New York, Feb 18, 2026, 18:08 ET — After-hours
- Exxon Mobil shares closed up 3.07% at $150.68, beating Chevron and ConocoPhillips
- Crude prices settled more than 4% higher on supply-risk jitters
- Traders are watching Thursday’s U.S. inventory data and more project timing signals
Exxon Mobil (XOM) shares rose 3.07% to close at $150.68 on Wednesday, outpacing Chevron and ConocoPhillips as U.S. stocks ended higher. Volume reached about 19.8 million shares, slightly above the stock’s 50-day average, MarketWatch data showed. (MarketWatch)
The move matters because energy stocks have slipped back into a headline market. Traders are marking Exxon to crude swings while also tracking whether its biggest growth projects stay on schedule — or wander back into delay territory.
Oil gave the sector a shove. Brent settled up $2.93, or 4.35%, at $70.35 a barrel, while U.S. WTI gained $2.86, or 4.59%, to $65.19 on fears of supply disruptions tied to U.S.-Iran tensions and stalled Russia-Ukraine talks. “The oil market is pricing in additional risk of a supply disruption,” said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, with traders now looking to U.S. government inventory data due Thursday. (Reuters)
Company-specific news landed, too. Golden Pass, the LNG (liquefied natural gas) export project Exxon owns with QatarEnergy, pulled in about 300 million cubic feet of gas on Wednesday as it moved closer to producing its first LNG, according to LSEG data. Exxon CEO Darren Woods said he expects “first LNG produced in very early March,” and an Exxon spokesperson said the company “continues to support the Golden Pass venture” as it pushes toward startup. (Reuters)
In Guyana, Exxon Guyana President Alistair Routledge told an energy conference the Uaru and Whiptail developments are ahead of schedule and under budget. Uaru is slated to start production this year and Whiptail in 2027; each is designed for 250,000 barrels per day (bpd), taking Guyana’s output to about 1.15 million bpd when Uaru starts and 1.4 million bpd with Whiptail, Reuters reported. (Reuters)
Exxon Upstream President Dan Ammann said on Tuesday a pipeline Exxon built was ready to deliver gas to Guyana, but that long-term demand depends on the government advancing power plants and industrial projects. “There’s a lot of responsibility on the government to help build that industry,” Ammann said, adding parts of the Stabroek Block remain under force majeure — a contract clause that can pause obligations — because of a Guyana-Venezuela border dispute. (Reuters)
Separately, Exxon filed a shelf registration on Form S-3 for debt securities, a routine step that lets it issue bonds later without setting terms immediately. The filing said proceeds would be used for general corporate purposes unless a future prospectus supplement states otherwise. (SEC)
But the setup cuts both ways. Oil’s spike on a war-risk premium can unwind quickly if diplomacy shifts or supply holds, and legal or regulatory hits can add noise. An Australian federal court fined Mobil Oil Australia, owned by Exxon, A$16 million after it admitted misleading claims about fuel sold at stations in Queensland; Mobil told Reuters it has removed or covered the claims and acknowledged errors. (Reuters)
Next up, traders look to Thursday’s U.S. inventory report and any fresh geopolitical headlines for direction into the next session.
