Chevron, Exxon Stocks In Focus As Trump’s Venezuela Gambit After Maduro Capture Sparks Buzz Around US Oil Majors

U.S. oil stocks are seeing rising investor interest following President Donald Trump’s comments over the weekend about plans to encourage American companies to invest in Venezuela.

• In the late hours of Sunday, retail chatter on ExxonMobil and Chevron Corp saw an uptick on Stocktwits.
• On Saturday, in a military operation, the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
• According to media reports, Venezuela currently accounts for less than 1% of global supplies even as the South American country has one of the world’s largest reserves.

Following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend, U.S. oil stocks are likely to draw increased investor interest on Monday after President Donald Trump reportedly said American firms will spend several billion dollars on rebuilding the South American country’s energy infrastructure.

The U.S. President stated during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Saturday that he would be sending large American oil companies to Venezuela to start making money for the country, adding that they would be reimbursed.

In the late hours of Sunday, retail chatter on ExxonMobil and Chevron Corp saw an uptick on Stocktwits, with many users noting a potential lift following Trump’s plans to ensure U.S. oil companies' presence in Venezuela.

How Will US Oil Companies Benefit?

According to media reports, Venezuela currently accounts for less than 1% of global supplies even as the South American country has one of the world’s largest reserves.

Trump, during the press conference, noted that the oil business in Venezuela has been a “bust” for an extended period of time. “They were pumping almost nothing by comparison to what they could have been,” he said.

Bloomberg News reported that Chevron produces about 20% of Venezuela’s oil, while Exxon and ConocoPhillips had quit production in the country following their assets being nationalised by former President Hugo Chavez.

What Is Retail Thinking?

Retail sentiment on ExxonMobil jumped to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘bearish’ a week ago, with message volumes at ‘extremely high’ levels, according to data from Stocktwits.

While sentiment on Chevron also improved to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘bearish’ seven days ago, with ‘extremely high’ levels of message volumes.

A user on Stocktwits noted that energy stocks are expected to rise in 2026.

The retail user message count on ExxonMobil saw a whopping 1,525% jump, and on Chevron, there was a massive 2,425% increase in the last seven days.

Shares of ExxonMobil have gained over 14% in the last 12 months while Chevron’s stock has jumped 6.3% for the same period.

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