Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Upgraded at Wells Fargo & Company

Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Exxon Mobil from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 13th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $113.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 10th. Scotiabank reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $127.00 to $126.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $127.58.

Exxon Mobil Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE XOM opened at $112.20 on Thursday. Exxon Mobil has a 12-month low of $97.80 and a 12-month high of $123.21. The stock has a market cap of $478.34 billion, a PE ratio of 15.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The company has a 50-day moving average of $111.83 and a 200 day moving average of $109.19.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, June 17th. The oil and gas company reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 9.17% and a return on equity of 11.34%. The company had revenue of $57.55 billion during the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Exxon Mobil will post 7.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Exxon Mobil Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th were issued a $0.99 dividend. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. Exxon Mobil’s payout ratio is presently 56.25%.

Insider Activity at Exxon Mobil

In other news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,158 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.45, for a total value of $238,351.10. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 13,829 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,527,413.05. This represents a 13.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Exxon Mobil

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. acquired a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Elequin Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil in the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd lifted its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 396.7% during the 1st quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 298 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 238 shares in the last quarter. Game Plan Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 1,500.0% during the 1st quarter. Game Plan Financial Advisors LLC now owns 320 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 1248 Management LLC acquired a new stake in Exxon Mobil during the 1st quarter worth approximately $40,000. 61.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Exxon Mobil

Exxon Mobil Corporation engages in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas in the United States and internationally. It operates through Upstream, Energy Products, Chemical Products, and Specialty Products segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces crude oil and natural gas.