ConocoPhillips Q4 Profit Beats, $10B Return in 2025

ConocoPhillips reported strong fourth-quarter earnings, with an adjusted EPS of $1.98, surpassing analyst expectations of $1.84. The firm's revenue was $14.74 billion, slightly down by 3.7% from the previous year but still beating Wall Street estimates. Higher production volumes, boosted by the acquisition of Marathon Oil, helped offset the impact of a 10% decline in average realized prices, with production reaching 2.18 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. The company has made strategic moves to enhance operational efficiencies and reduce debt, including divesting non-core assets for $600 million. ConocoPhillips ended the year with strong cash reserves and a commitment to increasing shareholder returns to $10 billion in 2025. Looking ahead, the company projects first-quarter production to be between 2.34 and 2.38 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, although this guidance is slightly below consensus expectations.