Exxon Mobil Corp. said on Monday its fourth-quarter profit rose to the highest level in its history. Income rose to $8.42 billion, or $1.30 a share, from $6.65 billion, or $1.01 a share, in the previous year. Analysts were expecting $1.05 a share. Revenue rose to $83.36 billion from $65.95 billion last year.

Shares of Exxon were up 33 cents closing at $51.60.

The company topped the analysts’ estimates that averaged $1.07 a share according to Thomson First Call survey.

"We assumed the third quarter was a bit of a peak because of high prices in the benzene markets, so we thought that number would come down a bit," said Paul Sankey, an oil analyst at Deutsche Bank.