Business
Exxon Mobil Shares Edge Higher as Oil Giant Advances Texas Move and Eyes Growth Amid Steady Crude Prices
NEW YORK — Exxon Mobil Corp. shares rose modestly Tuesday as the energy giant pressed ahead with plans to redomicile to Texas and highlighted its long-term growth strategy in a market buoyed by relatively stable oil prices.
The stock traded at $139.16, up 0.53 percent or 73 cents, in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The move came as broader energy markets reflected ongoing attention to global supply dynamics and corporate restructuring efforts by major producers.
Exxon Mobil announced last week that its planned redomiciliation from New Jersey to Texas will take effect July 1. The shift, approved by shareholders in May, aims to align the company’s legal home with its operational heartland and potentially streamline regulatory and tax considerations.
The company has emphasized that the move supports its focus on delivering long-term value. In its first-quarter 2026 earnings release, Exxon Mobil reported earnings of $4.2 billion, or $1.00 per share. Excluding certain items and timing effects, earnings reached $8.8 billion, or $2.09 per share. Cash flow from operations stood at $8.7 billion.
Chairman and CEO Darren Woods has repeatedly stressed disciplined capital allocation and investment in high-return projects. The company continues advancing developments in the Permian Basin and Guyana, where production is ramping up toward significant milestones.
Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook. Bank of America recently upgraded the stock to “Buy,” citing attractive valuation and strong fundamentals. Consensus price targets hover around $163 to $170, implying upside from current levels.
Exxon Mobil’s forward dividend yield stands near 3 percent, supported by 43 consecutive years of increases. The company returned $9.2 billion to shareholders in the first quarter through dividends and buybacks.
The energy sector faces a complex backdrop. Oil prices have stabilized following earlier volatility tied to geopolitical developments and demand concerns. Exxon Mobil and peers continue navigating the energy transition while investing in conventional resources to meet near-term needs.
Strategic Investments and Operational Focus
Exxon Mobil’s strategy centers on leveraging its scale in upstream production, downstream refining, and chemical manufacturing. The company targets annual production growth of approximately 1.8 million oil-equivalent barrels per day by 2026, grounded in value rather than pure volume.
Key projects include expansions in Guyana, where output is expected to exceed 700,000 barrels per day over time. Permian operations also remain a priority, with efficiency gains helping offset cost pressures.
The redomiciliation to Texas aligns with these operational realities. Texas hosts significant portions of Exxon Mobil’s U.S. assets and workforce. Company officials have framed the change as enhancing long-term competitiveness without disrupting day-to-day business.
Analysts note Exxon Mobil’s balance sheet strength and free cash flow generation as key differentiators. Trailing twelve-month free cash flow exceeded $23 billion, providing flexibility for investments, dividends, and share repurchases.
Market Context and Challenges
Global oil markets remain sensitive to supply shifts from OPEC+ producers and demand signals from major economies. Recent reports of potential U.S.-Iran diplomatic progress added some downward pressure on prices earlier in the month, though benchmarks have since steadied.
Exxon Mobil’s diversified portfolio helps buffer such volatility. Its chemical and refining segments provide counterbalance to upstream swings. First-quarter results showed resilience despite timing effects that pressured reported figures.
Environmental and regulatory pressures persist. Shareholder proposals on climate and governance issues featured prominently at the May annual meeting, though management maintained strong support for its board and strategy.
The company continues reporting progress on lower-carbon initiatives while prioritizing core hydrocarbon developments. Woods has described the approach as pragmatic, balancing energy security with emission-reduction goals.
Analyst Views and Valuation
Wall Street largely views Exxon Mobil as undervalued relative to its cash flow potential and asset base. Discounted cash flow models suggest intrinsic value well above current trading levels, with some estimates exceeding $270 per share under conservative assumptions.
Earnings estimates for full-year 2026 reflect optimism around production ramps and efficiency. The stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings multiple in the low 20s, below historical peaks for the sector.
Risks include prolonged low oil prices, execution challenges on major projects, and evolving energy policies. Exxon Mobil’s size and integrated model provide advantages in navigating these uncertainties.
Outlook
As the second quarter progresses, investors will watch for updates on operational milestones and any further details on the Texas transition. Exxon Mobil’s next earnings report is anticipated in late July.
