January 30, 2006 9:10 AM, EST

ExxonMobil’s 2005 Profit a Record for a U.S. Company

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xxonMobil Corp. Monday posted the highest profit for any U.S. company on record, earning $10.71 billion for the fourth quarter and $36.13 billion for the year, the Associated Press reported.

The earnings of $1.71 per share for the fourth quarter compared with $8.42 billion or $1.30 per share a year earlier and topped the then-record quarterly profit of $9.92 billion Exxon posted in the third quarter of last year.

xxon's profit for the year was also the largest annual reported net income in U.S. history, AP said, citing Standard & Poor's stock market analyst Howard Silverblatt.

He said the previous high was ExxonMobil's $25.3 billion profit in 2004, AP reported.

Diesel fuel prices hit repeated record highs last fall following Hurricane Katrina’s Aug. 29 landfall on the Gulf Coast, topping out Oct. 24 at a record $3.157 a gallon.

Gasoline hit a record immediately after Katrina hit, spiking to a record $3.069 on Sept. 5.