ExxonMobil Corporation $XOM Shares Sold by Benjamin Edwards Inc.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. trimmed its stake in ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - Free Report) by 8.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 534,042 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 51,004 shares during the period. ExxonMobil makes up 0.7% of Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s holdings in ExxonMobil were worth $73,023,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in ExxonMobil by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 75,152,366 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $9,043,836,000 after buying an additional 1,457,560 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of ExxonMobil in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $7,625,063,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of ExxonMobil by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 46,605,353 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $5,608,488,000 after acquiring an additional 531,362 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its position in ExxonMobil by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 44,026,019 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $4,963,934,000 after purchasing an additional 445,283 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in ExxonMobil by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 34,090,589 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $4,102,708,000 after purchasing an additional 293,446 shares during the period. 61.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of ExxonMobil from a "hold (c)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Zacks Research cut ExxonMobil from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of ExxonMobil in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Bank of America cut ExxonMobil from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $154.00 to $158.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, DZ Bank downgraded ExxonMobil from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $156.00 price target for the company. in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $166.10.

ExxonMobil Stock Up 0.3%

ExxonMobil stock opened at $156.88 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $150.53 and its 200 day moving average price is $151.87. ExxonMobil Corporation has a 1-year low of $108.35 and a 1-year high of $176.41. The company has a market cap of $650.26 billion, a PE ratio of 20.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 0.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The oil and gas company reported $3.52 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.56 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $114.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.94 billion. ExxonMobil had a net margin of 8.88% and a return on equity of 13.14%. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.64 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that ExxonMobil Corporation will post 11.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ExxonMobil Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be given a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 17th. ExxonMobil's dividend payout ratio is presently 53.02%.

Key Stories Impacting ExxonMobil

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher oil prices have lifted ExxonMobil’s earnings outlook, reinforcing the bullish view that the company can continue benefiting from its integrated upstream, refining and chemicals operations. I'm Not Selling ExxonMobil, Even With Oil Prices Where They Are
• Positive Sentiment: Valuation analysis indicates XOM may be trading below estimates of its discounted-cash-flow value and below levels suggested by market multiples. The company’s Mozambique LNG contracts also add potential long-term growth and cash-flow support. ExxonMobil Stock Could Trade At A Discount Despite Mozambique LNG Contracts
• Positive Sentiment: ExxonMobil’s low debt load and strong balance sheet provide flexibility to withstand weaker commodity prices, pursue acquisitions and maintain shareholder returns, including its dividend. Why ExxonMobil's Financial Strength Matters for Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: ExxonMobil is reportedly among potential bidders for Shell’s U.S. chemicals assets, a transaction that could expand its chemicals footprint but would also require significant capital and carry integration risk. Potential Bidders Are Looking at Shell’s Chemical Assets
• Neutral Sentiment: ExxonMobil is scheduled to speak at Barclays’ energy conference, giving investors an opportunity to receive updates on strategy, commodity markets and capital allocation. ExxonMobil to Speak at Barclays 40th Annual Energy-Power Conference
• Negative Sentiment: Crude oil has fallen for several sessions as optimism surrounding the Strait of Hormuz eases the geopolitical supply premium, creating pressure on energy shares and raising concerns about near-term commodity-price momentum. Exxon Slips Below $159 as Hormuz Hope Hits Crude Again
• Negative Sentiment: July PCE inflation exceeded economists’ expectations, potentially keeping interest rates higher for longer and weighing on economically sensitive energy demand and equity valuations. These Three Stocks Are Must-Owns After the PCE Data

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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