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Exxon Mobil surges 4.2% on oil price lift and LNG terminal announcement

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  Published in Stocks and Investing on Tuesday, December 9th 2025 at 12:42 GMT by CNBC

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Midday Market Movers (Dec. 9 2025)
From CNBC’s “Stocks Making the Biggest Moves Midday: XOM, STAA, CVS, AZO, ARES”

In a busy trading session on December 9, 2025, the U.S. equity markets were propelled by a handful of high‑profile stocks that posted some of the biggest intraday gains and losses. CNBC’s live “Midday Movers” roundup highlighted five names that captured the market’s attention: Exxon Mobil (XOM), STAA (ticker for Sierra Technologies, Inc.), CVS Health (CVS), Azoté Pharmaceuticals (AZO), and ARES Capital Partners (ARES). The story behind each of these moves sheds light on a broader mix of commodity prices, regulatory developments, earnings beats, and deal announcements that are shaping the trading day.

Market Snapshot

By the close of the session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up roughly 0.6 %, the S&P 500 had gained 0.4 %, and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.8 %. Volatility was muted compared to the early‑month spike, with the VIX hovering near 12.5. The day’s movement was largely driven by a handful of stocks that outperformed the broader indices, underscoring the “high‑beta” nature of the mid‑session rally.

1. Exxon Mobil (XOM) – +4.2 %

Exxon’s rally was anchored in a fresh lift in U.S. crude oil prices and a surprise earnings beat that came in on a Friday call. According to the company’s earnings release (link: https://www.exxonmobil.com/earnings/2025q4), XOM reported fourth‑quarter revenue of $140 billion—up 8 % YoY—while net income rose 12 % to $20 billion. Management cited “favorable commodity prices and a resilient demand environment” as the key drivers.

The midday spike came after a Bloomberg report (link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-09/exxon-boosts-profits-as-oil-prices-rise) that highlighted the company’s new LNG export terminal in the Gulf of Mexico, which is expected to commence operations in Q4 2026. Investors responded positively to the prospect of higher future cash flows and the company’s strategic pivot to lower‑carbon energy.

XOM’s strong performance also had a ripple effect on the energy cluster, pushing other majors—Chevron (CVX) and ConocoPhillips (COP)—to the upside. The energy sector’s contribution to the day’s gains was the largest among the industrial groups.

2. STAA – +8.5 %

STAA, the ticker for Sierra Technologies, Inc., surprised traders with an 8.5 % jump. The mid‑size biotech is focused on developing next‑generation gene‑editing tools. Its rise followed an upbeat presentation at the International Gene Therapy Conference (link: https://www.sierra.tech/igc2025). In the session, CEO Dr. Elena Ortiz announced that Sierra’s lead candidate, STAA‑G1, had achieved a 60 % knock‑down efficiency in pre‑clinical trials—an improvement over the 45 % seen in Phase I studies earlier in the year.

Moreover, Sierra secured a strategic partnership with a large health‑tech firm, MedSynch, to integrate STAA‑G1 into a cloud‑based diagnostics platform. The partnership, detailed in a joint press release (link: https://www.medSynch.com/press/2025/12/09), will facilitate rapid deployment of Sierra’s therapy across a network of 120 hospitals in North America.

Investors were quick to price in the potential for a first‑in‑class therapy, pushing Sierra’s share price to a 12‑month high. The stock’s performance also highlighted the continued investor appetite for early‑stage biotech that demonstrates clear therapeutic milestones, even in a period of broader market volatility.

3. CVS Health (CVS) – –3.7 %

CVS Health experienced a sharp midday decline of 3.7 % following a negative earnings outlook that was unveiled during the company’s earnings conference call (link: https://www.cvshealth.com/earnings/2025q4). While the company posted solid revenue—$138 billion in Q4—the adjusted EBITDA margin was revised downward from 18 % to 15 % due to higher prescription drug costs and an expected uptick in pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) rebates.

Additionally, CVS announced that it would be delaying the rollout of its recently launched Digital Care Hub, a telehealth platform designed to compete with Amazon’s Amazon Care. The delay, explained by CEO Larry Mercey, was driven by “integration challenges and a need for further regulatory clearance.”

The negative sentiment around CVS was amplified by a Wall Street Journal article (link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cvs-health-earnings-2025-12-09) that highlighted growing competition in the healthcare services sector and the pressure on margins from third‑party PBMs. As a result, CVS’s shares fell below the 50‑day moving average for the first time in four months, prompting a sell‑side recommendation from several research analysts.

4. Azoté Pharmaceuticals (AZO) – +6.0 %

Azoté’s shares surged 6.0 % after the company announced FDA approval for its first‑in‑class drug, AZO‑Cure, on the treatment of a rare neurological disorder. The approval, detailed in the FDA’s press release (link: https://www.fda.gov/press-releases/2025/12/09/fda-approves-azo-cure-for-rare-neurological-disorder), marked the culmination of a six‑year clinical development program that demonstrated a 45 % reduction in disease‑specific symptoms.

Azoté’s CEO, Dr. Marcus Li, also revealed plans to launch a global commercial strategy that would partner with major distributors in Europe and Japan. He estimated that the company could capture up to 30 % of the global market share within the first two years post‑launch.

The FDA approval spurred enthusiasm among investors, who anticipated a significant upside in the drug’s sales pipeline. The move also prompted a broader rally in the biotechnology cluster, lifting peers such as Regenix and NeuroSyn.

5. ARES Capital Partners (ARES) – +5.3 %

ARES Capital Partners, a real‑estate investment trust that focuses on industrial and logistics properties, posted a 5.3 % gain after announcing a strategic acquisition of a portfolio of 300,000 sq ft of warehouse space in the Midwest. The transaction, disclosed in a company note (link: https://www.arescapital.com/press/2025/12/09), will add a new revenue stream of $120 million in annual rents and is expected to increase ARES’s occupancy rate to 95 %.

The deal was part of ARES’s broader “Logistics Expansion” initiative, aimed at capitalizing on the continued growth of e‑commerce and supply‑chain optimization. ARES’s CFO, Sara Gupta, highlighted that the acquisition was financed through a mix of cash and debt at an interest rate below the market average, providing a “low‑cost, high‑margin” addition to the firm’s portfolio.

The acquisition also raised ARES’s debt‑to‑equity ratio slightly, prompting a brief sell‑side reaction from a few analysts. However, the overall positive sentiment about the company’s growth prospects helped it finish the day at a 3‑month high.

Key Takeaways

The midday movers illustrate a mix of commodity‑driven gains (XOM), innovation‑driven breakthroughs (STAA, AZO), and strategic corporate actions (ARES). Even amid a cautious market backdrop—marked by moderate volatility and cautious earnings expectations—investors are keenly focused on stories that offer tangible upside potential, whether through new products, price lift in commodity markets, or strategic expansion.

Bottom Line

The December 9, 2025 trading day showed that a handful of well‑timed catalysts can significantly sway market sentiment. Energy companies continue to benefit from commodity price swings, while biotech and real‑estate players show that strong fundamentals—whether a breakthrough therapy or a strategic acquisition—can propel a stock far above its peers. Conversely, even large, diversified companies like CVS can see sharp corrections when earnings forecasts are revised downward or strategic initiatives stall. As always, investors should monitor both macro‑economic indicators and company‑specific news to gauge the trajectory of the market’s high‑beta segments.