the early, under-budget completion of its Guyana development. Notably, Exxon continues to invest in proprietary drilling technologies, such as lightweight proppants, improving well recoveries by as much as 15%.

With 41 consecutive years of dividend increases, Exxon Mobil is often deemed an attractive choice for investors seeking long-term returns and reliable income. Despite returns that lag behind the broader market over the past decade, the company’s combination of price appreciation and dividends—alongside its operational successes and technology advancements—continues to offer stable value to shareholders.