Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Trading Up 2.3% – What’s Next?

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) shares were up 2.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $151.81 and last traded at $151.5150. Approximately 15,085,334 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 29% from the average daily volume of 21,289,207 shares. The stock had previously closed at $148.13.

Exxon Mobil News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Exxon Mobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Middle East escalation and shipping attacks raised global supply fears, sending crude and energy stocks higher — a direct tailwind for Exxon’s cash flow and margins. Top oil and energy stocks to watch as crude swings wildly amid Iran war
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. strikes on Iranian-linked mine ships and related developments pushed oil prices higher this morning, increasing the chance of stronger near-term revenues for producers. Oil Prices Jump After U.S. Hits Iran Mine Ships. Market Braces for Record Release of Reserves.
• Positive Sentiment: Exxon is actively shifting supply routes (first gasoline shipments to Australia) and evaluating asset moves (Venezuela interest), actions investors view as management preserving sales and margins amid disruptions. Exxon Mobil Shifts Supply Routes As Investors Weigh Valuation And Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate-governance/structural boost: the board unanimously recommended redomiciling from New Jersey to Texas — viewed as shareholder-friendly and helpful vs. activist/legal risks. ExxonMobil Board Unanimously Recommends Redomiciling the Company from New Jersey to Texas
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum indicators: surge in options activity and a notable drop in short interest reduce downside gamma and can amplify upside moves. Spotlight on Exxon Mobil: Analyzing the Surge in Options Activity
• Neutral Sentiment: Market uncertainty: authorities may release strategic reserves (or de-escalation headlines may emerge) — either move could quickly cap oil gains and reverse momentum. Oil Prices Jump After U.S. Hits Iran Mine Ships. Market Braces for Record Release of Reserves.
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term headwinds/valuation debate persists: analysts are mixed on whether Exxon’s rally (multiple expansion, buybacks) leaves room for further upside. Exxon Mobil Plans to Move Its Legal Home to Texas From New Jersey
• Negative Sentiment: Volatility risk — oil has swung widely on de-escalation headlines in recent sessions; a reversal would pressure energy names and could trim Exxon’s gain. Oil Prices Dive as Trump Gives Hope on Iran War. These Big Risks Remain for Crude.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Bank of America upped their price target on Exxon Mobil from $135.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $144.00 to $142.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and set a $155.00 price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane cut Exxon Mobil from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $125.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $143.41.

Exxon Mobil Price Performance

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $140.03 and a 200 day simple moving average of $123.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a market cap of $631.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.35.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.08. Exxon Mobil had a return on equity of 11.21% and a net margin of 8.68%.The business had revenue of $80.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $77.98 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.67 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Exxon Mobil Corporation will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Exxon Mobil Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 12th were given a $1.03 dividend. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 12th. Exxon Mobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 61.58%.

Insider Transactions at Exxon Mobil

In other news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,150 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total value of $339,313.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 18,204 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,872,955.28. This represents a 10.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders sold a total of 16,380 shares of company stock worth $2,227,734 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Exxon Mobil

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of XOM. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil during the 4th quarter valued at about $7,625,063,000. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 150.2% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 7,602,601 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $819,560,000 after purchasing an additional 4,563,707 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC increased its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 200.7% during the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 2,014,446 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $217,162,000 after purchasing an additional 4,015,099 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Exxon Mobil by 10,809.8% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,095,106 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $333,652,000 after purchasing an additional 3,066,736 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in Exxon Mobil by 7.4% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 38,728,643 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $4,366,655,000 after buying an additional 2,660,910 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 61.80% of the company’s stock.

Exxon Mobil Company Profile

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) is an integrated oil and gas company engaged in the exploration, production, refining, distribution and marketing of petroleum products and the manufacture and sale of petrochemicals. Its operations span the full energy value chain, including upstream exploration and development of crude oil and natural gas; midstream transportation and storage; and downstream refining, product distribution and retail. The company also produces a broad range of chemical products for industrial and consumer applications.

ExxonMobil markets fuels and lubricants under well-known brands such as Exxon, Mobil and Esso, and its Mobil 1 motor oil is a prominent consumer product.