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Relative Intelligence · Integrated Oil & Gas

How Exxonmobil (XOM) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on XOM alone. It places XOM (Exxonmobil Holdings Corporation) against 16 popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where XOM stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: XOM's full trading record, from October 1986 through September 2026. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

Data as of October 20, 2026. Full tables and charts read best on a larger screen.

Rank the market against XOM →Chart XOM vs. 16 alternatives →
On this page12 sections

Key findings

How much would $10,000 in XOM have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in XOM over the past 29 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of XOM over the same span and XOM's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period. A second view covers the past 5 years, the period the better options further down the page are judged on. It shows not only where each investment ended up but also how smooth or uneven the path was.

Choose a period

From the end of September 1997 to the end of September 2026. The scale is logarithmic, so equal steps up the chart are equal percentage gains. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 456 of the 1,042 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of XOM; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$10,000$100,000199720022007201220172022$10,000$100,00019972004201120182025
  • WMB$472,016+4,620% total · +14.2% a year
  • EOG$380,118+3,701% total · +13.4% a year
  • SU$282,795+2,728% total · +12.2% a year
  • COP$156,444+1,464% total · +9.9% a year
  • CVX$142,109+1,321% total · +9.6% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$132,907+1,229% total · +9.3% a year
  • XOM$124,235+1,142% total · +9.1% a year
  • E$101,879+919% total · +8.3% a year
  • SHEL$63,537+535% total · +6.6% a year
  • YPF$45,576+356% total · +5.4% a year
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From the end of September 2021 to the end of September 2026. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 288 of the 3,628 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of XOM; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$0$20,000$40,000$60,000$80,000$100,000$120,000202120222023202420252026$0$50,000$100,000$150,000202120222023202420252026
  • YPF$107,580+976% total · +60.8% a year
  • MPC$71,516+615% total · +48.2% a year
  • PBR-A$67,821+578% total · +46.6% a year
  • PBR$64,214+542% total · +45.1% a year
  • SU$40,398+304% total · +32.2% a year
  • XOM$32,965+230% total · +26.9% a year
  • WMB$32,631+226% total · +26.7% a year
  • E$27,904+179% total · +22.8% a year
  • EC$23,114+131% total · +18.2% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$19,000+90.0% total · +13.7% a year
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XOM at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout. These figures serve as the baseline for every comparison that follows.

The company

Market value
$731B
Industry
Oil & Gas Integrated
Price history from
October 1986

Returns

Past 1 year
+62.4%total return
Past 3 years
+76.7%+20.9% a year
Past 5 years
+232%+27.1% a year
Past 10 years
+214%+12.1% a year
Best calendar year
+87.4%2022
Worst calendar year
−36.2%2020
Losing years
10 of 29full calendar years

Risk

Volatility
26.5%typical yearly swing, 5 years
Sharpe ratio
1.04return per unit of risk, 5 years
Worst decline ever
−62.4%Jun 2014 to Mar 2020
From its all-time high
At its highwithin 1%

XOM against the whole market

Where XOM ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

How does XOM rank among all stocks?

This section ranks XOM on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history. Where the comparisons with its popular alternatives show how XOM stacks up against its peers, these rankings show where it stands in the market as a whole.

Ranked against U.S.-listed stocks worth at least $300M that have enough history for each measure, so the count changes from row to row; smaller stocks are left out. Lower volatility and smaller declines rank higher.

MeasureXOMRankStanding
1-year return+62.4%392 of 3,287top 12%
3-year return+76.7%1,169 of 3,017top 39%
5-year return+232%252 of 2,893top 9%
10-year return+214%809 of 2,202top 37%
Volatility, 5 years26.5%446 of 2,893top 15%
Sharpe ratio, 5 years1.0475 of 2,893top 3%
Worst decline, past 10 years−61.0%920 of 2,187top 42%

What has beaten XOM on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer). XOM sits where the dashed lines cross. Anything in the green box above and to the left earned more than XOM with smaller swings, a better trade-off over this period on both counts. Past results are no promise, but a name in the box is worth a closer look.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested, and volatility the annualized swing in daily prices, both over 5 years. Labeled dots are the strongest picks from the table below and the names called out above, colored by how close they sit to XOM. 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million were screened. Hover over a dot for its figures.

