Investing.com -- Chevron Corporation reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings and revenue on Friday, sending its stock up 2.5% in early trading as investors cheered the oil giant's strong performance.
The company posted adjusted earnings of $2.51 per share, surpassing analyst estimates of $2.45. Revenue came in at $50.67 billion, also beating the consensus forecast of $48.9 billion. Compared to the same quarter last year, revenue was down 18.3% from $62.04 billion.
Chevron (NYSE:CVX)'s worldwide net oil-equivalent production increased 7% YoY to 3.36 million barrels per day, driven by record output in the Permian Basin and the acquisition of PDC Energy (NASDAQ:PDCE). The company also started up key projects in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico during the quarter.
"We delivered strong financial and operational results, started up key projects in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and returned record cash to shareholders this quarter," said Mike Wirth, Chevron's chairman and CEO.
The company returned a record $7.7 billion to shareholders in Q3, including $4.7 billion in share repurchases and $2.9 billion in dividends.
Chevron announced plans to optimize its portfolio, including the $6.5 billion sale of Canadian assets expected to close in Q4. The company is targeting $2-3 billion in structural cost reductions by the end of 2026.
Looking ahead, Chevron expects U.S. Gulf of Mexico production to grow to 300,000 barrels of net oil-equivalent per day by 2026, driven by recent project start-ups and additional ones planned through 2025.
While earnings declined from $3.05 per share in Q3 2023, primarily due to lower margins on refined product sales and lower realizations, Chevron's results demonstrate resilience in a challenging energy market environment.