Employees Retirement System of Texas Acquires 47,838 Shares of ExxonMobil Corporation $XOM

Key Points

• Employees Retirement System of Texas boosted its ExxonMobil stake by 4.0% in the fourth quarter, buying 47,838 shares and bringing its total holding to 1,245,746 shares valued at about $149.9 million.
• Institutional interest in ExxonMobil remains strong, with hedge funds and other investors owning 61.8% of the stock. Several large firms also increased positions during the latest reporting period.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on XOM, with a Moderate Buy consensus and a price target of $164.90. Exxon also reported earnings and revenue that beat expectations, and it recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.03 per share.

Employees Retirement System of Texas increased its holdings in ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - Free Report) by 4.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,245,746 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after buying an additional 47,838 shares during the quarter. ExxonMobil accounts for about 1.2% of Employees Retirement System of Texas' investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Employees Retirement System of Texas' holdings in ExxonMobil were worth $149,913,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of ExxonMobil by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 38,728,643 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $4,366,655,000 after purchasing an additional 2,660,910 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its holdings in ExxonMobil by 218.4% during the third quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 1,380,899 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $155,696,000 after purchasing an additional 2,546,791 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in ExxonMobil by 105.4% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,925,026 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $329,797,000 after buying an additional 1,501,235 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in ExxonMobil by 119.4% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 2,672,359 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $301,310,000 after buying an additional 1,454,308 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in shares of ExxonMobil by 4.5% in the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 20,396,334 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $2,299,687,000 after buying an additional 886,087 shares during the period. 61.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on XOM shares. Mizuho boosted their price objective on ExxonMobil from $140.00 to $162.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of ExxonMobil from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. HSBC upped their price target on shares of ExxonMobil from $135.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Piper Sandler reduced 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. Finally, Loop Capital set a $123.00 price objective on shares of ExxonMobil in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, ExxonMobil presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $164.90.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 1,080 shares of ExxonMobil stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.50, for a total value 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. The trade was a 5.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

More ExxonMobil News

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ExxonMobil is seeking environmental approval for the Haimara gas-condensate project in Guyana’s Stabroek block, a sign of continued expansion in one of its most important growth areas. ExxonMobil seeks environmental approval for new offshore project in Guyana
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports highlighted ExxonMobil as a top high-yield energy name, reinforcing investor interest in its dividend and defensive profile amid market volatility. 5 Top-Ranked High-Yielding Energy Stocks to Buy for a Stable Portfolio
• Neutral Sentiment: Occidental Petroleum is taking a 10% stake in ExxonMobil’s offshore Trinidad deepwater block, which validates the project but also signals Exxon is sharing development risk and future upside. Exclusive: Occidental takes 10% stake in Exxon deepwater block offshore Trinidad, sources say
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to frame Exxon as an income and energy-price play, with bullish comparisons tied to higher oil prices and stable cash generation. Oil Above $90: Is ExxonMobil a Better Buy Than ConocoPhillips?
• Negative Sentiment: Energy stocks fell late in the day, and XOM was caught in the sector-wide selloff as investors reacted to softer oil prices and shifting geopolitical headlines. Sector Update: Energy Stocks Fall Late Afternoon
• Negative Sentiment: Oil prices slipped after comments from President Trump that Iran talks were “proceeding nicely,” which weighed on the broader energy complex and likely pressured ExxonMobil shares. USO, UCO, BATL, XOM Slip: Oil Dips Below $100 After Trump Says Iran Talks ‘Proceeding Nicely’

ExxonMobil Price Performance

XOM stock opened at $150.18 on Wednesday. ExxonMobil Corporation has a one year low of $101.18 and a one year high of $176.41. The company's fifty day moving average price is $155.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $139.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.04. The company has a market capitalization of $622.49 billion, a PE ratio of 25.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 0.19.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The oil and gas company reported $1.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $83.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $81.13 billion. ExxonMobil had a net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 10.24%. ExxonMobil's quarterly revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.76 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that ExxonMobil Corporation will post 11.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ExxonMobil Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $1.03 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. ExxonMobil's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.48%.

ExxonMobil 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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