15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than XOMXOM: +27.1% a year, volatility 26.5%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%MPC: +51.2% a year, volatility 33.4%PBR: +50.3% a year, volatility 37.5%SU: +33.1% a year, volatility 32.5%EC: +18.0% a year, volatility 37.9%PBR-A: +51.8% a year, volatility 37.5%VLO: +44.2% a year, volatility 36.9%TRGP: +41.8% a year, volatility 31.7%PSX: +33.2% a year, volatility 32.9%CNQ: +26.5% a year, volatility 32.5%DINO: +31.8% a year, volatility 38.8%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%MCK: +38.7% a year, volatility 25.0%NHC: +32.0% a year, volatility 28.5%DXJ: +26.6% a year, volatility 19.1%EPU: +29.5% a year, volatility 24.9%LLY: +40.7% a year, volatility 32.8%RSG: +13.9% a year, volatility 18.5%HSBC: +33.1% a year, volatility 25.9%XOMSPY (S&P 500)MPCPBRSUECPBR-AVLOTRGPPSXCNQDINOCAHMCKNHCDXJEPUHSBC15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than XOMXOM: +27.1% a year, volatility 26.5%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%MPC: +51.2% a year, volatility 33.4%PBR: +50.3% a year, volatility 37.5%SU: +33.1% a year, volatility 32.5%EC: +18.0% a year, volatility 37.9%PBR-A: +51.8% a year, volatility 37.5%VLO: +44.2% a year, volatility 36.9%TRGP: +41.8% a year, volatility 31.7%PSX: +33.2% a year, volatility 32.9%CNQ: +26.5% a year, volatility 32.5%DINO: +31.8% a year, volatility 38.8%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%MCK: +38.7% a year, volatility 25.0%NHC: +32.0% a year, volatility 28.5%DXJ: +26.6% a year, volatility 19.1%EPU: +29.5% a year, volatility 24.9%LLY: +40.7% a year, volatility 32.8%RSG: +13.9% a year, volatility 18.5%HSBC: +33.1% a year, volatility 25.9%XOMSPY (S&P 500)MPCPBRSUECVLOTRGPPSXCNQDINOCAHMCKNHCDXJEPULLYHSBC
  • Popular alternatives
  • Same and neighboring categories, and shared themes
  • The whole market
  • 1 with more than 1.6× XOM's volatility is in the table only

Is there a better investment than XOM?

Investments that beat XOM over the past 5 years on return, volatility, drawdowns, consistency, crash losses or fees, from its popular alternatives out to the whole market.

How this works

The table below lists investments that beat XOM over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes. It checks XOM's popular alternatives first, then the rest of its own and neighboring categories, then every stock and fund worth at least $500 million, and shows the strongest few in each group. The full list of those with a higher return and lower volatility than XOM follows the table.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested. Annual return, volatility and the Sharpe ratio cover 5 years; the worst decline covers the past 10 years. Green marks a better figure than XOM's. "On the frontier" means no other option shown or tested earned more with less volatility. Funds that hold the same thing are shown once. Beyond the popular alternatives, nothing with more than 1.5× XOM's volatility counts as better.

These figures cover the past 5 years. Green marks a better figure than XOM's.

Screen the whole market against XOM for any period in BetterThanSPYOpen these 20 in EasyCompare
InvestmentWhy it is betterPast 5 yearsDownsideLong runFit
Annual return?higher is betterVolatility?lower is calmerSharpe?return per unit of riskWorst decline?past 10 years10Y returntotalCorr. with XOM?lower diversifies moreExpenseper year
XOMExxonmobil Holdings Corporation · this page
+27.1%26.5%1.04−61.0%+214%1.00—
SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF · S&P 500
+12.7%17.1%0.79−33.7%+321%0.130.09%
Popular alternativesbest 5 shownThe investments people most often weigh against XOM. 5 of 16 passed at least one test.
MPCMarathon Petroleum Corporation · Oil & Gas
On the frontierHigher return in most periods+51.2%33.4%1.41−79.7%+1,387%0.59—
YPFYPF Sociedad Anónima · Integrated Oil & Gas
On the frontierHigher return in most periods+60.7%54.1%1.14−90.1%+173%0.22—
PBRPetróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras · Integrated Oil & Gas
Higher return in most periods+50.3%37.5%1.28−75.3%+674%0.52—
SUSuncor Energy Inc. · Integrated Oil & Gas
