Exxon Mobil profit increases 39 percent

? Higher prices for oil and gas led to another record quarter at Exxon Mobil Corp., the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, with profits jumping 39 percent from a year ago.

Exxon Mobil said Thursday it earned $5.79 billion, or 88 cents per share, in the April-June period, compared with $4.17 billion, 62 cents per share, a year earlier. Revenue jumped 24 percent to $70.69 billion from $57.17 billion a year ago.

Shares of Exxon Mobil rose 22 cents, to $46.03 — near their 52-week high of $46.82 set this month — in trading Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.

“They are clicking on all cylinders,” said Fadel Gheit, an analyst for Oppenheimer & Co. “Refining (profit) margins are the best in almost 15 years, oil prices are at record highs, and gas prices are near records. It doesn’t get any better than this.”