Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM)

Key Points

• Call-option trading surged: Investors bought 288,352 ExxonMobil call options, about 351% above the typical daily volume.
• Analyst views were mixed: ExxonMobil had a consensus “Hold” rating and average price target of $170.79, with recent targets ranging from $155 to $213.
• Recent results and dividend were positive: The company beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates and raised its quarterly dividend from $1.03 to $1.07 per share.

ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Investors purchased 288,352 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 351% compared to the typical daily volume of 63,997 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

XOM has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane cut their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 17th. William Blair started coverage on shares of ExxonMobil in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. They issued a "market perform" rating on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of ExxonMobil from $199.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, November 2nd. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of ExxonMobil from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of ExxonMobil from $182.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, November 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, ExxonMobil currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $170.79.

ExxonMobil Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:XOM opened at $170.56 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $695.77 billion, a PE ratio of 15.99, a PEG ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. ExxonMobil has a 1-year low of $114.19 and a 1-year high of $188.50. The business's 50 day moving average is $169.38 and its 200-day moving average is $156.22.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.12 by $0.11. ExxonMobil had a return on equity of 16.63% and a net margin of 10.24%. The business had revenue of $110.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $104.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.88 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that ExxonMobil will post 13.34 earnings per share for the current year.

ExxonMobil Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is a positive change from ExxonMobil's previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. ExxonMobil's dividend payout ratio is currently 42.34%.

More ExxonMobil News

These are some of the XOM news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher oil prices are supporting earnings. Reports cite crude prices above $85—and Brent near $96—as a boost to ExxonMobil’s upstream business. Stronger refining margins have also contributed to earnings, though oil prices can be volatile. Article: ExxonMobil investment returns
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $206 from $200 and maintained an Overweight rating, signaling continued analyst optimism. Article: What's Going On With ExxonMobil Stock Friday?
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns remain robust: ExxonMobil raised its quarterly dividend 3.9% to $1.07 per share, its 44th consecutive annual increase, and plans $20 billion in buybacks in 2027. The company generated more than $39 billion in free cash flow through September. Article: ExxonMobil dividend and buyback plans

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ExxonMobil

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in ExxonMobil by 1.5% during the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 31,933,523 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $5,197,181,000 after purchasing an additional 465,409 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of ExxonMobil by 5.7% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 28,364,314 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $4,812,790,000 after purchasing an additional 1,540,902 shares during the period. Amundi grew its stake in shares of ExxonMobil by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 24,511,156 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $4,158,563,000 after purchasing an additional 1,192,386 shares during the period. GQG Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of ExxonMobil by 153.3% in the 2nd quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 16,877,523 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $2,307,497,000 after purchasing an additional 10,214,420 shares during the period. Finally, Swiss National Bank raised its holdings in shares of ExxonMobil by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 12,376,418 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $2,099,783,000 after buying an additional 693,800 shares in the last quarter. 61.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

ExxonMobil Company Profile

ExxonMobil is an integrated energy and chemical company with operations spanning the oil and natural gas value chain. Its businesses explore for and produce crude oil and natural gas, refine and market fuels, and manufacture chemicals and other specialty products. The company's products include gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, lubricants, petrochemical feedstocks and materials used in a wide range of consumer and industrial applications. ExxonMobil also pursues lower-emission solutions, including carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and lower-emission fuels.

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