Exxon Mobil (XOM) Surges As Middle East Tensions Send Oil Prices Higher

Exxon Mobil Corp XOM shares are trading higher Friday morning as escalating geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East propelled crude oil toward its most significant weekly rally in nearly three years.

What To Know: The surge followed major Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and missile facilities, sparking fears of a wider regional conflict that could severely disrupt global energy supplies.

West Texas Intermediate futures soared, pushing the commodity up nearly 13% for the week. The tension highlights the vulnerability of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for about a third of the world’s seaborne oil shipments.

Analysts warn of significant upside risk, with ING's head of commodity strategy noting that a serious disruption could push oil prices toward $120 per barrel.

Iran currently produces 3.3 million barrels per day, making any potential supply interruption highly impactful for the market. This bullish environment for energy commodities is directly benefiting integrated oil and gas giants like Exxon Mobil.

Price Action: According to data from Benzinga Pro, shares of Exxon Mobil traded higher by 1.03% over the past five days, reaching $110.92 in morning trading as investors reacted to the heightened geopolitical risk premium in oil.

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How To Buy XOM Stock

By now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for Exxon Mobil – be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company.

Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy “fractional shares,” which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share.

If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to “go short” a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading – either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline.

According to data from Benzinga Pro, XOM has a 52-week high of $126.34 and a 52-week low of $97.80.

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