Higher return in most periods+33.1%32.5%1.05−73.5%+295%0.78—
ECEcopetrol S.A. · Integrated Oil & Gas
Higher return in most periods+18.0%37.9%0.63−73.3%+401%0.58—
Same and neighboring categories, and shared themesbest 6 shownEverything else in Integrated Oil & Gas and Oil & Gas and the categories next to it (Exploration & Production, Oil & Gas Midstream, Oilfield Services), plus XOM's specific themes. 6 of 72 passed at least one test.
PBR-APetróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras · Integrated Oil & Gas
On the frontierHigher return in most periods+51.8%37.5%1.31−71.7%+768%0.52—
VLOValero Energy Corporation · Oil & Gas
Higher return in most periods+44.2%36.9%1.18−71.9%+1,061%0.62—
TRGPTarga Resources Corp. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Higher return in most periods+41.8%31.7%1.27−90.8%+829%0.57—
PSXPhillips 66 · Oil & Gas
Higher return in most periods+33.2%32.9%1.04−64.2%+430%0.73—
CNQCanadian Natural Resources Limited · Oil & Gas
Higher return in most periods+26.5%32.5%0.89−77.5%+433%0.83—
DINOHF Sinclair Corporation · Oil & Gas
Higher return in most periods+31.8%38.8%0.91−77.3%+649%0.45—
The whole marketbest 8 shownEvery other stock and fund worth at least $500 million. 62 of 3,545 passed at least one test.
CAHCardinal Health, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
On the frontierHigher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+42.1%24.7%1.55−46.1%+349%0.13—
MCKMcKesson Corporation · Health Care Distribution
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+38.7%25.0%1.44−38.1%+586%0.29—
NHCNational HealthCare Corporation · Medical - Care Facilities
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+32.0%28.5%1.12−35.3%+394%-0.05—
DXJWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund · International Equity
On the frontierSimilar return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+26.6%19.1%1.34−39.1%+428%0.200.48%
EPUiShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF · International
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+29.5%24.9%1.17−51.0%+275%0.370.59%
LLYEli Lilly and Company · Pharmaceuticals
Higher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+40.7%32.8%1.21−34.5%+1,807%-0.08—
RSGRepublic Services, Inc. · Environmental Services
On the frontierSmaller losses in recent crashes+13.9%18.5%0.80−34.0%+446%0.03—
HSBCHSBC Holdings plc · Banks
Higher return, similar volatility+33.1%25.9%1.24−62.3%+319%0.28—
What these numbers mean for XOM
Annual return
XOM returned 27.1% a year over the past 5 years with dividends reinvested, against 12.7% a year for the S&P 500. At that pace, $10,000 became about $33,200. Annual return is the steady yearly rate that would produce the same total result, so investments held over the same span compare fairly. Guide: What is performance and return? →
Volatility
XOM's volatility over the past 5 years was 26.5%, 1.5 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, XOM's return lands within 26.5% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump. Guide: Understanding and measuring risk (volatility) →
Sharpe ratio
XOM's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 1.04, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so XOM earned more for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings. Guide: Balancing reward with risk (Sharpe ratio) →
Worst decline
XOM's worst fall from a peak to a low over the past 10 years was 61.0%, against 33.7% for the S&P 500. Losses and gains are not symmetric: climbing back from a 61.0% fall takes a 157% gain. Guide: Market crash risk and tail risk →
Correlation
Over the past 5 years, XOM's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.13 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They are only loosely linked, which makes it a real diversifier next to an index fund. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against XOM instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a XOM holding. Guide: Correlation and diversification →
Show all 3 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that earned more than XOM with less volatility

