Exxon Mobil leads Friday charge as Dow Jones finishes up

Sometimes when the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishes on a high note, it’s a team effort, and other times, there’s a company that you can single out for spearheading the charge.

Last Friday, the Dow Jones finished up by 0.5%, and if you were looking for someone to credit, look no further to Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM). Exxon saw shares of its stock increase by 2.2% on Friday, with the price per share finally settling in at $95.27 per share.

What was the reason for such a large gain for a normally steady, but powerful, company? Well, it certainly didn’t hurt that Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B) acquired a healthy stake of the company. The Warren Buffet-led group snatched up an additional $3.45 billion in the company.

Even as Google has started to steadily catch up with Exxon in total worth, you can’t discount the longtime giant’s success over years and years of time. While Exxon may not be as sexy as Google or other recent booming stocks, it has certainly been a reliable stock that has bolstered many a portfolio over the years.

In fact, Exxon remains (for now, at least) as the second most valuable company in the United States, ranking only behind Apple for that impressive distinction.