If You'd Invested $10,000 in ExxonMobil Stock 5 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today

Oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) isn't an easy business. It requires massive amounts of investments, and the earnings and cash flows of E&P producers are directly exposed to the volatility in oil and gas prices.

Yet ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) -- the largest oil company in the U.S. -- has performed remarkably well over the decades, and its stock has generated rich returns for shareholders. In recent years, ExxonMobil has cut costs, expanded production capacity, grown its cash flows steadily, and increased its dividend years after year, all of which have been reflected in its share price.

If you'd invested $10,000 in ExxonMobil stock five years ago, you'd have more than doubled your money to $24,200 by now, as of this writing. Even better, your investment would have tripled to nearly $30,600 today if you'd reinvested the dividends.

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