"Exxon never overpaid for anything."

"There will be more of these deals, and it will make the industry more resilient to volatility in natural gas prices but also put the industry on a much stronger footing if you will, and it will force the U.S. congress finally to look at the industry as the only way for us to get a national energy policy."

TOM SCHRADER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, U.S. EQUITY TRADING, STIFEL NICOLAUS CAPITAL MARKETS, BALTIMORE

"The deal should help the rest of the stocks in XTO's sector. Exxon is making a bold statement about getting into the exploration and production business, but it's hard to tell if this will start a wave of acquisitions.

"Natural gas is trading at historical lows. Exxon is making a bullish statement about natgas prospects, and if others agree, you could see more deals like this, but only time will tell."