Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Cut to Strong Sell at Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Citigroup lifted their price target on Exxon Mobil from $115.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $119.00 to $118.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Scotiabank reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a report on Monday, November 3rd. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Exxon Mobil from $128.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Exxon Mobil from $156.00 to $158.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $129.45.

Exxon Mobil Stock Performance

Shares of XOM opened at $122.59 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The stock has a market cap of $516.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.82, a P/E/G ratio of 7.56 and a beta of 0.37. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $117.33 and its 200-day moving average price is $113.55. Exxon Mobil has a 52 week low of $97.80 and a 52 week high of $122.68.

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 return on equity of 11.22% and a net margin of 8.99%.The business had revenue of $57.55 billion during the quarter. Equities research analysts anticipate that Exxon Mobil will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Exxon Mobil Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were issued a dividend of $1.03 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. This is a positive change from Exxon Mobil’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.99. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Exxon Mobil’s dividend payout ratio is presently 59.88%.

Insider Transactions at Exxon Mobil

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total value of $351,570.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 28,584 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,349,758.96. This trade represents a 9.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Exxon Mobil

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Linscomb Wealth Inc. grew its position in Exxon Mobil by 1.4% during the second quarter. Linscomb Wealth Inc. now owns 389,769 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $42,017,000 after purchasing an additional 5,527 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in Exxon Mobil by 52.3% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 382,989 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $45,149,000 after buying an additional 131,600 shares in the last quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 306,658 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $34,576,000 after buying an additional 9,831 shares during the period. Capital Counsel LLC NY grew its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Capital Counsel LLC NY now owns 49,687 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $5,356,000 after acquiring an additional 460 shares in the last quarter. Finally, OneAscent Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 116.7% during the 2nd quarter. OneAscent Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,657 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $825,000 after acquiring an additional 4,123 shares in the last quarter. 61.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Exxon Mobil News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlighting XOM’s outperformance and resilience helped sentiment; analysts and write-ups point to steady cash flow, dividends and sector fundamentals as reasons investors favor the stock. Exxon Mobil (XOM) Laps the Stock Market: Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity: about 87,148 call contracts traded (≈28% above average), indicating significant bullish positioning by traders. Large call buying can amplify short-term upside as speculators and hedgers position for further gains.
• Positive Sentiment: Fundamentals reminder — coverage highlighting Exxon’s strong cash generation (operating cash flow and multi‑billion free cash flow) and a reliable ~3.4% yield supports investor conviction in dividends, buybacks and balance-sheet strength. This underpins longer-term investor demand. 3 Cash-Flow Machines Investors May Want Heading Into 2026 (XOM)
• Neutral Sentiment: Media/influencer mention: a stock‑picking segment named XOM among a short list of “Big 3” tickers to watch in 2026 for its energy resilience. This can raise retail interest but is more narrative-driven than fundamental. The Big 3: MU, XOM, RKLB
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings preview: analysts expect Exxon’s upcoming quarter to show a single‑digit decline in bottom‑line earnings, which could cap upside or create volatility around the report if results or guidance miss expectations. Exxon Mobil’s Quarterly Earnings Preview: What You Need to Know

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.