Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Cuts Stake in ExxonMobil Corporation $XOM

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management cut its ExxonMobil stake by 37.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 226,907 shares and leaving it with 378,803 shares valued at about $45.6 million.
• ExxonMobil’s latest earnings beat expectations, posting $1.16 EPS versus the $0.98 consensus and revenue of $83.16 billion, while analysts still project about 11.5 EPS for the full year.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.03 per share, equal to an annualized yield of 2.6%; meanwhile, analysts’ overall view remains Moderate Buy with a consensus target price of $163.95.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lowered its holdings in shares of ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - Free Report) by 37.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 378,803 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 226,907 shares during the quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.'s holdings in ExxonMobil were worth $45,585,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Eagle Capital Management LLC grew its holdings 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 valued at $337,000 after buying an additional 376 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in ExxonMobil during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $305,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in ExxonMobil by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,237 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,211,000 after buying an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. United Bank grew its holdings in ExxonMobil by 2.8% during the 2nd 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its holdings in ExxonMobil by 17.4% during the 2nd 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 in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.80% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 1,080 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 17,124 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,662,782. This trade represents a 5.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company's stock.

ExxonMobil Price Performance

Shares of ExxonMobil stock opened at $160.20 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $664.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.04. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $155.23 and a 200-day moving average price of $137.92. ExxonMobil Corporation has a one year low of $101.18 and a one year high of $176.41.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The oil and gas company reported $1.16 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $83.16 billion during 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 quarterly revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.76 EPS. Equities analysts expect that ExxonMobil Corporation will post 11.5 EPS for the current year.

ExxonMobil Dividend Announcement

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 dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. ExxonMobil's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.48%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on XOM shares. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of ExxonMobil in a report on Friday, April 10th. Piper Sandler cut their price target on ExxonMobil from $186.00 to $182.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. TD Cowen cut their price target on ExxonMobil from $175.00 to $172.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on ExxonMobil from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their target price on ExxonMobil from $140.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. One equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $163.95.

ExxonMobil News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ExxonMobil is benefiting from stronger crude prices, which improve upstream profitability and boost investor sentiment toward the stock. ExxonMobil Stock Analysis: Buy or Sell?
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s strong first-quarter results and analyst attention are keeping momentum in the shares, suggesting the latest move is supported by earnings strength rather than only short-term trading. Exxon Mobil (XOM) Valuation Check As Legal Win And Strong Q1 Meet Rising Crude Prices
• Positive Sentiment: A Texas jury clearing ExxonMobil of investor fraud claims removes a major legal overhang and may improve the market’s view of risk around the stock. Exxon Mobil (XOM) Valuation Check As Legal Win And Strong Q1 Meet Rising Crude Prices
• Neutral Sentiment: ExxonMobil is also drawing increased investor and analyst attention, but these reports do not add new business developments by themselves. Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: Proxy adviser opposition to Exxon’s move to Texas could create governance controversy and keep some pressure on the stock if the issue escalates. Opinion | The Proxy Advisers Strike Back

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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