Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) explores and produces for crude oil and natural gas. This dividend champion has paid dividends since 1911 and managed to increase them for 32 years in a row. One of the largest holders of Exxon Mobil is Warren Buffett, who recently bought the stock through his holding company Berkshire Hathaway.
The company has managed to deliver a 8.90% average increase in annual EPS over the past decade. Exxon Mobil is expected to earn $7.73 per share in 2014 and $7.75 per share in 2015. In comparison, the company earned $7.37/share in 2013.
Between 2004 and 2014, the number of shares outstanding has decreased from 6.512 billion to 4.346 billion. The consistent decrease in shares outstanding adds an extra growth kick to earnings per share over time. Exxon Mobil has one of the most consistent share buyback programs in the US.
The annual dividend payment has increased by 9.60% per year over the past decade, which is higher than the growth in EPS. The growth in dividends will probably be limited to 7%/annually in the next decade, given the size of the company.
Currently, Exxon Mobil is selling for 12.50 times forward earnings and yields 2.90%. I am slowly building my position in the company, and will likely do so over the next several years. I expect the stock to be mostly flat over the next few years, which would make accumulation easy. I expect to hold this company for the next 30 years, which is why I am willing to wait out a few cycles of boom and bust in commodity prices, or a period of potential flat production volumes. This is because I believe that the management team of Exxon Mobil can deliver solid long-term results for buy and hold investors.
Full Disclosure: Long XOM, CVX, BRK.B
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