The company maintains its commitment to disciplined investment and shareholder returns. With shares showing modest gains amid broader market rotation, Exxon Mobil continues positioning itself as a reliable energy supplier capable of adapting to changing conditions.
Business
Opinion: One wrong may make for a hard right
OPINION: Major internal economic changes are colliding with external forces in testing times for business and politics.
Business
Hydration tracking: Should you be tracking your water level?
Flouris is a little sceptical of sweat-sensing.
Referring to various unnamed devices that analyse sweat, which he has evaluated in the lab, he says, “Most of these products that we’ve tested do not show the level of accuracy that you would expect.” The results of his experiments are as-yet unpublished.
Sweat sensors, Flouris suggests, work best when worn during long bouts of physical activity – such as a marathon. But they struggle when the exertion is more varied and intermittent. Think a footballer switching from walking to suddenly running very quickly.
In response, Ghaffari says he and his colleagues have published peer-reviewed papers, external on the accuracy of Epicore Biosystems’ gadgets.
He acknowledges that analysing sweat loss over short intervals up to 20 minutes long “can be challenging” but says his company’s products appear effective for 30-minute, or longer, workouts.
Perhaps the most common hydration-focused products available are the smart water bottles that remind you to take a sip throughout the day.
“We try to make it fun,” says Cem Bakiş, head of business development at WaterH, which has a glowing ring that blinks in order to prompt its owner to take a drink. “You can add friends, you can earn points.”
Some smart water bottles work by estimating the weight of liquid in them, and how that changes over time as the drink inside is consumed. But WaterH takes a different approach.
Sensors detect when the water bottle is tipped at an angle, and also the flow rate of fluid as it leaves the vessel. The water bottle will immediately recognise when you’ve had a sufficient quantity of liquid, stresses Bakiş.
I point out that, while some reviews online are positive, other comments criticise the accuracy of these measurements. This is often an issue with how the device is calibrated, and easily rectified, responds Bakiş.
If you don’t want to take instructions in hydration from a water bottle, though, you always have the option of asking your toilet how things are going.
Vivoo makes a urine-analysing gizmo that sits on the rim of a toilet bowl, promising to help you understand your hydration “like never before”.
The device uses optical sensors to work out your “urine specific gravity” – a measure of urine’s density compared to clean water. The denser it is, the more dehydrated you are, generally. Small print on Vivoo’s website emphasises that its products are not intended to provide medical diagnoses.
Urine-based measurements are used to evaluate hydration in scientific studies, says Flouris. Though he notes that there can be some delay between a person entering a dehydrated state, and this becoming detectable in their urine.
Business
Forrestdale lead-acid battery recycling plant opens
Scrap metal dealer Paul Owens has opened a new $12 million recycling plant focused on traditional lead-acid batteries in Perth’s southern suburbs.
Business
Dollar hits 13-month high as rate-hike bets, stock rout boost demand

Dollar hits 13-month high as rate-hike bets, stock rout boost demand
Business
Thanks to SpaceX, Index Funds Won’t Track Each Other as Closely. One Pro’s Advice.
In the pre-SpaceX days, it didn’t really matter which major index benchmark an investor chose, whether it was constructed by Standard & Poor’s, the Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP), or FTSE Russell. They all returned essentially the same amount.
Business
Getty Images Jumps Following OpenAI Partnership
Shares of Getty Images more than doubled after the company disclosed a display agreement with OpenAI. The stock jumped 104%, to $1.23 a share Monday. Through Friday’s close, Getty Images shares had lost more than half of their value since the beginning of the year.
Under the partnership agreement, Getty said its licensed content libraries will appear across OpenAI search and discovery experiences within ChatGPT, enabling the use of Getty’s content within the artificial-intelligence platform.
Business
NYT Connections #1109 Answers for June 24, 2026 Revealed
Wednesday’s edition of The New York Times’ popular word-grouping game served up a grid built around classic rock bands, wedding traditions, and a clever color-themed character category that lured solvers toward an early, incorrect grouping before the actual answer revealed itself.
