Merit Financial Group LLC Acquires 29,196 Shares of ExxonMobil Corporation $XOM

Key Points

• Merit Financial Group LLC increased its ExxonMobil stake by 9.2% in Q4, buying 29,196 shares to hold 347,295 shares valued at about $41.79 million at quarter-end.
• ExxonMobil beat quarterly estimates with $1.71 EPS (vs. $1.63 expected) and $80.04 billion in revenue, and recently paid a $1.03 quarterly dividend (annualized $4.12, ~2.8% yield).
• Analysts give XOM a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a $161.15 average target; institutional investors own 61.8% of the stock while insiders hold just 0.03% and have recently sold small amounts.

Merit Financial Group LLC boosted its position in ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - Free Report) by 9.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 347,295 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after purchasing an additional 29,196 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in ExxonMobil were worth $41,793,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Welch Group LLC boosted its stake in ExxonMobil by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Welch Group LLC now owns 548,346 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $65,988,000 after purchasing an additional 4,271 shares during the period. AE Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in ExxonMobil by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 969,410 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $116,659,000 after purchasing an additional 42,953 shares during the period. Shelton Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in ExxonMobil by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Shelton Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,279 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $635,000 after purchasing an additional 348 shares during the period. Pennsylvania Capital Management Inc. ADV boosted its stake in ExxonMobil by 17.5% in the 4th quarter. Pennsylvania Capital Management Inc. ADV now owns 7,492 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $902,000 after purchasing an additional 1,118 shares during the period. Finally, J.M. Arbour LLC bought a new stake in ExxonMobil in the 4th quarter valued at $1,163,000. 61.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

ExxonMobil Price Performance

Shares of NYSE XOM opened at $147.62 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $613.60 billion, a PE ratio of 22.07, a P/E/G ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.29. 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 business has a fifty day moving average price of $154.92 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $133.13. ExxonMobil Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $101.18 and a fifty-two week high of $176.41.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $80.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $77.98 billion. ExxonMobil had a return on equity of 11.21% and a net margin of 8.68%.The company's quarterly revenue was down 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.67 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that ExxonMobil Corporation will post 9.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ExxonMobil Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 12th were issued a $1.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 12th. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. ExxonMobil's payout ratio is currently 61.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other ExxonMobil news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 5,000 shares of ExxonMobil stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.75, for a total value of $698,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 23,584 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,295,864. The trade was a 17.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 11,460 shares of company stock valued at $1,687,854. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

XOM has been the subject of several recent research reports. TD Cowen reduced their price target on ExxonMobil from $175.00 to $172.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $171.00 price target on shares of ExxonMobil in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays boosted their price target on ExxonMobil from $145.00 to $163.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on ExxonMobil from $183.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on ExxonMobil from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $161.15.

Key Headlines Impacting ExxonMobil

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company accelerating a multi‑billion dollar push into Nigeria and other non‑Middle East basins to diversify supply, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that certain coastal environmental suits will be heard in federal rather than state courts — both developments reduce execution and legal uncertainty for Exxon and support its risk‑adjusted outlook. Exxon Mobil’s Nigeria Push And Federal Lawsuits Reframe Risk Reward Profile
• Positive Sentiment: BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Exxon, providing fresh analyst support that can boost investor confidence and buying interest. ExxonMobil NYSE: XOM Upgraded at BNP Paribas Exane
• Positive Sentiment: Renewed Strait of Hormuz disruptions and Iran transit moves are keeping crude prices elevated; integrated majors like Exxon benefit from higher upstream margins while downstream/refining provides a hedge against price swings — a structural reason investors are favoring XOM now. Hormuz shipping chaos returns as Iran reverses transit reopening
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to tweak targets: TD Cowen trimmed its XOM price target slightly (from $175 to $172) but maintained coverage — a modest signal, not a broad negative shift. Exxon Mobil (XOM) Price Target Reduced Amid War Impact
• Neutral Sentiment: Research notes (BCA) say recent oil-price shocks are unlikely to cause sustained inflation — this suggests price spikes may be temporary, tempering some long‑term bullish narratives for energy. Oil shock unlikely to have a lasting effect on inflation: BCA
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate bond listings and other fixed‑income items (bond reference) are routine disclosures with limited immediate equity impact. Exxon Mobil Corp.DL-Notes 2020(20/40) Bond
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentators and retail investor pieces question whether Exxon is the best vehicle to play expensive oil — reminding investors that operational, capital allocation and transition risks still warrant scrutiny despite near‑term strength. ExxonMobil Is One of 2026's Hottest Stocks. Should You Still Own It?

ExxonMobil Company 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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