Stephens Inc. AR Lowers Holdings in ExxonMobil Corporation $XOM

Key Points

• Stephens Inc. AR cut its ExxonMobil stake by 11.0% in the first quarter, selling 38,580 shares and leaving it with 311,896 shares valued at about $52.98 million.
• ExxonMobil’s near-term outlook appears improved, with reports pointing to stronger Q2 earnings from higher crude prices and better refining/upstream margins, plus an updated earnings view that could add a sizable profit lift.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on XOM, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $164.45; the stock also pays a quarterly dividend of $1.03, yielding about 3.0%.

Stephens Inc. AR decreased its holdings in shares of ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - Free Report) by 11.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 311,896 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 38,580 shares during the quarter. ExxonMobil comprises 0.7% of Stephens Inc. AR's holdings, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Stephens Inc. AR's holdings in ExxonMobil were worth $52,984,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Impact Partnership Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of ExxonMobil by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Impact Partnership Wealth LLC now owns 12,017 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $2,039,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Cardinal Strategic Wealth Guidance lifted its position in ExxonMobil by 1.9% in the first quarter. Cardinal Strategic Wealth Guidance now owns 3,720 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $631,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. ICW Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in ExxonMobil by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. ICW Investment Advisors LLC now owns 25,286 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $3,043,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the period. Swisher Financial Concepts Inc. boosted its stake in ExxonMobil by 0.3% during the first quarter. Swisher Financial Concepts Inc. now owns 27,402 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $4,649,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the period. Finally, Fortis Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of ExxonMobil by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Fortis Capital Management LLC now owns 3,603 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $434,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.80% of the company's stock.

ExxonMobil News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Exxon signaled a stronger-than-expected Q2 earnings backdrop, with higher crude prices and improved refining/upstream margins expected to lift results. Strong Commodity Tailwinds Poised to Boost XOM's Q2 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company updated Q2 earnings considerations, and multiple reports said the new outlook points to a potentially large profit windfall, with some estimates rising to around $5 billion in quarterly earnings lift. Exxon Mobil updates Q2 earnings considerations, cites impacts across key businesses
• Positive Sentiment: ExxonMobil and partners committed about $1 billion to Nigeria’s Usan Infill Project, which could add roughly 40,000 barrels per day of production and strengthen future output growth. ExxonMobil to invest $1 billion in Nigeria's oilfield, regulator says

ExxonMobil Trading Down 2.7%

Shares of XOM stock opened at $137.31 on Friday. 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 market capitalization of $569.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.17. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $146.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $145.43. ExxonMobil Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $105.53 and a fifty-two week high of $176.41.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The oil and gas company reported $1.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $83.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $81.13 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.76 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that ExxonMobil Corporation will post 11.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ExxonMobil Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $1.03 dividend. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. ExxonMobil's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.48%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

XOM has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Bank of America raised shares of ExxonMobil from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $154.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $175.00 to $170.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Barclays upped their price target on ExxonMobil from $163.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $165.00 price target on ExxonMobil and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on ExxonMobil from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $164.45.

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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