Exxon Mobil Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:XOM)

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Friday. Stock traders bought 163,879 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 30% compared to the average volume of 125,782 call options.

Exxon Mobil Price Performance

NYSE:XOM opened at $171.17 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $713.22 billion, a PE ratio of 25.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.35. Exxon Mobil has a 1-year low of $97.80 and a 1-year high of $171.23. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $149.30 and a 200 day simple moving average of $128.13. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last posted 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. The firm had revenue of $80.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $77.98 billion. Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 8.68% and a return on equity of 11.21%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.67 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect 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 Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 12th were paid a $1.03 dividend. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 12th. Exxon Mobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 61.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on XOM shares. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $118.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Loop Capital set a $123.00 target price on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. HSBC lifted their price target on shares of Exxon Mobil from $135.00 to $158.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $171.00 price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $151.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Exxon Mobil news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 1,080 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.50, for a total transaction of $167,940.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 17,124 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,662,782. This represents a 5.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In the last quarter, insiders sold 11,460 shares of company stock valued at $1,687,854. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Exxon Mobil

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System increased its stake in Exxon Mobil by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 215,892 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $24,342,000 after acquiring an additional 5,573 shares during the period. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position 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 acquiring an additional 9,831 shares during the period. Capital Counsel LLC NY lifted its position 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 during the period. HORAN Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 78.3% during the 3rd quarter. HORAN Wealth LLC now owns 13,180 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,486,000 after purchasing an additional 5,788 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New Age Alpha Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 166,547 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $18,778,000 after purchasing an additional 8,853 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 61.80% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Exxon Mobil

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rising crude and geopolitical risk lift near‑term outlook — higher oil prices from Middle East tensions are cited as a catalyst for stronger cash flow and earnings potential for Exxon. What Lies Ahead for ExxonMobil Amid Surging Crude Prices?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and target hikes: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $172 and kept an Overweight rating, supporting higher sentiment and buying. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein raised its price recommendation to $195 (from $159) and reiterated Outperform, adding upside to estimates and investor interest. Bernstein Raises Exxon Target
• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrades to earnings forecasts: Erste Group lifted FY2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates, implying stronger forward earnings than consensus. MarketBeat: Erste Group note
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options flow — traders bought ~163,879 XOM call contracts (about a 30% increase vs. typical call volume), indicating speculative or hedged bullish bets that likely boosted intraday demand.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational execution: Exxon participated in the industry’s first fully automated offshore well placement in Guyana, showcasing tech-led efficiency gains that can lower costs and speed production growth. Halliburton & Guyana automation
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic portfolio moves: Exxon is weighing an exit from New Zealand to refocus on higher‑return advantaged assets — a potential long‑term efficiency play but not an immediate earnings driver. Exxon New Zealand exit
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and downside risk commentary: Several pieces note XOM’s valuation has risen sharply (one piece highlights XOM exceeding Nvidia by some measures) and question whether elevated oil prices could later expose valuation downside if prices normalize. Exxon vs. Nvidia valuation discussion
• Negative Sentiment: “Tailwind or trap?” analysts warn that while oil >$95 helps earnings now, higher valuations and sustained high prices raise the risk of sharper downside if geopolitical tensions ease. Oil Over $95: Tailwind or Trap?

About Exxon Mobil

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.