Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Stock Price Up 2.6% - Here's Why

Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report)'s stock price was up 2.6% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $107.68 and last traded at $108.06. Approximately 2,003,101 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 87% from the average daily volume of 15,915,617 shares. The stock had previously closed at $105.35.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

XOM has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $136.00 to $135.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Exxon Mobil from $135.00 to $130.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $141.00 to $138.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Argus raised Exxon Mobil to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Exxon Mobil presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $126.50.

Exxon Mobil Stock Performance

The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $109.75 and its 200 day simple moving average is $112.13. The company has a market capitalization of $467.91 billion, a PE ratio of 13.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 0.97.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The oil and gas company reported $1.67 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.77 by ($0.10). Exxon Mobil had a return on equity of 12.92% and a net margin of 9.63%. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.48 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Exxon Mobil Co. will post 7.43 EPS for the current year.

Exxon Mobil Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th were issued a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. Exxon Mobil's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Exxon Mobil

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,100 shares of Exxon Mobil stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total value of $231,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 18,087 shares in the company, valued at $1,989,570. The trade was a 10.40 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Exxon Mobil

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in XOM. 10Elms LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Fairway Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Exxon Mobil in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Keystone Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil in the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil during the fourth quarter worth about $46,000. 61.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Exxon Mobil

Exxon Mobil Corporation engages in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas in the United States and internationally. It operates through Upstream, Energy Products, Chemical Products, and Specialty Products segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces crude oil and natural gas.