Out of 3,633 tested over 5 years. Best first; funds that hold the same thing are listed once.

#InvestmentFound inAnnual returnVolatilitySharpeWorst decline10Y returnCorr. with XOMExpense
1
CAHCardinal Health, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+42.1%24.7%1.55−46.1%+349%0.13—
2
MCKMcKesson Corporation · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+38.7%25.0%1.44−38.1%+586%0.29—
3
EPUiShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF · International
Whole market+29.5%24.9%1.17−51.0%+275%0.370.59%

XOM against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against XOM, compared period by period and year by year.

How do XOM's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings. Investments toward the upper left earned more for a smoother ride, and those toward the lower right earned less for a rougher one. The dashed lines cross at XOM, which divides the map into what did better or worse on each measure.

Green points earned more than XOM with less volatility; red points earned less with more. Hover over a point for its figures. Total returns with dividends reinvested, annualized.

15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%50.0%55.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityXOM: 27.1% a year, volatility 26.5%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%EC: 18.0% a year, volatility 37.9%COP: 18.2% a year, volatility 32.6%EQNR: 19.2% a year, volatility 34.4%CVE: 26.6% a year, volatility 39.4%EOG: 16.6% a year, volatility 32.3%BP: 16.0% a year, volatility 28.7%SLB: 10.0% a year, volatility 37.5%MPC: 51.2% a year, volatility 33.4%PBR: 50.3% a year, volatility 37.5%SU: 33.1% a year, volatility 32.5%E: 23.0% a year, volatility 25.6%YPF: 60.7% a year, volatility 54.1%WMB: 24.6% a year, volatility 24.0%SHEL: 21.0% a year, volatility 24.8%CVX: 19.5% a year, volatility 25.2%TTE: 18.0% a year, volatility 25.8%XOMSPY (S&P 500)ECCOPEQNRCVEEOGBPSLBMPCPBRSUEYPFWMBSHELCVXTTE10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityXOM: 27.1% a year, volatility 26.5%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%EC: 18.0% a year, volatility 37.9%COP: 18.2% a year, volatility 32.6%EQNR: 19.2% a year, volatility 34.4%CVE: 26.6% a year, volatility 39.4%EOG: 16.6% a year, volatility 32.3%BP: 16.0% a year, volatility 28.7%SLB: 10.0% a year, volatility 37.5%MPC: 51.2% a year, volatility 33.4%PBR: 50.3% a year, volatility 37.5%SU: 33.1% a year, volatility 32.5%E: 23.0% a year, volatility 25.6%YPF: 60.7% a year, volatility 54.1%WMB: 24.6% a year, volatility 24.0%SHEL: 21.0% a year, volatility 24.8%CVX: 19.5% a year, volatility 25.2%TTE: 18.0% a year, volatility 25.8%XOMSPY (S&P 500)ECCOPEQNRCVEBPSLBMPCPBRSUEYPFWMBSHEL
All figures
InvestmentAnnual returnVolatility
YPF YPF Sociedad Anónima+60.7%54.1%
MPC Marathon Petroleum Corporation+51.2%33.4%
PBR Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras+50.3%37.5%
SU Suncor Energy Inc.+33.1%32.5%
XOM This pageExxonmobil Holdings Corporation+27.1%26.5%
CVE Cenovus Energy Inc.+26.6%39.4%
WMB The Williams Companies, Inc.+24.6%24.0%
E Eni S.p.A.+23.0%25.6%
SHEL Shell plc+21.0%24.8%
CVX Chevron Corporation+19.5%25.2%
EQNR Equinor ASA+19.2%34.4%
COP ConocoPhillips+18.2%32.6%
TTE TotalEnergies SE+18.0%25.8%
EC Ecopetrol S.A.+18.0%37.9%
EOG EOG Resources, Inc.+16.6%32.3%
BP BP p.l.c.+16.0%28.7%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF+12.7%17.1%
SLB Slb N.V.+10.0%37.5%
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Has XOM consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares XOM with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years. Counting how often an alternative earned more than XOM helps separate lasting outperformance from a single strong stretch.

