KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Lowers Holdings in ExxonMobil Corporation $XOM

Key Points

• KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS trimmed its stake in ExxonMobil by 4.6% in Q4 to 1,759,736 shares valued at $211.8 million, making XOM 0.8% of the firm's portfolio and its 16th-largest holding.
• ExxonMobil beat Q4 EPS estimates ($1.71 vs. $1.63) on $80.04 billion in revenue and recently paid a quarterly dividend of $1.03 (annualized $4.12), implying a 2.8% yield.
• Wall Street sentiment is broadly constructive—several analysts raised targets (JPMorgan to $170) and MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $161.55, backed by positive operational news like the first Golden Pass LNG cargo and Guyana project progress.

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS cut its position in ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - Free Report) by 4.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,759,736 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 85,600 shares during the quarter. ExxonMobil comprises 0.8% of KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS's holdings in ExxonMobil were worth $211,767,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in ExxonMobil by 7.4% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 38,728,643 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $4,366,655,000 after purchasing an additional 2,660,910 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its stake in ExxonMobil by 218.4% in 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 in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake 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 valued at $329,797,000 after purchasing an additional 1,501,235 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake 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 valued at $301,310,000 after purchasing an additional 1,454,308 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in 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 valued at $2,299,687,000 after purchasing an additional 886,087 shares in the last quarter. 61.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other ExxonMobil news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 $3,295,864. This trade represents a 17.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 11,460 shares of company stock worth $1,687,854 in the last quarter. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

ExxonMobil Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE XOM opened at $148.90 on Friday. ExxonMobil Corporation has a one year low of $101.18 and a one year high of $176.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $154.75 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $133.99. The stock 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 quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.08. ExxonMobil had a net margin of 8.68% and a return on equity of 11.21%. The business had revenue of $80.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $77.98 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.67 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that ExxonMobil Corporation will post 9.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ExxonMobil Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 12th. ExxonMobil's dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

XOM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $135.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $140.00 to $162.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their target price 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. Finally, Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $128.00 to $163.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $161.55.

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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