Hess Corp on Thursday reported first-quarter earnings well above analysts' forecasts, driven by a 28% increase in Guyana oil output, a sign Exxon Mobil's results out Friday could also top forecasts. Last October, Hess agreed to sell itself to Chevron for $53 billion in stock, but the deal has been stalled by a regulatory review and challenged by Exxon, which claims a right to Hess's Guyana assets.
ExxonMobil (XOM) is seeing favorable earnings estimate revision activity and has a positive Zacks Earnings ESP heading into earnings season.
Exxon and Chevron are part of the Zacks Earnings Trends article.