ExxonMobil Corporation $XOM Shares Sold by Barr E S & Co.

Key Points

• Barr E S & Co. cut its ExxonMobil stake by 33.8% in the fourth quarter, selling 12,827 shares and leaving it with 25,164 shares valued at about $3.03 million.
• ExxonMobil’s latest earnings beat expectations, with quarterly EPS of $1.16 versus $0.98 expected and revenue of $83.16 billion, while the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.03 per share.
• Recent headlines were mostly constructive for the stock: analysts remain largely Moderate Buy, high oil prices could boost upstream profits, and a Texas jury found ExxonMobil not liable in a long-running investor lawsuit.

Barr E S & Co. decreased its holdings in shares of ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - Free Report) by 33.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 25,164 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 12,827 shares during the period. Barr E S & Co.'s holdings in ExxonMobil were worth $3,028,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in XOM. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in ExxonMobil during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its position in ExxonMobil by 456.1% during the 4th quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 228 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the period. Key Capital Management INC acquired a new position in ExxonMobil during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Westfuller Advisors LLC acquired a new position in ExxonMobil during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. acquired a new position in ExxonMobil during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.80% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about ExxonMobil

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: High oil prices are expected to support ExxonMobil’s exploration and production earnings, with stronger Permian recoveries and Guyana output helping profitability. How Will High Oil Prices Aid ExxonMobil's Energy Business?
• Positive Sentiment: A Texas jury found ExxonMobil not liable in a long-running investor lawsuit tied to Canadian oil sands and Rocky Mountain gas disclosures, removing a legal overhang. Exxon Mobil not liable to investors over Canadian oil sands, gas assets, jury says
• Positive Sentiment: ExxonMobil resumed drilling in Guyana’s Canje block, which could support longer-term growth if exploration results are encouraging. Exxon resumes drilling in Guyana's Canje block after four-year absence
• Neutral Sentiment: Bernstein cut ExxonMobil’s price target from $195 to $182, which may temper some near-term enthusiasm despite continued analyst interest. Exxon Mobil (XOM) Price Target Trimmed by $13 at Bernstein
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors are pushing back on ExxonMobil’s plan to move its incorporation from New Jersey to Texas, citing governance and shareholder-rights concerns. Exxon Mobil Texas Move Pits Shareholder Rights Against Governance Goals

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of ExxonMobil in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays upped their price target on ExxonMobil from $145.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on ExxonMobil from $172.00 to $171.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. TD Cowen lowered their price target on ExxonMobil from $175.00 to $172.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, HSBC upped their price target on ExxonMobil from $135.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $163.95.

ExxonMobil Stock Performance

XOM opened at $157.72 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $653.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.60, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $155.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $137.45. ExxonMobil Corporation has a 1-year low of $101.18 and a 1-year high of $176.41.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The oil and gas company reported $1.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $83.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $81.13 billion. ExxonMobil had a return on equity of 10.24% and a net margin of 7.57%.The company's revenue was up 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.76 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that ExxonMobil Corporation will post 11.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ExxonMobil Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. ExxonMobil's dividend payout ratio is 69.48%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other ExxonMobil news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 1,080 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.50, for a total transaction of $167,940.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 17,124 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,662,782. This represents a 5.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

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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