A green cell means the alternative earned more than XOM over that period. "Qualified" marks those that did so in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 3 long-term periods.

InvestmentPeriods outperformed Short termLong termRisk · 5 yearsFund
1M3M6MYTD1Y3Y5Y10YVolatilitylower is calmerSharpehigher is betterWorst declinepast 10 yearsExpenseAssetsOverlapsame sectors
XOM Exxonmobil Holdings Corporation (this page)—+12.4%+20.7%+22.0%+47.9%+62.4%+76.7%+232%+214%26.5%1.04−61.0%—$731B—
MPC QualifiedMarathon Petroleum Corporation5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather+18.1%+51.1%+123%+191%+159%+234%+690%+1,387%33.4%1.41−79.7%—$133B—
PBR QualifiedPetróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather+24.6%+45.4%+31.0%+128%+140%+132%+667%+674%37.5%1.28−75.3%—$166B—
SU QualifiedSuncor Energy Inc.5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather+16.7%+26.8%+28.9%+75.6%+111%+161%+318%+295%32.5%1.05−73.5%—$93B—
EC QualifiedEcopetrol S.A.3/5 short2/3 long+5.0%+10.3%+35.7%+81.5%+112%+116%+129%+401%37.9%0.63−73.3%—$36B—
E Oil & Gas IntegratedEni S.p.A.2/5 short2/3 long+10.2%+20.3%+14.6%+56.0%+77.9%+120%+181%+278%25.6%0.94−61.4%—$86B—
YPF Oil & Gas IntegratedYPF Sociedad Anónima2/5 short2/3 long−4.5%+0.7%+23.9%+39.9%+102%+313%+971%+173%54.1%1.14−90.1%—$20B—
WMB Oil & Gas MidstreamThe Williams Companies, Inc.0/5 short2/3 long−1.8%−4.5%+0.6%+18.1%+14.9%+125%+200%+288%24.0%1.04−68.1%—$86B—
COP Oil & Gas Exploration & ProductionConocoPhillips5/5 short1/3 long+14.4%+27.0%+27.1%+54.3%+72.9%+28.5%+131%+379%32.6%0.68−70.7%—$175B—
EQNR Oil & Gas IntegratedEquinor ASA4/5 short1/3 long+7.7%+23.4%+29.6%+92.7%+107%+73.2%+141%+416%34.4%0.69−66.8%—$109B—
SHEL Oil & Gas IntegratedShell plc2/5 short1/3 long+13.2%+23.5%+22.1%+43.7%+50.3%+77.1%+159%+233%24.8%0.90−67.2%—$301B—
CVX Oil & Gas IntegratedChevron Corporation1/5 short1/3 long+10.8%+20.0%+25.4%+48.8%+51.9%+53.4%+144%+238%25.2%0.84−55.8%—$446B—
TTE Oil & Gas IntegratedTotalEnergies SE0/5 short1/3 long+1.2%+12.8%+5.7%+40.3%+55.2%+60.5%+129%+234%25.8%0.78−59.6%—$201B—
CVE Oil & Gas IntegratedCenovus Energy Inc.3/5 short0/3 long+5.1%+18.0%+34.6%+92.4%+101%+76.2%+225%+163%39.4%0.80−89.2%—$61B—
EOG Oil & Gas Exploration & ProductionEOG Resources, Inc.2/5 short0/3 long+12.4%+12.7%+24.0%+51.9%+53.1%+31.9%+115%+131%32.3%0.64−77.1%—$83B—
BP Oil & Gas IntegratedBP p.l.c.1/5 short0/3 long+14.4%+19.0%+12.1%+43.0%+56.3%+46.5%+110%+141%28.7%0.66−63.9%—$130B—
SLB Oil & Gas Equipment & ServicesSlb N.V.0/5 short0/3 long−3.4%+8.3%−3.3%+26.4%+53.2%−7.2%+60.7%−21.3%37.5%0.44−84.5%—$74B—
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How did XOM do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 1997, along with where XOM ranked among its popular alternatives each year. Annual results reveal how consistently each one kept pace with XOM and how far its good and bad years diverged, detail that multiyear averages tend to smooth over.

