B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG Grows Stock Holdings in ExxonMobil Corporation $XOM

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG increased its ExxonMobil stake by 39.4%, buying an additional 54,609 shares to hold 193,155 shares worth about $23.25 million at quarter-end.
• Insider activity shows selling pressure: VP Darrin L. Talley sold 5,000 shares at $139.75 (part of 11,460 shares insiders sold totalling $1.69 million last quarter), while corporate insiders collectively own just 0.03% of the stock.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed-to-positive with an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target of $161.55, and several firms (Wells Fargo, Jefferies, Citigroup) recently raised price targets into the roughly $175–$185 range.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG lifted its position in shares of ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - Free Report) by 39.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 193,155 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after purchasing an additional 54,609 shares during the period. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG's holdings in ExxonMobil were worth $23,253,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Key Capital Management INC acquired a new position in ExxonMobil in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Westfuller Advisors LLC acquired a new position in ExxonMobil in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Clayton Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in ExxonMobil in the third quarter valued at $40,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC increased its stake in ExxonMobil by 1,595.2% in the third quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 356 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the period. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC increased its stake in ExxonMobil by 95.8% in the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 370 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period. 61.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other ExxonMobil news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.75, for a total transaction of $698,750.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 23,584 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,295,864. This represents a 17.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders have sold 11,460 shares of company stock worth $1,687,854 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on XOM shares. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price objective on shares of ExxonMobil from $142.00 to $137.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of ExxonMobil from $150.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of ExxonMobil in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of ExxonMobil from $183.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of ExxonMobil from $178.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. One equities research 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's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $161.55.

ExxonMobil Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of XOM opened at $148.90 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The firm's 50-day moving average is $154.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $133.99. ExxonMobil Corporation has a twelve month low of $101.18 and a twelve month high of $176.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $618.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.26, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.29.

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

ExxonMobil Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 12th were given a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 12th. ExxonMobil's dividend payout ratio is presently 61.58%.

ExxonMobil News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Exxon and QatarEnergy shipped the first LNG cargo from the Golden Pass export terminal — a commercial milestone that supports longer‑term gas export volumes and cash flow potential. Exxon, QatarEnergy ship first LNG cargo from Golden Pass export terminal
• Positive Sentiment: XOM awarded Saipem a $150M contract for engineering and procurement on the Guyana Longtail development — progress on Guyana projects supports production growth guidance and project de‑risking. ExxonMobil Awards Saipem $150M Contract for Longtail Development
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell sharply in April (down ~19% vs. March) to ~43M shares, reducing a potential short squeeze risk and signalling some bearish positions were closed. Source: short interest release
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Exxon from "hold" to "strong-buy," which can attract buy-side interest and retail flows following the upgrade. Zacks upgrade coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlights production gains and the company’s low‑carbon/clean energy initiatives, reinforcing longer‑term upside narratives after a strong YTD rally. Zacks Analyst Blog on ExxonMobil
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports say Exxon is weighing a sale of its Esso retail network in Hong Kong as it refocuses capital in Asia — proceeds could be redeployed to higher‑return projects, but the move is a strategic reshuffle rather than an immediate EPS driver. Exxon Mobil Weighs Hong Kong Esso Sale And Refocuses Capital Priorities
• Neutral Sentiment: Exxon is raising plastics prices amid sector supply disruptions — supports near‑term margins in chemicals but exposure is mixed given cyclical demand. This Is Why Exxon Mobil Is Hiking Plastics Prices
• Neutral Sentiment: Options/income‑strategy writeups promote yield plays on XOM stock — may increase retail option activity but are not a fundamental earnings driver. Turn Exxon Mobil Stock into an Income Machine with This Options Play
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks preview notes analysts expect a decline in upcoming EPS, suggesting Exxon lacks the mix for a likely earnings beat — weak near‑term results would pressure the stock. Analysts Estimate Exxon Mobil to Report a Decline in Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting that the long oil trade is cooling and XOM/CVX have pulled back after big YTD gains — sentiment rotation and profit‑taking are weighing on shares. Exxon and Chevron Up 20%+ YTD – Why the Long Oil Trade Is Stalling Out

About ExxonMobil

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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