How the Game Works
Connections by The New York Times is a unique daily word game that fans can enjoy online for free. The puzzle challenges players to sort a given set of 16 words into groups of four. Each group features a hidden theme that connects the four words that belong in it. Players get only four guesses to find out how the words are connected and categorize them accordingly. The game also provides a “one away…” pop-up as a hint whenever a player chooses three out of the four correct words in a group. The four groups, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple, are divided according to the level of their difficulty, with Yellow being the easiest to sort and Purple featuring the trickiest theme to figure out.
Wednesday’s Four Categories
The themes and answers for the June 24, 2026, NYT Connections puzzle were as follows:
Yellow Group: Prog Bands — GENESIS, KING CRIMSON, PINK FLOYD, RUSH.
Green Group: Classic Wedding Gifts — CHINA, LUGGAGE, MONEY, TOASTER.
Blue Group: Red Characters — CLIFFORD, DEADPOOL, KOOL-AID MAN, MR. KRABS.
Purple Group: Rhyming Compound Words — CHICK FLICK, HELTER SKELTER, HUMPTY DUMPTY, MUMBO JUMBO.
The Color Trap That Caught Solvers Off Guard
Puzzle number 1109 features some heavy misdirection, with several words seemingly fitting into different themes before revealing the true groupings. Watch out for the red herrings today. At first glance, words like Pink and Deadpool look like they could fit into a simple color theme, but committing to that group early will cost you lives.
The trap centers specifically on Pink Floyd’s inclusion in the yellow prog-rock category, since the word “Pink” on its own could plausibly suggest a color-based grouping alongside the actually correct blue category of red-colored fictional characters. One solver described falling into exactly that confusion while working through the grid: “Not being familiar with the work of Kool-Aid Man put me at a disadvantage today and was the reason for my single mistake. While I knew that Clifford of Big Red Dog fame, Deadpool and Mr. Krabs favored the color red.”
Breaking Down the Categories
The yellow category gathered four influential progressive rock bands, bringing together Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and Rush — a relatively straightforward grouping for fans of classic rock, though the inclusion of Pink Floyd specifically created the color-based misdirection that tripped up several solvers elsewhere in the grid.
The green category required players to think about traditional gift-giving customs, linking China, Luggage, Money, and Toaster as classic items associated with wedding registries and gift lists.
The blue category, despite its color-based misdirection trap, ultimately gathered four fictional characters who all happen to be red in appearance: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Deadpool, the Kool-Aid Man, and Mr. Krabs from SpongeBob SquarePants.
The Purple Category’s Wordplay Challenge
As is typical for Connections puzzles, the purple category delivered the day’s most inventive twist, built around compound phrases that rhyme internally. The category brought together Chick Flick, Helter Skelter, Humpty Dumpty, and Mumbo Jumbo — four well-known rhyming compound terms that required solvers to think specifically about phrase structure rather than shared meaning or category.
Strategic Advice From Puzzle Outlets
Ahead of revealing the solution, several outlets offered general guidance for navigating Wednesday’s grid. We recommend looking closely at proper names and word structure first. Separating band names from characters and common terms will make the remaining words significantly easier to manage.
Other strategists emphasized broader habits worth building into a daily Connections routine. Before submitting a set of words, you should always check whether they fit somewhere else too. If you hit a dead end, use the shuffle button at the bottom of the grid — placing the words in different positions can spark new connections and act as a mental refresh, helping new patterns emerge that may not have been obvious in the original layout.
A Moderate Difficulty Rating
Despite the color-based misdirection built into the puzzle, early tester feedback suggested Wednesday’s challenge landed closer to the middle of the difficulty spectrum overall. NYT’s early testers rated today’s Connection puzzle 2.5 out of 5, putting it in the medium difficulty level — a rating that aligns with the mixed reactions from solvers who successfully avoided the Pink Floyd trap versus those who fell for it.
The Game’s Continued Popularity
Connections is one of the most popular online word games from The New York Times, closely trailing behind Wordle. The puzzle presents players with a 16-word, four-by-four grid that has helped cement the game’s status as a daily ritual for millions of solvers since its 2023 launch.
Where to Find More Puzzle Help
Besides Connections, other puzzles that fans can play on The New York Times Games collection include Wordle, Strands, Pips, the NYT Crosswords, and Sudoku, among others. Wednesday’s slate also included Wordle puzzle number 1831 and Strands puzzle number 843, giving puzzle enthusiasts a full menu of additional daily challenges beyond the standard Connections grid alone.
