Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Shares Down 1.3% Following Insider Selling

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) shares fell 1.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday after an insider sold shares in the company. The company traded as low as $147.86 and last traded at $149.86. 16,713,310 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 22% from the average session volume of 21,336,770 shares. The stock had previously closed at $151.83.

Specifically, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,150 shares of Exxon Mobil stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total transaction of $339,313.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 18,204 shares in the company, valued at $2,872,955.28. This trade represents a 10.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

XOM has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Exxon Mobil from $158.00 to $156.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 2nd. BNP Paribas Exane downgraded Exxon Mobil from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $125.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Exxon Mobil from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Scotiabank reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $118.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $143.41.

More Exxon Mobil News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Higher crude prices from Strait of Hormuz tanker disruptions lift near‑term revenue and cash‑flow prospects for integrated producers like Exxon, supporting margins and dividend/cash‑return potential. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein reaffirmed a buy stance on XOM, a vote of confidence from a well‑known research house that can support investor sentiment and buying interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Several analyst notes and upgrades (and recent price‑target revisions) have pushed XOM to fresh 12‑month highs recently, reinforcing bullish conviction among some institutional investors. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Exxon plans to send a technical team to Venezuela, which could open opportunities to restore or expand production if logistics and political/security issues are resolved. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Exxon will ship about 600,000 barrels of fuel from the U.S. Gulf Coast to cover Australian import needs — a first for the company that signals logistical flexibility but has limited immediate earnings impact. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company presentation at the Morgan Stanley Energy & Power Conference provided strategic color but no major new guidance — useful for modeling but not market moving by itself. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts warn Exxon’s production and logistics could be exposed by the U.S.–Israel–Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruptions, adding supply uncertainty, potential higher transport/insurance costs and operational risk. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: An Exxon VP sold 2,150 shares (filed with the SEC) — a routine insider sale but one that can be read negatively by short‑term traders amid recent volatility. Read More.

Exxon Mobil Stock Down 1.3%

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 market capitalization of $624.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.35. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $137.61 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $122.61.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $80.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $77.98 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.67 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Exxon Mobil Corporation will post 7.43 EPS for the current year.

Exxon Mobil Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 12th will be issued a $1.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 12th. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Exxon Mobil’s payout ratio is 61.58%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Exxon Mobil

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of XOM. Eagle Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Exxon Mobil by 15.3% in the first quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 2,836 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $337,000 after buying an additional 376 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil in the 1st quarter worth about $305,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in Exxon Mobil by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,237 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,211,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares during the last quarter. Castellan Group boosted its stake in Exxon Mobil by 2.9% during the 2nd quarter. Castellan Group now owns 26,470 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,853,000 after purchasing an additional 740 shares during the period. Finally, United Bank grew its position in Exxon Mobil by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 21,821 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,352,000 after purchasing an additional 600 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.