![\"HPx_CzfWEAAr5VH.jpeg\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/H_Px_Czf_WEA_Ar5_VH_b9adba95ec.jpeg\")
Source: The Kobeissi Letter\u00a0<\/p>\n
As per the market commentator, this includes\u00a0ExxonMobil Corp. (XOM)<\/a>,\u00a0Chevron Corp. (CVX)<\/a>,\u00a0Shell PLC (SHEL)<\/a>,\u00a0TotalEnergies (TTE)<\/a> and\u00a0BP PLC (BP)<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Oil Majors\u2019 Cash Reserves Climb To 2022 Peaks<\/p>\n The second-quarter cash reserves of the top five oil majors marks an increase of about 600% quarter-over-quarter, The Kobeissi Letter said.\u00a0<\/p>\n This surpasses the previous peak of about $60 billion that was reached in Q2 2022, during the Russia-Ukraine tensions.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, net income across the group has also jumped more than 160% year-over-year to $47 billion, the third-largest on record, as per the post.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOil companies are building unprecedented cash piles amid the Iran War,\u201d The Kobeissi Letter said.\u00a0<\/p>\n U.S. Crude Stockpiles Plummet Sharply Amid Iran War<\/p>\n The U.S. and Iran have been at war since February of this year, causing a choke in the critical Strait of Hormuz and disrupting oil supplies globally.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last week, U.S. Department of Energy data showed that crude oil reserves in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve had fallen below 300 million barrels, reaching their lowest level in more than four decades. The SPR declined by 6.1 million barrels to 298.7 million barrels last week, according to the data.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs Trump’s war on Iran SQUEEZES global oil supply, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve reaches critical lows. TRUMP’S WAR OF CHOICE ON IRAN = UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES = STAY LONG OIL,\u201d economist Steve Hanke said in a\u00a0post<\/a> on X.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said at a rally in New York on Friday that, once the U.S. has defeated Iran, he intends to claim the Strait of Hormuz as \u201ca territory of the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n Iran, meanwhile, has signaled that it will fiercely defend control of the strategic waterway. Major General Hatami said the \u201csacred Strait of Hormuz\u201d is critical to ending the war and that Iran would defend it with \u201cfull force,\u201d according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.<\/p>\n A memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, intended to contain the escalating conflict, is also due to expire Monday. An extension appears unlikely after both sides have spent weeks accusing the other of violating the agreement.<\/p>\n How Are Oil Stocks Performing?<\/p>\n Oil stocks and exchange-traded funds have climbed since the U.S.-Iran conflict began earlier this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil (UCO)<\/a> and the\u00a0United States Oil Fund (USO)<\/a> have soared over 62% and 54% each since Feb. 28. Meanwhile, the top five oil majors have also seen their shares climb significantly.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, on Stocktwits, retail sentiment around USO, XOM, CVX, SHEL, and BP stocks was \u2018bearish,\u2019 while it was \u2018neutral\u2019 for UCO and TTE.\u00a0<\/p>\n For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.<\/p>\n![\"koyfin_20260817_114016988.png\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/koyfin_20260817_114016988_0b29114a26.png\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Follow](\"https:\/\/chunks-prd.stocktwits-cdn.com\/_next\/static\/media\/google-news-icon.d9c2bfd1.svg\"\/){kind=icon}
<\/a><\/p>\n