XOM vs CVX: ExxonMobil vs Chevron — Which Oil Stock Is Better?: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
ExxonMobil and Chevron are the two largest US integrated oil supermajors, both with Permian exposure, strong dividends, and large capital return programs. ExxonMobil has a larger scale and wider asset base after the Pioneer acquisition; Chevron offers a more concentrated upstream profile with arguably higher free cash flow yield and a strong dividend growth record.
Use this XOM vs CVX comparison to choose between two high-quality oil and gas compounders. Both offer similar oil price exposure, dividends, and long-term capital return programs. The margin of difference comes down to asset quality, capital discipline, and how you value each company's acquisition execution.
CVX holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. XOM leads on both 1-year return (+46.55%) and forward P/E (13.64x vs 14.67x for CVX), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. On fundamentals, XOM is growing revenue faster (2.60%), while CVX maintains the higher operating margin (7.31%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies similar upside for both: +16.97% for XOM and +18.43% for CVX.
- →Want the largest and most diversified US energy major with the deepest Permian and Guyana position
- →Value the earnings buffer that refining and chemicals provide versus pure upstream exposure
- →Believe ExxonMobil's low-cost asset base provides a competitive edge in a downcycle
- →Prefer the largest-scale energy dividend compounder with the longest balance sheet runway
- →Want a strong Permian operator with high free cash flow yield and dividend growth history
- →Value Chevron's Dividend Aristocrat status and multi-decade dividend growth track record
- →See the Hess acquisition as providing Guyana upside and diversifying beyond the Permian
- →Prefer a slightly leaner balance sheet and a history of disciplined capital allocation
| Metric | XOM | CVX |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 42.5 | 51.2 |
| AI rank | #836 | #391 |
| Latest close | $149.92 | $187.31 |
| 1M return | +0.83% | +1.16% |
| 6M return | +27.98% | +23.02% |
| 1Y return | +46.55% | +36.35% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | XOM | CVX |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $14.72K (+47.2%) started 2025-06-05 | $13.68K (+36.8%) started 2025-06-05 |
| 5Y ago | $33.71K (+237.1%) started 2021-06-07 | $24.47K (+144.7%) started 2021-06-07 |
| 10Y ago | $41.09K (+310.9%) started 2016-06-06 | $43.12K (+331.2%) started 2016-06-06 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | XOM | CVX |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $602.1B | $363.39B |
| Trailing P/E | 24.45 | 31.73 |
| Forward P/E | 13.64 | 14.67 |
| Price/Sales | 1.32 | 1.24 |
| EV/Revenue | 1.99 | 2.19 |
| Analyst target | $169.91 | $216.09 |
| Target upside | +16.97% | +18.43% |
| Metric | XOM | CVX |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 2.60% | 2.30% |
| Earnings growth | -43.40% | -44.50% |
| EPS growth | -43.40% | -44.50% |
| FCF margin | +3.57% | +6.34% |
| Operating margin | 6.35% | 7.31% |
| Profit margin | 7.76% | 5.93% |
| ROIC proxy | 9.87% | 6.64% |
| Return on equity | 9.87% | 6.64% |
| Dividend yield | 2.84% | 3.90% |
| Beta | 0.18 | 0.50 |
| Debt/equity | 18.26 | 23.99 |
| Current ratio | 1.04 | 1.09 |
| Quick ratio | 0.74 | 0.72 |
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | XOM | CVX |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +47.23% | +36.82% |
| CAGR | +47.31% | +36.88% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.53 | 1.33 | |
| Max drawdown | 15.69% | 13.99% | |
| Max daily drop | 5.23% | 4.59% | |
| Max wkly drop | 9.01% | 7.53% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +186.01% | +104.84% |
| CAGR | +23.42% | +15.44% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.76 | 0.52 | |
| Max drawdown | 20.51% | 24.95% | |
| Max daily drop | 7.89% | 8.22% | |
| Max wkly drop | 15.35% | 18.74% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +151.01% | +171.42% |
| CAGR | +9.64% | +10.50% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.31 | 0.34 | |
| Max drawdown | 61.34% | 55.77% | |
| Max daily drop | 12.22% | 22.12% | |
| Max wkly drop | 25.80% | 33.70% |
| Category | XOM | CVX |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Exxon Mobil Corporation | Chevron Corporation |
| Sector | Energy | Energy |
| Industry | Oil & Gas Integrated | Oil & Gas Integrated |
| Core business | Vertically integrated supermajor spanning upstream oil and gas (Permian, Guyana), refining, chemicals, and carbon capture. Pioneer Natural Resources acquisition significantly expanded Permian scale. | Integrated oil and gas supermajor with upstream operations in the Permian, Gulf of Mexico, and Tengiz (Kazakhstan), plus refining, marketing, and a growing LNG business. |
| Investor focus | Permian production growth from Pioneer assets, Guyana offshore ramp, refining and chemicals margins, dividend reliability, and low-carbon investment progress. | Permian production growth, Tengiz expansion completion, Hess acquisition integration (Guyana exposure), capital return via dividends and buybacks, and free cash flow yield. |
- →Largest US oil company with the industry's lowest-cost, highest-quality Permian and Guyana assets
- →Pioneer acquisition dramatically scaled Permian position — most productive US oil basin
- →Diversified across upstream, refining, and chemicals reduces earnings volatility versus pure-play E&P
- →Strong Permian position combined with Tengiz provides diversified production growth
- →Hess acquisition adds exposure to Exxon's high-quality Guyana Stabroek block
- →Industry-leading dividend growth history — a Dividend Aristocrat with decades of consecutive increases
- →Oil and gas prices are the primary earnings driver and largely outside management control
- →Long-cycle Guyana and LNG projects carry construction and execution risk
- →Carbon transition risk as electrification and energy efficiency reduce long-term oil demand
- →Hess acquisition integration complexity and Exxon right-of-first-refusal dispute resolution
- →Tengiz project delivered over budget historically — execution risk on future Kazakhstan expansion
- →Same oil price sensitivity as the sector — earnings move sharply with commodity prices
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