Simmons Bank Buys 4,026 Shares of ExxonMobil Corporation $XOM

Simmons Bank lifted its stake in shares of ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) by 3.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 113,878 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,026 shares during the period. ExxonMobil makes up 0.9% of Simmons Bank’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest position. Simmons Bank’s holdings in ExxonMobil were worth $13,704,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in XOM. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in ExxonMobil by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 38,728,643 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $4,366,655,000 after purchasing an additional 2,660,910 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its position in ExxonMobil by 218.4% in the 3rd quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 1,380,899 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $155,696,000 after purchasing an additional 2,546,791 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in ExxonMobil by 105.4% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,925,026 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $329,797,000 after purchasing an additional 1,501,235 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in ExxonMobil by 119.4% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 2,672,359 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $301,310,000 after purchasing an additional 1,454,308 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc raised its position in ExxonMobil by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 20,396,334 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,299,687,000 after purchasing an additional 886,087 shares during the period. 61.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

ExxonMobil News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ExxonMobil saw unusually heavy bullish options activity, with investors buying 413,969 call options — nearly triple the usual daily volume — signaling rising trader expectations for more upside.
• Positive Sentiment: Broader energy-sector news remains supportive, including articles pointing to tighter oil supplies, possible geopolitical disruptions, and a “glitch” in the oil market that could benefit integrated producers like ExxonMobil. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary on the durability of the energy rally has also been constructive, with analysts saying the sector’s discipline could help keep profits and valuations supported.
• Neutral Sentiment: ExxonMobil announced that senior vice president Neil Chapman will speak at the Bernstein 42nd Annual Strategic Decisions Conference on May 28. The event is routine investor-relations news, but it keeps the company in focus ahead of the upcoming meeting. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: ExxonMobil is also preparing for a shareholder vote on moving its incorporation from New Jersey to Texas. Management says the change would preserve or improve shareholder protections, but proxy advisers and some investors are urging a “no” vote, making this a governance issue to watch. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Proxy advisory firms Glass Lewis and ISS have recommended that investors oppose some board positions and Exxon’s Texas redomicile proposal, raising the risk of a contentious annual meeting and potential governance overhang. Article Title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on XOM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $150.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of ExxonMobil in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of ExxonMobil from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $178.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, ExxonMobil currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $163.95.

ExxonMobil Price Performance

Shares of ExxonMobil stock opened at $152.58 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $632.42 billion, a PE ratio of 25.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.19. ExxonMobil Corporation has a 12-month low of $101.18 and a 12-month high of $176.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $154.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $137.31.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) last announced its quarterly 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. The business had revenue of $83.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $81.13 billion. ExxonMobil had a net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 10.24%. The company’s revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.76 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that ExxonMobil Corporation will post 11.5 EPS for the current year.

ExxonMobil Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $1.03 dividend. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. ExxonMobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.48%.

Insider Transactions at ExxonMobil

In other ExxonMobil news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 1,080 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.50, for a total value of $167,940.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 17,124 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 available at the SEC website. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.