Saudi Aramco beats quarterly profit forecast, maintains dividend

DUBAI: State-run oil producer Saudi Aramco beat analysts' forecasts on Tuesday with a 30% rise in first-quarter net profit and maintained its dividend payout, helped by strong oil prices.

Earnings by global energy companies such as Exxon Mobil have climbed on the back of rising crude prices, which are up by about a third this year, as fuel demand recovers from the pandemic and as a global surplus of crude shrinks.