Newest year first. Green marks a year in which the fund came out ahead of XOM; gray means the two finished within a fraction of a point. The rank row places XOM among the alternatives that traded the full year; dark green is the top quarter and red the bottom quarter.

InvestmentYears ahead of XOM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997
XOM This pageExxonmobil Holdings Corporation—+16.0%+11.3%−6.3%+87.4%+57.6%−36.2%+7.2%−15.1%−3.8%+19.9%−12.8%−6.0%+20.1%+4.7%+18.7%+10.1%−12.6%−13.1%+24.3%+39.1%+11.8%+28.1%+20.7%−8.9%−7.5%+10.2%+12.7%+22.5%+28.3%
Rank among alternativesTop quarter in 7 of 298 of 174 of 1715 of 172 of 176 of 1710 of 1710 of 1711 of 1715 of 1713 of 174 of 177 of 179 of 1710 of 173 of 169 of 1615 of 152 of 148 of 142 of 1412 of 149 of 1413 of 147 of 148 of 137 of 128 of 121 of 127 of 12
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF17 of 29+17.7%+24.9%+26.2%−18.2%+28.7%+18.3%+31.2%−4.6%+21.7%+12.0%+1.2%+13.5%+32.3%+16.0%+1.9%+15.1%+26.4%−36.8%+5.1%+15.9%+4.8%+10.7%+28.2%−21.6%−11.7%−9.8%+20.4%+28.7%+33.5%
MPC Marathon Petroleum Corporation10 of 14+19.2%−4.0%+30.4%+86.6%+61.0%−27.4%+6.0%−8.2%+34.8%+0.7%+17.4%+0.4%+48.6%+94.3%———————————————
PBR Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras13 of 25+2.3%−2.9%+89.6%+55.4%+19.3%−29.0%+24.2%+27.7%+1.8%+135%−41.1%−45.1%−28.3%−20.0%−32.1%−18.1%+101%−55.6%+132%+51.1%+85.0%+43.9%+111%−32.0%−1.9%————
SU Suncor Energy Inc.17 of 29+29.7%+16.2%+6.0%+32.3%+55.0%−46.6%+22.1%−21.3%+15.8%+31.2%−16.3%−7.0%+8.6%+16.2%−23.8%+9.9%+82.6%−64.0%+38.4%+25.4%+79.0%+42.3%+61.2%−3.9%+29.7%+25.1%+42.2%−11.2%+68.4%
EC Ecopetrol S.A.10 of 17+48.5%−24.6%+40.1%−5.0%+0.8%−29.3%+38.7%+13.5%+64.4%+28.9%−55.7%−52.3%−31.5%+41.5%+6.1%+85.1%+41.2%————————————
E Eni S.p.A.13 of 29+49.0%−13.6%+27.5%+11.0%+44.9%−28.1%+4.8%+0.6%+9.2%+15.9%−8.8%−23.6%+4.8%+26.6%+1.0%−7.2%+13.4%−29.9%+12.9%+20.6%+10.8%+39.6%+28.8%+32.9%−1.5%+20.1%−16.4%+21.9%+13.9%
YPF YPF Sociedad Anónima13 of 29−14.9%+147%+87.1%+141%−18.7%−59.4%−12.9%−41.2%+39.5%+5.8%−40.3%−19.3%+128%−57.4%−24.8%+23.2%+5.2%+26.5%−5.7%−4.0%+27.4%+32.8%+246%−31.6%−25.3%−16.8%+35.4%−15.8%+39.3%
WMB The Williams Companies, Inc.18 of 29+14.9%+62.4%+11.8%+32.9%+38.4%−8.2%+14.2%−23.9%+2.0%+31.2%−39.2%+21.3%+22.8%+29.9%+37.3%+20.2%+49.6%−58.8%+38.8%+14.3%+49.2%+106%+457%−75.2%−31.0%+32.3%−0.5%+11.4%+54.4%
COP ConocoPhillips16 of 29−2.3%−12.2%+2.0%+72.2%+87.1%−36.0%+6.6%+15.6%+11.9%+10.1%−29.0%+1.5%+27.1%+8.0%+11.0%+38.6%+2.8%−39.9%+25.4%+26.5%+36.9%+35.6%+39.8%−17.5%+8.6%+24.2%+13.6%−9.8%+13.1%
EQNR Equinor ASA11 of 24+7.7%−16.0%−0.8%+42.9%+64.6%−13.6%−1.0%+3.4%+23.4%+38.3%−16.6%−22.5%+1.4%+2.1%+12.7%−0.1%+57.8%−43.2%+22.8%+22.0%+51.4%+45.6%+43.8%+31.8%—————
SHEL Shell plc13 of 29+22.2%−0.9%+20.2%+36.0%+28.4%−37.4%+7.7%−7.5%+31.0%+28.2%−27.1%−1.3%+9.0%−0.9%+14.8%+17.6%+20.9%−34.2%+23.5%+19.3%+12.8%+14.4%+24.5%−7.3%−17.1%+2.4%+29.8%−9.0%+30.7%
CVX Chevron Corporation11 of 29+10.1%+1.3%−13.6%+58.5%+46.2%−25.9%+15.3%−9.7%+10.6%+36.7%−16.2%−7.0%+19.3%+5.1%+20.3%+22.9%+8.1%−18.3%+30.5%+33.7%+11.5%+25.6%+35.4%−23.2%+9.4%+0.6%+7.2%+11.1%+22.1%
TTE TotalEnergies SE16 of 29+27.6%−14.7%+14.1%+34.9%+26.0%−16.6%+10.3%−0.8%+14.3%+20.0%−7.0%−12.1%+25.0%+8.0%+1.7%−11.3%+22.6%−29.8%+18.9%+21.3%+18.8%+22.6%+33.4%+4.0%−1.3%+6.5%+41.6%−9.2%+41.4%
CVE Cenovus Energy Inc.4 of 16+15.8%−5.9%−12.3%+61.1%+105%−39.6%+47.2%−21.6%−38.6%+21.1%−36.1%−25.3%−11.9%+3.6%+2.3%+35.6%—————————————
EOG EOG Resources, Inc.13 of 29−11.4%+4.3%−2.0%+56.9%+88.6%−38.6%−2.8%−18.7%+7.5%+44.0%−22.5%+10.3%+39.7%+23.4%+8.5%−5.5%+47.4%−25.0%+43.6%−14.6%+106%+55.3%+16.1%+2.5%−28.1%+212%+2.5%−18.0%−15.5%
BP BP p.l.c.11 of 29+24.5%−11.9%+6.0%+37.0%+36.4%−41.3%+5.9%−4.6%+20.0%+28.8%−12.8%−17.6%+22.8%+2.0%+0.5%−22.7%+32.9%−32.5%+13.2%+8.0%+13.6%+22.2%+26.4%−9.5%−0.1%−17.1%+33.8%+17.8%+16.5%
SLB Slb N.V.13 of 29+3.3%−24.5%−0.8%+81.1%+39.6%−43.8%+17.8%−44.7%−18.5%+23.5%−16.3%−3.6%+32.1%+3.0%−17.2%+30.0%+56.2%−56.5%+57.1%+31.1%+46.6%+23.8%+32.0%−22.2%−30.3%+43.9%+34.9%−41.6%+63.2%
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Risk and diversification

