ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) Sees Significant Decline in Short Interest

ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) saw a large decrease in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 42,991,642 shares, a decrease of 19.2% from the March 31st total of 53,204,836 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 23,596,194 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Approximately 1.0% of the shares of the company are short sold.

ExxonMobil News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 adjusted results beat expectations: Exxon reported adjusted EPS and revenue above Street estimates, driven by higher upstream production and strong commodity prices — a near-term earnings tailwind. Exxon beats first-quarter earnings estimate despite hit from Iran conflict
• Positive Sentiment: Production and project wins support growth: Management highlighted record Guyana output and first LNG production at Golden Pass Train 1, confirming longer‑term volume growth that underpins future cash flow. Chevron, Exxon Earnings Show Resilience, But Oil Stocks Retreat
• Positive Sentiment: Management warns of higher oil prices: CEO Darren Woods said the Iran war hasn’t been fully priced into markets and expects further upside in oil — higher prices would boost Exxon’s margins and cash generation. Exxon Mobil CEO expects higher oil prices due to Iran war
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market tailwinds: U.S. indices are at record highs on earnings strength, which can support cyclical names like Exxon even when company-specific news is mixed. S&P 500 Marks Fifth Weekly Gain, Reaches New Records on Earnings Strength
• Neutral Sentiment: New offshore work expands long‑cycle pipeline: Exxon awarded/subcontract activity (Angola subsea) supports long‑term upstream growth but has limited immediate EPS impact. Exxon Mobil’s Angola Subsea Deal And What It Means For Long Cycle Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Reported net income dropped sharply (unadjusted profit at a multi‑year low) as Iran‑related shipment disruptions and derivative timing effects hit GAAP results — this likely pressured the stock despite the adjusted beat. Exxon Mobil shares slip after net income falls sharply despite earnings beat
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical supply risk could worsen: Management warned the Strait of Hormuz disruption and possible export bans/price caps could further tighten supply and disrupt operations — downside to near‑term volumes and earnings if outages persist. Exxon, Chevron profits take hit from Iran war
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/legal and political friction: A lawsuit over orphaned well accounting and public pressure (including criticism for resisting calls to boost domestic output) raise governance and reputational risks that could weigh on the stock. Exxon Mobil Lawsuit Tests Orphaned Well Accounting And ESG Risk Perceptions

Analysts Set New Price Targets

XOM has been the topic of several research reports. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of ExxonMobil from $128.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Zacks Research upgraded shares of ExxonMobil from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of ExxonMobil from $186.00 to $182.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of ExxonMobil from $178.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on shares of ExxonMobil from $145.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $161.55.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.75, for a total value of $698,750.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 23,584 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,295,864. This represents a 17.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 11,460 shares of company stock valued at $1,687,854. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ExxonMobil

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in ExxonMobil in the 4th quarter valued at $7,625,063,000. Quantum Portfolio Management LLC acquired a new stake in ExxonMobil in the 1st quarter valued at $965,932,000. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in ExxonMobil by 7.4% in the 3rd 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 acquiring an additional 2,660,910 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its stake in ExxonMobil by 218.4% in the 3rd quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 1,380,899 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $155,696,000 after acquiring an additional 2,546,791 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in ExxonMobil by 18.2% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 15,997,332 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,925,119,000 after acquiring an additional 2,465,410 shares during the period. 61.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ExxonMobil Stock Performance

Shares of XOM traded down $1.23 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $153.10. The stock had a trading volume of 15,451,997 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,889,112. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.15. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $154.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $134.93. ExxonMobil has a fifty-two week low of $101.18 and a fifty-two week high of $176.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $636.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.89, a PEG ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 0.19.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The oil and gas company reported $1.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.18. ExxonMobil had a net margin of 8.68% and a return on equity of 11.21%. The firm had revenue of $83.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $81.13 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.76 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that ExxonMobil will post 11.18 EPS for the current year.

ExxonMobil Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $1.03 dividend. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. ExxonMobil’s payout ratio is currently 61.58%.

About ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil 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.