With Wednesday’s puzzle now solved by players who successfully navigated the Pink Floyd color trap and identified the rhyming compound words hidden in the purple category, attention turns to Thursday’s edition, puzzle number 1110, when a fresh sixteen-word grid and an entirely new set of hidden categories — and likely a fresh round of cleverly placed red herrings — will once again test the Connections community’s pattern-recognition skills before their four guesses run out.
Business
Rubio kicks off Middle East trip as allies seek answers on Iran

Rubio kicks off Middle East trip as allies seek answers on Iran
Business
Trump touts Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs during Mack Trucks visit
President Donald Trump said over 2,000 manufacturing jobs were created in Pennsylvania in recent months during a speech at the Mack Trucks facility in the state.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday visited the Mack Trucks facility in Macungie, Pennsylvania, to tout his economic agenda in a battleground district ahead of this fall’s midterm elections.
Trump spoke to a crowd at the Mack Trucks facility while accompanied by Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., who represents the Keystone State’s 7th congressional district where the plant is located. Mackenzie is running for reelection and will face Democratic challenger Bob Brooks this fall.
The president touted the impact of his economic policies on Pennsylvania, saying that they’ve helped boost job creation in the commonwealth with a particular focus on manufacturing jobs.
“More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country. And we’ve created over… 32,000 new jobs just starting in Pennsylvania alone. But you have to get credit for that,” Trump said. “And in the last few months alone, we’ve added 2,600 Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs, and that number’s going to go much higher as the factories start to open.”
JOHNSON & JOHNSON TO INVEST $1B IN PENNSYLVANIA MANUFACTURING FACILITY

President Donald Trump touted manufacturing jobs in his Pennsylvania speech at a Mack Trucks facility on Tuesday. (Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
Trump also praised the role of Mack Trucks, which is owned by Volvo Group of Sweden, in supporting both the regional and national economy with its production.
“For more than 100 years, this legendary company has been making trucks right here in Eastern Pennsylvania, building the heavy machinery that keeps our economy rolling on, factories moving and our industries rolling all across the nation,” Trump said.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VLVLY | VOLVO AB | 32.4 | -0.92 | -2.76% |
| NOK | NOKIA OYJ | 13.70 | -0.73 | -5.06% |
| LLY | ELI LILLY & CO. | 1,107.08 | +5.00 | +0.45% |
TRUMP GREENLIGHTS U.S. STEEL DEAL, PROMISING $11B INVESTMENT AND 100,000 AMERICAN JOBS
He also said that his move to roll back the Biden administration’s fuel emissions regulations, arguing that those more stringent standards would’ve raised costs on consumers and created problems for companies like Mack Trucks.
“I terminated Biden’s disastrous fuel emission standards that would have crushed Mack Trucks here,” Trump said. “It was the most insane environmental regulation ever conceived of by men. It was totally unreasonable and ridiculous, and you can sell trucks for much less money, that are much better trucks that work, that actually work.”

President Donald Trump at the Mack Trucks facility in Macungie, Pa., Tuesday. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
TRUMP ORDERS FEDERAL AGENCIES TO PRIORITIZE AMERICAN-MADE GOODS AND CURB WAIVER USE
Trump’s speech also referenced other notable investments in the region’s manufacturing industries, including the pharmaceutical, medical products and chip-making sectors.
“Eli Lilly has just announced — great company, by the way, drug company — a $3.5 billion investment in a brand-new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility right down the road that’s going to create over a thousand jobs. Just that one,” Trump explained.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
“Nokia is investing $30 million to expand its semiconductor testing and packaging operations, thousands of jobs,” he added. “And B. Braun has announced a $20 million expansion of its medical device manufacturing operation in Allentown.”
Business
Miles McBride partners with 1800 Tequila to honor Knicks championship
Former Modell’s Sporting Goods CEO Mitch Modell discusses his return to business with MitchModell.com, where he is selling New York Knicks-themed T-shirts, on ‘The Claman Countdown.’
The first New York Knicks NBA championship in 53 years has the entire city still in rapture days after beating the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
This special moment in Knicks history is something the players have not taken for granted, and one of them is working alongside 1800 Tequila to commemorate the moment in special fashion.
