Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Stock Price Down 4.7% Following Analyst Downgrade

Key Points

• Shares fell 4.7% after Wolfe Research trimmed its price target from $158 to $153 (retaining an outperform), with volume up about 37% and an intraday low of $150.98.
• Analysts are mixed but the consensus rating is a Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $152.42, and broker targets ranging roughly from $123 to $186.
• Exxon said Middle East disruptions knocked out roughly 6% of global Q1 production and could cut Q1 upstream earnings by $300M–$500M (energy products up to $300M), though higher oil/gas prices could boost upstream profits by as much as $2.9B.

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) shares dropped 4.7% during trading on Wednesday after Wolfe Research lowered their price target on the stock from $158.00 to $153.00. Wolfe Research currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Exxon Mobil traded as low as $150.98 and last traded at $156.18. Approximately 31,245,099 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 37% from the average daily volume of 22,860,344 shares. The stock had previously closed at $163.91.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Loop Capital set a $123.00 price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. BMO Capital Markets reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $145.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $140.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane lowered shares of Exxon Mobil from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $125.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $152.42.

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 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 sale, the vice president directly owned 17,124 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,662,782. This represents a 5.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 11,460 shares of company stock worth $1,687,854 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Exxon Mobil

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company says higher oil & gas prices from the U.S.-Israel/Iran war could actually boost Q1 upstream profits by as much as $2.9 billion, which offsets some production losses and supports near-term earnings. Exxon Mobil Signals $2.9B Q1 Earnings Bump
• Positive Sentiment: Helium supply disruptions (Qatar) are a tailwind for Exxon’s LaBarge facility, which produces meaningful helium volumes and can help diversify revenue and support margins. What Exxon Mobil (XOM)'s Helium Edge Means
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst model revisions are improving — Erste Group raised FY2026–FY2027 EPS forecasts, indicating higher consensus earnings over the next 12–24 months, which supports longer‑term valuation. MarketBeat: Analyst Estimates for XOM
• Neutral Sentiment: Wolfe Research reiterated a Buy/Outperform on XOM but trimmed its price target modestly — a show of analyst support but a smaller near-term upside signal. Wolfe Research Price Target Change
• Neutral Sentiment: A Wall Street note flagged accounting-driven EPS noise that masks improving core earnings and long-term oil upside — useful for longer-term investors but less actionable for intraday moves. TipRanks Analyst Note on Exxon
• Neutral Sentiment: Rising U.S. shale drilling after the crude surge could add supply pressure later, capping oil upside — a moderating factor for Exxon’s commodity-linked earnings. US Shale Output Poised To Rise
• Negative Sentiment: Exxon told regulators that Middle East disruptions knocked out roughly 6% of global Q1 production (assets in Qatar & UAE), pressuring Q1 volumes and reducing near-term supply-driven revenue. Proactive: Production Setbacks Weigh on Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Company warned Middle East disruptions could cut Q1 upstream earnings by $300M–$500M and energy products results by up to $300M, flagging direct earnings risk that likely drove today’s selloff. Benzinga: Why XOM Is Falling
• Negative Sentiment: Press reports quantify larger hits (estimates of downstream damage and multi-billion-dollar impacts to Gulf operations), which increase uncertainty on near-term cash flow and capital-return cadence. Blockonomi: Stock Plunges as Gulf Ops Slashed

Institutional Trading of Exxon Mobil

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Berbice Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 456.1% in the fourth quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 228 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the period. Key Capital Management INC bought a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. bought a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. 61.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Exxon Mobil Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $650.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.29. The company's 50-day moving average price is $153.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $130.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.79.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.08. The company 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 revenue was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.67 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Exxon Mobil Corporation will post 7.43 EPS for the current year.

Exxon Mobil Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 12th were given a $1.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 12th. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Exxon Mobil's dividend payout ratio is presently 61.58%.

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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