ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded ExxonMobil to a "Strong‑Buy" and added XOM to its Rank #1 lists; MarketBeat shows one Strong Buy, ten Buys and ten Holds giving a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a $161.55 consensus target price.
• Exxon reported Q1 EPS of $1.71 (vs. $1.63 expected) and revenue of $80.04 billion (vs. $77.98B expected); the stock trades around $149.46 with a 52‑week range of $101.18–$176.41 and a market cap of $621.2B.
• Near‑term catalysts cited include production growth (notably Guyana), higher plastics prices and positive analyst attention, while risks include governance disputes, a recent Wolfe Research downgrade and potential noncore asset sales.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on XOM. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on shares of ExxonMobil from $186.00 to $182.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of ExxonMobil from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $183.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $172.00 to $171.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $150.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $161.55.

ExxonMobil Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:XOM opened at $149.46 on Tuesday. ExxonMobil has a 52 week low of $101.18 and a 52 week high of $176.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $621.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.34, a PEG ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 0.29. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $154.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $133.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.08. ExxonMobil had a net margin of 8.68% and a return on equity of 11.21%. The business had revenue of $80.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $77.98 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.67 EPS. The business's revenue was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that ExxonMobil will post 9.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 1,080 shares of ExxonMobil stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at $2,662,782. This trade represents a 5.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In the last three months, insiders have sold 11,460 shares of company stock worth $1,687,854. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of ExxonMobil

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Berbice Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of ExxonMobil during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of ExxonMobil during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of ExxonMobil by 456.1% during 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 acquiring an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. Key Capital Management INC bought a new stake in shares of ExxonMobil during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Westfuller Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of ExxonMobil during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Institutional investors own 61.80% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting ExxonMobil

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank raised its price target on XOM to $163 and moved to a "sector outperform" view, signaling stronger analyst conviction and potential upside versus peers. Scotiabank raises XOM PT to $163 (Benzinga)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst reports highlight Exxon’s production growth, Guyana success and low‑carbon investments — reinforcing the growth and diversification narrative that supports valuation multiple expansion. Top Analyst Reports for Exxon Mobil, IBM & Citigroup
• Positive Sentiment: Gabon expects to sign production‑sharing contracts with BP and Exxon within 4–6 months — a near‑term opportunity to boost upstream volumes and future cash flow. Gabon expects to sign production-sharing contracts with BP and Exxon (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: Exxon and peers are raising prices for plastics amid supply shocks tied to Middle East tensions — a margin tailwind for the chemicals segment if spreads hold. This Is Why Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) Is Hiking Plastics Prices (Yahoo)
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added XOM to its Rank #1 (Strong Buy) lists (general and income focused), which can attract investor interest from momentum and income‑seeking flows. New Strong Buy Stocks for April 22nd (Zacks)
• Neutral Sentiment: Bloomberg/Reuters report Exxon is exploring a sale of its Hong Kong gas‑station network for $500–$600M — a noncore asset sale that could free cash and slightly improve capital allocation but is not material to overall free cash flow. Exxon Mobil Is Said to Consider Sale of Hong Kong Gas Stations (Bloomberg)
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research downgraded Exxon, saying shares look fairly valued after a recent rally — that could pressure sentiment and limit near‑term upside from multiple expansion. Exxon downgraded at Wolfe (Seeking Alpha)
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing governance disputes (proxy fights over board/CEO structure and shareholder voting) add investor uncertainty and could be a distraction during heightened geopolitical risk. Does Exxon's Governance Standoff Amid Middle East Turmoil Change The Bull Case For XOM? (Yahoo)

ExxonMobil Company Profile

ExxonMobil 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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