Miles “Deuce” McBride teamed up with the tequila brand to gift his teammates with custom New York-themed bottles of 1800 Milenio Tequila, which is the brand’s luxury expression made for legendary milestones like the Knicks had this season.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXBUSINESS.COM

Miles “Deuce” McBride teamed up with 1800 Tequila to create 30 exclusive bottles to commemorate the team’s NBA Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs. (1800 Tequila)
The bottles were designed specifically for the championship season by local illustrator and longtime Knicks fan Fefi. They feature New York City iconography, hometown sayings, and have visual nods to the grit, pride and energy that have been seen throughout this historic playoff run all around the bottle.
There were only 30 bottles created and gifted to the roster and several staff members from McBride, with each one being a personal keepsake to remember this signature moment in New York sports history.
KNICKS’ FANATICS CHAMPIONSHIP GEAR FLYING OFF THE SHELVES IN RECORD FASHION
“I’d say legacy means so much to me. The legacy of 1800 [Tequila] being passed down, it just correlates really well with everything in my life, everything New York, and everything Knicks,” McBride said.

Miles “Deuce” McBride with New York illustrator Fefi, who delivered the artistry for 1800 Tequila’s 30 commemorative bottles for the Knicks’ championship. (1800 Tequila)
The Knicks made 1800 Tequila the official tequila of the team, and that partnership was on full display during the playoff run. While having sold-out Knicks limited edition bottles, it also launched Row 18(00), which was a campaign featuring New York-based content creators that gave real Knicks fans who may have gotten priced out of attending playoff games at Madison Square Garden the chance to watch from Row 18 inside the arena.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs, which marked the first finals game at MSG since 1999, had an average sale price around $7,683, according to Vivid Seats earlier this month. The cheapest ticket to attend was $3,940, and those four-figure prices were also seen earlier in the playoffs.

Jordyn Woods, the fiancee of Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns, looks down at 1800 Tequila bottle commemorating the Knicks’ championship. (1800 Tequila)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXBUSINESS.COM
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
-
Fashion5 days agoWeekend Open Thread: Miami – Corporette.com
-
Entertainment3 days agoRenter of Home in Anne Heche Crash Denies Settlement With Son
-
Tech2 days agoMicrosoft accidentally kills epic Outlook email threads
-
Business3 days agoSoccer-U.S. defends Iran World Cup travel restrictions, says discussions ongoing
-
Politics5 days agoBBC Reporter Discusses Cross Party Criticism Of Trumps Iran Deal
-
Sports11 hours agoTwo goals and an assist by sheer aura: Cristiano Ronaldo just entered the World Cup chat
-
Business4 days agoWall Street Week Ahead: Investors see Micron earnings as pulse check of AI rally momentum
-
Crypto World2 hours ago
Bitcoin (BTC) Dips Below $62K, Ethereum (ETH) Plunges 6% Daily: Market Watch
-
Business5 hours ago
Entergy settles forward sale agreements, raises $672 million in cash proceeds
-
Politics4 days agoAndy Burnham and the meaning of Makerfield
-
Tech6 days agoAWS enters the context layer race with a graph that learns from agents, not manual curation
-
Crypto World4 days ago
Can Charles Hoskinson Really Rescue Cardano?
-
Crypto World4 days agoHIVE shares jump as $220M AI deal speeds Bitcoin mining pivot
-
Crypto World4 days agoJake Chervinsky accuses CME of protecting derivatives monopoly
-
NewsBeat5 days agoKeir Starmer Allies Question His Chances For No 10
-
Tech1 day agoNearly 7,000 fake Amazon domains registered ahead of Prime Day 2026, researchers warn
-
Business5 days agoBrexit cost 6% of UK economy, Bank of England company data suggests
-
Sports5 days agoFIFA World Cup 2026: Canada beat 9-men Qatar 6-0 to register first ever win | FIFA World Cup 2026
-
Tech3 days agoSignal’s Meredith Whittaker says AI chatbots ‘are not your friends’ and calls Copilot agents a backdoor
-
Entertainment4 days agoJose Alvarado Wants Taylor Swift at More Knicks Games

You must be logged in to post a comment Login