ExxonMobil Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:XOM)

ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Stock traders bought 280,373 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 277% compared to the average daily volume of 74,444 call options.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ExxonMobil

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new position in ExxonMobil during the fourth quarter worth $7,625,063,000. GQG Partners LLC boosted 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 in the last quarter. Quantum Portfolio Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of ExxonMobil in the 1st quarter worth about $965,932,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new stake in shares of ExxonMobil in the 1st quarter worth about $766,345,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in shares of ExxonMobil by 18.2% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 15,997,332 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,925,119,000 after purchasing an additional 2,465,410 shares in the last quarter. 61.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

ExxonMobil Stock Performance

XOM traded up $1.47 during trading on Friday, reaching $160.08. 10,227,842 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 14,393,608. The company has a market capitalization of $663.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.60, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 0.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $147.00 and a 200 day moving average price of $150.45. ExxonMobil has a fifty-two week low of $105.67 and a fifty-two week high of $176.41.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The oil and gas company reported $3.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.56 by ($0.04). ExxonMobil had a net margin of 8.88% and a return on equity of 13.14%. The business had revenue of $114.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.94 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.64 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that ExxonMobil will post 11.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ExxonMobil Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be paid a dividend of $1.03 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 17th. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. ExxonMobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

XOM has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group set a $168.00 price target on shares of ExxonMobil in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of ExxonMobil in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $158.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of ExxonMobil in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Barclays lifted their target price on ExxonMobil from $163.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, HSBC set a $158.00 price target on ExxonMobil in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $163.29.

About ExxonMobil

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.