How XOM has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

What were XOM's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high. This section presents XOM's five deepest drawdowns since it began trading in 1986, alongside the S&P 500's return over the same dates, and how long each took to recover. Together, these figures show how much an investor could have lost and how long it took to get back to even.

Green means XOM fell less than the S&P 500 over the same dates. Based on daily closing prices with dividends reinvested.

DuringXOM fellS&P 500, same datesPeakLowTime to the lowBack at the peakTime to recover
2015 China and oil sell-off−62.4%+27.6%Jun 2014Mar 20205.8 yearsJan 202222 months
2008 financial crisis−37.3%−24.2%May 2008Jul 20102.2 yearsJan 201218 months
Dot-com bust−33.6%−37.7%Nov 2000Jul 200220 monthsApr 200421 months
No named crash−33.0%—Aug 1987Oct 19872 monthsJul 198921 months
2022 bear market−20.5%−7.7%Jun 2022Jul 20221 monthOct 20223 months

How did XOM do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far XOM, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000. A smaller decline means an investment held up better, and comparing results across crashes shows whether that resilience was consistent or a one-off.

Newest crash first. Each figure is the fund's deepest fall within the crash window; green means a smaller fall than XOM.

InvestmentHeld up better2023 regional bank crisisMar 20232022 bear marketJan 2022Covid crashFeb 2020Late-2018 sell-offSep 2018February 2018 volatility shockFeb 20182015 China and oil sell-offAug 20152011 euro debt crisisJul 20112010 flash crashMay 20102008 financial crisisOct 2007Dot-com bustMar 2000
XOM This pageExxonmobil Holdings Corporation—−3.1%−20.5%−47.9%−23.6%−10.0%−15.0%−19.6%−0.3%−33.7%−33.6%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF5 of 10−3.4%−24.5%−33.7%−19.3%−6.5%−12.8%−17.9%−1.5%−55.2%−47.5%
MPC Marathon Petroleum Corporation1 of 7−3.7%−30.2%−72.4%−36.7%−6.9%−48.2%−39.5%———
PBR Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras1 of 9−7.6%−26.6%−71.2%−26.3%−8.4%−54.9%−37.6%−1.6%−80.1%—
SU Suncor Energy Inc.2 of 10−6.4%−36.6%−65.3%−34.0%−7.0%−34.7%−42.2%−0.2%−79.9%−25.4%
EC Ecopetrol S.A.1 of 8−8.4%−48.6%−67.3%−44.6%−12.6%−49.1%−15.5%−0.3%——
E Eni S.p.A.3 of 10−2.5%−33.7%−49.7%−23.2%−6.9%−30.6%−25.1%−1.1%−61.8%−22.9%
YPF YPF Sociedad Anónima1 of 10−17.8%−45.2%−73.5%−27.3%−8.9%−48.7%−22.0%−1.6%−65.2%−75.8%
WMB The Williams Companies, Inc.1 of 10−3.4%−23.0%−57.0%−25.4%−7.0%−78.9%−26.7%−3.4%−75.3%−98.0%
COP ConocoPhillips3 of 10−6.1%−33.0%−61.8%−28.3%−9.4%−43.4%−19.0%−0.8%−62.4%−31.7%
EQNR Equinor ASA1 of 9−2.8%−24.5%−49.0%−29.1%−4.4%−34.9%−19.9%−1.0%−68.4%—
SHEL Shell plc2 of 10−3.7%−25.0%−57.0%−19.1%−6.3%−35.9%−19.6%−2.6%−53.7%−36.2%
CVX Chevron Corporation4 of 10−2.6%−24.9%−51.0%−19.6%−5.3%−18.5%−17.2%−0.1%−43.8%−29.5%
TTE TotalEnergies SE3 of 10−4.5%−24.6%−49.3%−22.2%−5.4%−21.5%−26.0%−2.1%−50.8%−25.1%
CVE Cenovus Energy Inc.0 of 8−7.1%−40.4%−82.3%−37.9%−16.4%−42.5%−26.3%−0.9%——
EOG EOG Resources, Inc.0 of 10−7.4%−33.4%−61.5%−37.3%−11.3%−31.7%−35.8%−1.5%−68.0%−52.7%
BP BP p.l.c.3 of 10−4.2%−23.9%−55.5%−20.9%−5.0%−22.9%−23.9%−2.5%−53.4%−31.1%
SLB Slb N.V.0 of 10−8.8%−36.8%−64.9%−43.6%−10.9%−27.1%−38.9%−3.8%−68.0%−59.8%
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How closely does XOM move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell. An investment that captures more of the gains than the losses has compounded ahead of the market over time. This section compares XOM with its popular alternatives on both measures, and on beta (how strongly each has moved with the market), over the past 10 years.

Monthly total returns over the past 10 years, measured against SPY. 100% capture or a beta of 1.00 means moving in line with the S&P 500. Green marks a better figure than XOM's: more upside, less downside or a higher capture ratio. Sorted by capture ratio.

InvestmentUpside captureDownside captureCapture ratioBeta
XOM This pageExxonmobil Holdings Corporation78%83%0.940.76
PBR Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras104%63%1.660.99
EQNR Equinor ASA79%52%1.510.62
MPC Marathon Petroleum Corporation138%95%1.451.29
SHEL Shell plc60%43%1.400.45
TTE TotalEnergies SE69%57%1.220.51
E Eni S.p.A.79%69%1.150.70
WMB The Williams Companies, Inc.85%78%1.081.02
COP ConocoPhillips94%92%1.020.91
SU Suncor Energy Inc.90%90%1.000.96
BP BP p.l.c.58%62%0.940.51
EC Ecopetrol S.A.127%139%0.911.13
CVX Chevron Corporation86%94%0.910.89
CVE Cenovus Energy Inc.124%173%0.721.69
YPF YPF Sociedad Anónima144%206%0.701.58
EOG EOG Resources, Inc.92%135%0.691.17
SLB Slb N.V.104%212%0.491.54
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What diversifies XOM?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions). This section lists large ETFs and stocks whose returns have had a low correlation with XOM's. Because such investments tend not to fall at the same time, pairing XOM with them can reduce a portfolio's overall swings.

Only ETFs with at least $1.0B in assets and stocks worth at least $10B, with a correlation below 0.5 over the past 5 years and a positive return, are included, ranked by Sharpe ratio; funds that hold the same thing are shown once. The year columns are the years in which XOM lost money. The last two columns show a portfolio that is 80% XOM and 20% the other investment, rebalanced monthly.

