Primary Exchange
Tadawul (Saudi Arabia); OTC in US
NYSE — globally accessible
Market Cap (approx.)
~$1.7–1.9 trillion USD
~$450–520 billion USD
Dividend Yield (TTM)
~6–7% (base + special dividends)
~3.3–3.8%
Dividend Growth Streak
No formal Dividend Aristocrat status
40+ consecutive years of increases
Government Ownership
~90% owned by Saudi government
Publicly owned; no state control
Proven Oil Reserves
~260 billion barrels
~17–20 billion BOE
Production Cost per Barrel
~$3–4/bbl (world's lowest)
~$20–35/bbl
Revenue (2023 approx.)
~$400 billion USD
~$400 billion USD
Net Profit Margin
~25–30%
~9–11%
Share Buyback Program
Yes, but smaller relative scale
Aggressive — $17.5B+ annually
Upstream + Downstream + Chemicals
Primarily upstream + refining
Fully integrated across all segments
ESG / Energy Transition Exposure
Minimal transition investment
Growing LNG + CCS + low-carbon bets
Aramco Stock (2222.SR / ARMCO)
Dividend Yield★★★★★
Geopolitical Risk★½☆☆☆
Earnings Stability★★★★☆
Shareholder Returns★★★★½
Liquidity & Accessibility★★½☆☆
Valuation (Value for Price)★★★☆☆
Reserve Life & Asset Quality★★★★★
ExxonMobil Stock (XOM)
Dividend Yield★★★½☆
Geopolitical Risk★★★½☆
Earnings Stability★★★★☆
Shareholder Returns★★★★½
Liquidity & Accessibility★★★★★
Valuation (Value for Price)★★★½☆
Reserve Life & Asset Quality★★★½☆
Worth knowing
- Aramco's IPO in 2019 was the largest in history, raising ~$25.6 billion — beating Alibaba's 2014 record.
- ExxonMobil has paid a dividend every year since 1882 — older than most countries' stock markets.
- Aramco's lifting cost of ~$3/barrel means it profits even if oil crashes to $10; almost no rival can say that.
- ExxonMobil's 2023 acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources for ~$60B was the biggest US oil deal in decades.
- Foreign investors own less than 2% of Aramco's float, making it thinly traded for its enormous market cap.
Aramco is so profitable that if it were a country, its 2022 net income (~$161B) would rank in the top 60 GDPs worldwide — ahead of Hungary, Kuwait, and Morocco.
If you wantYou want maximum dividend income and don't mind trading on Tadawul or via OTC
Aramco's 6–7% yield with rock-bottom production costs is hard to beat for pure income seekers.
→ Pick Aramco Stock (2222.SR / ARMCO) If you wantYou want a reliable, NYSE-listed dividend grower with diversified energy exposure
ExxonMobil's 40+ year dividend streak, buybacks, and full integration make it the gold standard for US energy investing.
→ Pick ExxonMobil Stock (XOM) If you wantYou're worried about geopolitical risk and government policy interference
ExxonMobil answers to shareholders; Aramco ultimately answers to Riyadh first.
→ Pick ExxonMobil Stock (XOM) If you wantYou believe oil stays above $60/bbl long-term and want the lowest-cost producer on Earth
No one extracts oil cheaper than Aramco — in a sustained high-oil-price world, margins are extraordinary.
→ Pick Aramco Stock (2222.SR / ARMCO) Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.