Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Trading 2.3% Higher – Time to Buy?

Shares of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) rose 2.3% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $117.62 and last traded at $117.2760. Approximately 17,983,145 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 12% from the average daily volume of 16,095,590 shares. The stock had previously closed at $114.68.

Exxon Mobil News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Exxon Mobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company actions that support returns — XOM has a long streak of dividend increases (43 years) and plans roughly $20B of buybacks in 2025, underpinning shareholder yield and capital return even if commodity prices soften. How ExxonMobil Survives Oil Price Cycles and Rewards Shareholders
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street backing — several analysts recently raised targets or reaffirmed buy/overweight ratings (Wells Fargo, Piper Sandler, Cowen), which supports sentiment and could limit downside. MarketBeat: Exxon Mobil updates and analyst notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Commercial arrangements — DNO ASA announced North Sea offtake agreements that involve Exxon subsidiaries; this is incremental commercial activity but not a major earnings driver for XOM. DNO ASA secures offtake agreements with Exxon Mobil and Shell
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/momentum watch — commentary notes that recent momentum has cooled after strong one-year gains; valuation debate may keep trading range-bound absent a change in oil or macro signals. Exxon Mobil: Assessing Valuation as Recent Momentum Cools
• Negative Sentiment: Commodity headwinds — Zacks highlights WTI near ~$56 and notes pressure on upstream earnings; while Exxon’s low leverage and Permian/Guyana assets provide resilience, weaker oil prices remain a near-term earnings risk. The Zacks Analyst Blog: Exxon Mobil, Chevron and EOG Resources
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale & market reaction — VP Darrin Talley sold 3,000 shares (avg $117.19); media coverage tied the sale to a short-term share drop, which can unsettle sentiment even if corporate fundamentals remain intact. Insider Selling: Exxon Mobil VP Sells 3,000 Shares

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

XOM has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Friday, December 12th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $128.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Exxon Mobil from $156.00 to $158.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Exxon Mobil from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 13th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Exxon Mobil from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and thirteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $129.45.

Exxon Mobil Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $491.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.94, a PEG ratio of 7.35 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $115.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $112.64.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, June 17th. The oil and gas company reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $57.55 billion during the quarter. Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 8.99% and a return on equity of 11.22%. Equities research analysts forecast that Exxon Mobil Corporation will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Exxon Mobil Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th were issued a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. This is an increase from Exxon Mobil’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.99. Exxon Mobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Exxon Mobil news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total value of $351,570.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 28,584 shares in the company, valued at $3,349,758.96. This trade represents a 9.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Exxon Mobil

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Eagle Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Exxon Mobil by 15.3% in the first quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 2,836 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $337,000 after acquiring an additional 376 shares during the period. Algert Global LLC increased its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 8.9% during the first quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 23,269 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,767,000 after acquiring an additional 1,895 shares in the last quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH raised its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 62.2% in the first quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH now owns 36,650 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $4,315,000 after buying an additional 14,055 shares during the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Exxon Mobil by 27.8% during the 1st quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 14,036 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,670,000 after acquiring an additional 3,051 shares during the period. Finally, Elevate Wealth Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Exxon Mobil in the first quarter valued at approximately $220,000. 61.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Exxon Mobil Company Profile

Exxon Mobil 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.