ETFs

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe202320202018201720152014200920082002200180/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
XOM Exxonmobil Holdings Corporation (this page)1.00+232%1.04−6.3%−36.2%−15.1%−3.8%−12.8%−6.0%−12.6%−13.1%−8.9%−7.5%27.0%+26.9%
DXJ InternationalWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund0.20+225%1.34+42.0%+3.9%−19.8%+22.8%+7.7%+8.1%+2.0%−20.8%——22.2%+27.6%
SMH TechnologyVanEck Semiconductor ETF-0.15+323%0.97+73.4%+55.5%−9.1%+38.5%−0.3%+30.2%+60.5%−44.7%−47.0%−14.6%21.6%+31.1%
DBEF InternationalXtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF0.24+85.0%0.96+20.1%+2.1%−9.5%+16.7%+4.1%+3.4%————22.2%+24.8%
GLD CommoditiesSPDR Gold Shares0.06+126%0.96+12.7%+24.8%−1.9%+12.8%−10.7%−2.2%+24.0%+4.9%——22.1%+26.1%
SPMO Broad MarketInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF0.00+136%0.93+17.6%+28.2%−0.9%+27.8%——————22.0%+26.9%
DFIV InternationalDimensional - International Value ETF0.47+99.4%0.93+17.7%—————————23.2%+25.1%
VTV Broad MarketVanguard Morningstar Value ETF0.42+76.6%0.90+9.3%+2.3%−5.5%+17.1%−1.0%+13.2%+19.9%−35.9%——22.9%+24.4%
VLUE Broad MarketiShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF0.22+109%0.90+14.2%−0.2%−11.1%+21.9%−4.1%+12.8%————22.8%+25.8%

Stocks

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe202320202018201720152014200920082002200180/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
XOM Exxonmobil Holdings Corporation (this page)1.00+232%1.04−6.3%−36.2%−15.1%−3.8%−12.8%−6.0%−12.6%−13.1%−8.9%−7.5%27.0%+26.9%
CAH Medical - DistributionCardinal Health, Inc.0.13+479%1.55+34.1%+10.1%−24.5%−12.7%+12.6%+23.0%−4.4%−39.6%−8.3%−2.5%22.9%+30.2%
CLS Hardware, Equipment & PartsCelestica Inc.-0.04+3,143%1.47+160%−2.4%−16.3%−11.6%−6.0%+12.9%+105%−20.5%−65.1%−25.6%24.1%+44.8%
FIX Engineering & ConstructionComfort Systems USA, Inc.0.07+1,636%1.46+79.6%+6.7%+0.8%+32.1%+67.7%−10.4%+17.8%−15.2%−9.4%+73.7%24.0%+40.0%
MCK Medical - DistributionMcKesson Corporation0.29+413%1.44+24.1%+27.1%−28.4%+12.0%−4.5%+29.3%+62.9%−40.4%−27.2%+4.9%23.5%+29.3%
HWM Aerospace & DefenseHowmet Aerospace Inc.0.15+594%1.36+37.8%−7.2%−37.5%+48.4%−36.3%+50.9%+51.3%−67.4%−33.1%+9.8%23.7%+32.6%
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Common questions

What was XOM's worst drawdown?

XOM's deepest decline since it began trading in 1986 was 62.4%, from June 2014 to March 2020. It took 22 months from the low to climb back to its old high.

What were XOM's best and worst years?

Over 29 full calendar years, XOM's best year was 2022, when it returned 87.4%. Its worst was 2020, with a return of -36.2%.

Is there a better investment than XOM?

Among XOM's popular alternatives, MPC, YPF and PBR were ahead of XOM in most short and long periods, though with much bigger swings (33.4%, 54.1% and 37.5% volatility against 26.5%). Looking beyond its popular alternatives, PBR-A (integrated oil & gas) and VLO (oil & gas) were ahead of XOM in most short and long periods, though with much bigger swings (37.5% and 36.9% volatility against 26.5%).

Is XOM more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. XOM's volatility over the past 5 years was 26.5%, 1.5 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, XOM's return lands within 26.5% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

What is XOM's Sharpe ratio?

XOM's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 1.04, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so XOM earned more for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

How correlated is XOM with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, XOM's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.13 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They are only loosely linked, which makes it a real diversifier next to an index fund. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against XOM instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a XOM holding.

What are the best alternatives to XOM?

Of the 16 popular alternatives we compared, four outperformed XOM in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: MPC, PBR and SU.

Did XOM outperform the S&P 500?

XOM finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 12 of 29 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +16.0%, against +17.7% for the index.

How did XOM do in stock market crashes?

XOM fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in four of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in five. The clearest case was the Covid crash, when XOM fell 47.9% and the S&P 500 fell 33.7%.

What diversifies XOM?

These had a low correlation with XOM over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, DXJ (correlation 0.20), SMH (correlation -0.15) and DBEF (correlation 0.24); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.13), CLS (correlation -0.04) and FIX (correlation 0.07). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

How we measure

More research

Popular alternatives to XOM