GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC Reduces Stake in ExxonMobil Corporation $XOM

Key Points

• GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC sharply reduced its ExxonMobil stake by 94.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 15,289 shares and ending with 882 shares worth about $106,000.
• ExxonMobil reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings of $1.16 per share on revenue of $83.16 billion, beating analyst estimates, while revenue rose 2.4% year over year.
• The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.03 per share, implying an annualized dividend of $4.12 and a yield of about 2.7%.

GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC lowered its holdings in ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - Free Report) by 94.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 882 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 15,289 shares during the quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC's holdings in ExxonMobil were worth $106,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in XOM. Eagle Capital Management LLC grew its stake in ExxonMobil by 15.3% during the 1st quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 2,836 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $337,000 after buying an additional 376 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in ExxonMobil in the first quarter valued at $305,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in ExxonMobil by 1.9% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,237 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,211,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares during the period. United Bank raised its holdings in shares of ExxonMobil by 2.8% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 21,821 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $2,352,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in shares of ExxonMobil by 17.4% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 36,710 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $3,957,000 after buying an additional 5,443 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.80% of the company's stock.

ExxonMobil Stock Performance

NYSE:XOM opened at $154.82 on Friday. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $155.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $138.95. ExxonMobil Corporation has a 1-year low of $101.18 and a 1-year high of $176.41. 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 firm has a market cap of $641.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 0.19.

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

ExxonMobil Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $1.03 dividend. 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 payout ratio is 69.48%.

Insider Buying and Selling at ExxonMobil

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 1,080 shares of ExxonMobil stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 in the company, valued at $2,662,782. The trade was a 5.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $150.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. HSBC lifted their target price on ExxonMobil from $135.00 to $158.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Bank of America boosted their target price on ExxonMobil from $135.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on ExxonMobil from $183.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Zacks Research raised ExxonMobil from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $163.95.

More ExxonMobil News

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy signed a preliminary deal with Egypt to study development of Cyprus gas discoveries, opening a possible path to export gas through Egypt’s LNG infrastructure to Europe. Reuters: QatarEnergy, ExxonMobil sign deal with Egypt to study Cyprus gas development
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that ExxonMobil may be in talks to regain rights to produce oil in Venezuela suggest a potential long-term growth opportunity if the company can re-enter a major resource base. Reuters: Exxon may acquire rights to produce oil in Venezuela
• Positive Sentiment: Rising crude prices are also supportive, with WTI above $95 per barrel boosting Permian oil and associated gas activity, which could improve ExxonMobil’s upstream revenue and cash flow. Zacks: More Gas Per Barrel of Oil: A Growth Lever for Permian Operators
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional coverage highlighted ExxonMobil’s low-debt balance sheet and ongoing ability to fund dividends and projects, reinforcing the company’s financial resilience. Zacks: ExxonMobil's Resilience: What Sets it Apart in Uncertain Times
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical commentary said XOM is pulling back after a breakout and testing support levels, which traders may be watching for confirmation of the broader uptrend. FXEmpire: ExxonMobil (XOM) Price Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Governance-related headlines, including Exxon’s clash with proxy advisers ISS and Glass Lewis, may keep some pressure on the stock by adding uncertainty around the Texas move and shareholder voting dynamics. WSJ: Exxon Blasts Proxy Advisers for Conflict of Interest in Fight Over Texas Move

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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