Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Shares Down 1.4% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Shares fell 1.4% to about $163.10 on Wednesday with ~17.1M shares traded (down ~23% vs. average) as investors took profits after oil eased following recent geopolitical-driven gains.
• Potential growth catalysts include an Exxon team evaluating oil opportunities in Venezuela and advancement of the Longtail FEED in Guyana, both of which could add upstream reserves and production over time.
• Fundamentals show a market cap of ~$679.6B; Exxon beat quarterly EPS ( $1.71 vs. $1.63 ), pays a quarterly dividend of $1.03 (annualized $4.12, ~2.5% yield), and carries a consensus "Hold" rating with a $148.89 price target.

Shares of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) dropped 1.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $162.93 and last traded at $163.0990. Approximately 17,109,156 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 23% from the average daily volume of 22,135,891 shares. The stock had previously closed at $165.38.

Exxon Mobil News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Exxon has a team in Venezuela evaluating the country's oil & gas resources and infrastructure, which could open long‑term upstream opportunities and reserves upside if projects proceed. CERAWEEK Exxon says its team is in Venezuela evaluating oil opportunities
• Positive Sentiment: ExxonMobil Guyana is advancing the Longtail development (FEED work awarded to SBM Offshore), signaling continued capital deployment and production growth in Guyana, a key growth basin for Exxon. SBM Offshore awarded FEED contracts for the Longtail project in Guyana
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and markets have been bullish on Exxon amid higher oil prices tied to Middle East tensions; coverage and buy‑and‑hold commentary boost longer‑term investor confidence. 2 of the Best Oil Stocks to Buy Now and Hold for Decades
• Neutral Sentiment: Price forecasts and opinion pieces (price predictions, buy-and-hold analyses) keep XOM on investors’ radars but offer mixed short-term implications; they are more relevant for longer‑term positioning than intraday moves. XOM Stock Price Prediction
• Negative Sentiment: Oil retreated on recent de‑escalation buzz and risk‑off whispers, prompting profit taking after a geopolitical‑driven surge; that pullback in crude pressure is a key reason XOM pared gains today. Oil Eases on De-Escalation Buzz but Risks Persist: 3 Stocks to Watch
• Negative Sentiment: After hitting an all‑time high amid Middle East tensions, Exxon saw short‑term profit taking and volatility as markets reassess the persistence of higher oil prices. Exxon Mobil Stock Surges To All-Time High Tuesday

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on XOM shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Monday, December 29th. BMO Capital Markets restated a "market perform" rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of Exxon Mobil in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Bank of America raised their target price on Exxon Mobil from $135.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of Exxon Mobil from $145.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $140.00 to $162.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $148.89.

Exxon Mobil Stock Down 1.4%

The stock has a market capitalization of $679.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.38, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The business has a fifty day moving average of $147.09 and a 200 day moving average of $127.07.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) last posted its 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. Exxon Mobil had a return on equity of 11.21% and a net margin of 8.68%.The company had revenue of $80.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $77.98 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.67 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Exxon Mobil Corporation will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Exxon Mobil Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 12th. Exxon Mobil's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.58%.

Insider Transactions at Exxon Mobil

In other Exxon Mobil news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 1,080 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.50, for a total value of $167,940.00. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 11,460 shares of company stock valued at $1,687,854. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Exxon Mobil

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Exxon Mobil in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $7,625,063,000. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil by 150.2% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 7,602,601 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $819,560,000 after buying an additional 4,563,707 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil by 200.7% in the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 2,014,446 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $217,162,000 after buying an additional 4,015,099 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 10,809.8% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,095,106 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $333,652,000 after buying an additional 3,066,736 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 38,728,643 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $4,366,655,000 after buying an additional 2,660,910 shares during the period. 61.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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