Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Stock Price Up 3.5% After Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) rose 3.5% during mid-day trading on Friday after Morgan Stanley raised their price target on the stock from $134.00 to $172.00. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Exxon Mobil traded as high as $171.23 and last traded at $171.1690. Approximately 30,243,442 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 36% from the average daily volume of 22,217,891 shares. The stock had previously closed at $165.43.

XOM has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. BNP Paribas Exane cut Exxon Mobil from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $125.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $171.00 price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $118.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their target price on Exxon Mobil from $145.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Exxon Mobil presently has an average 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 stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.50, for a total transaction of $167,940.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 17,124 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,662,782. This represents a 5.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders sold 11,460 shares of company stock valued at $1,687,854 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Exxon Mobil News Summary

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?

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Exxon Mobil

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. ICW Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. ICW Investment Advisors LLC now owns 25,286 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,043,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the period. Fortis Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Fortis Capital Management LLC now owns 3,603 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $434,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Peoples Bank OH boosted its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Peoples Bank OH now owns 14,993 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,804,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. now owns 7,368 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $887,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Peirce Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Exxon Mobil by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Peirce Capital Management LLC now owns 4,292 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $516,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 61.80% of the company’s stock.

Exxon Mobil Stock Up 3.5%

The firm has a market cap of $713.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.59, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.35. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $149.30 and a 200 day moving average of $128.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 return on equity of 11.21% and a net margin of 8.68%.The company’s revenue was down 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.67 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Exxon Mobil Corporation will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Exxon Mobil Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 12th were given a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 12th. Exxon Mobil’s payout ratio is presently 61.58%.

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.