据路透社休斯顿报道，受到油价下跌、炼油及化工利润下降的影响，埃克森美孚三大业务利润较上年同期有所下降，导致埃克森美孚第三季度利润减少了近一半。

该公司上周五报告称，第三季度收益从上年同期的62.4亿美元（每股1.46美元）降至31.7亿美元（每股75美分）。

埃克森美孚上月警告称，化学品价格走软和油价下跌将影响业绩，促使分析师们将预期股价收益从每股86美分下调至每股67美分，因此，该结果超过了分析师们下调后的预期。

总部位于伦敦的Palissy顾问公司能源主管Anish Kapadia表示：“也许人们的预期有点弱，但我认为总体而言，与预期相比，这可能略为消极。”

能源投资银行Tudor Pickering Holt & Co.分析师们称周五的结果“对股票来说是中性的”。

埃克森美孚的业绩与其竞争对手BP和壳牌的收益都较为疲弱，本周早些时候，这两家公司表示，由于股价低迷，它们可能推迟增加股息或回购计划。上周五，雪佛龙公司公布第三季度利润下降了36%。随着美国页岩生产商在全球消费增长放缓的情况下不断增加石油产量，石油和天然气价格已经下跌。

投资者一直在向石油公司施压，要求它们削减开支，增加股东回报率，而埃克森美孚一直在投资大型项目，以提高产量，其第三季度的支出为77亿美元，高于去年同期的66亿美元，并高于分析师的预期。

埃克森美孚的现金流较去年同期下降了24%，这是投资者密切关注的一个指标。投资者一直在寻找该公司改善现金流以支付股息和资本支出。

尽管美国页岩产量上升，但埃克森美孚的油气生产部门利润因价格走软而下降49%，至21.7亿美元，为两年来的最低收益。

在汽油和柴油利润较低的情况下，该公司的炼油业务盈利12.3亿美元，较去年同期下降25%。

由于全球塑料产能过剩和项目支出增加，化工业务越来越弱，该公司的化工业务较去年同期下降了66%。

埃克森美孚的石油当量产量较去年同期增长约3%，至389万桶石油当量/日，连续第四季度同比增长。

该公司在美国最大的页岩油田——二叠纪盆地的产量从第二季度增长了7%，达到约29.3万桶石油当量/日。

詹晓晶 摘自 路透社

原文如下：

Exxon Mobil profit halves on weak oil prices, chemicals margins

Exxon Mobil Corp’s third-quarter profit nearly halved, hit by lower oil prices and weaker margins in refining and chemicals, with its three major business reporting lower year-over-year profit.

Earnings fell to $3.17 billion, or 75 cents per share, in the quarter, from $6.24 billion, or $1.46 per share, a year earlier, the company reported on Friday.(bit.ly/2WxMI0q)

It beat analysts’ recently reduced expectations for earnings of 67 cents per share. The company last month warned results would be hurt by weaker chemicals and lower oil prices, prompting analysts to reduce estimates from 86 cents per share.

“Maybe expectations were a little bit weak going in, but I think overall it is probably slightly negative relative to expectation,” said Anish Kapadia, director of energy at London-based Palissy Advisors.

Analysts at Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co called Friday’s results “neutral for the stock.”

Exxon’s results mirrored weaker earnings at rivals BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell, which earlier this week indicated they might delay dividend increases or a buyback program because of low prices. Chevron Corp on Friday reported a 36% drop in third-quarter profit. Prices have fallen for oil and gas as U.S. shale producers keep pumping more oil amid slowing global consumption growth.

Exxon has been investing in major projects to boost production at a time when investors have been pressing oil companies to cut spending and increase returns to shareholders. It spent $7.7 billion in the third quarter, up from $6.6 billion the same period the year prior and higher than what analysts expected.

Exxon’s cash flow, a closely watched metric by investors, fell 24% from a year ago. Investors have been looking for the company to improve cash flow to cover its dividends and capital expenses.

Despite rising output from U.S. shale, profits in Exxon’s oil and gas production unit were down 49% to $2.17 billion on weaker prices, its lowest earnings in two years.

Its refining business earned $1.23 billion, down 25% from last year, on lower margins for its gasoline and diesel.

Its chemicals business was down 66% year-over-year. Results have been weaker because of global overcapacity in plastics and higher project expenses.

Exxon’s oil equivalent production rose about 3% to 3.89 million barrels per day, the fourth quarter in a row of year-over year gains.

Its production in the Permian Basin, the top U.S. shale field, rose 7% from the second quarter to around 293,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily.