Overview

• Shell's Q1 2025 profit fell 28% year-over-year to $5.58 billion but exceeded analyst expectations, prompting a $3.5 billion share buyback program.
• ExxonMobil posted $7.71 billion in profit, driven by production increases in the Permian Basin and Guyana, sustaining its $20 billion annual share repurchase plan.
• Chevron matched profit forecasts at $3.8 billion but announced a reduction in Q2 share buybacks to between $2 billion and $3.5 billion, citing market conditions.
• Falling crude prices, influenced by U.S. tariffs and OPEC+ supply increases, pressured margins across the energy sector, impacting all major oil companies.
• European and U.S. oil majors diverged in strategy, with Shell and ExxonMobil maintaining robust buybacks while Chevron and BP signaled caution in shareholder returns.