Kilgore

Exxon Mobil Is a Buy

I don't know why you would describe the share buyback plan as "not smart". The company has a choice, it can either pay that same money out in dividends (and have shareholders be taxed twice on the same earnings) or it can return the money to shareholders by reducing the number of shares outstanding. For a company like XOM with such great long term assets, reducing the number of shares every year at a rate of 6-8% of total shares outstanding is the most prudent and shareholder friendly thing it can do.

My only fear with XOM is that too many of its best assets are in places like Nigeria, Azerbijan (sp?), ect., where social unrest could very easily lead to a nationalization of assets like is occuring in Venezuela.