Stephens Inc. AR Grows Stock Position in ExxonMobil Corporation $XOM

Stephens Inc. AR raised its holdings in ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 350,476 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 3,424 shares during the quarter. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in ExxonMobil were worth $42,294,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in XOM. Cauble & Harre Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of ExxonMobil in the fourth quarter worth about $325,000. Sound Portfolio Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of ExxonMobil in the fourth quarter worth about $753,000. DNB Asset Management AS raised its stake in shares of ExxonMobil by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 1,075,263 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $129,397,000 after purchasing an additional 55,353 shares during the last quarter. Richard Young Associates Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of ExxonMobil in the fourth quarter worth about $289,000. Finally, Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. raised its stake in shares of ExxonMobil by 18.1% in the fourth quarter. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. now owns 137,880 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $16,592,000 after purchasing an additional 21,180 shares during the last quarter. 61.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ExxonMobil Stock Up 3.2%

Shares of XOM stock opened at $157.72 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $155.05 and a 200 day moving average of $137.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a market cap of $653.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.60, a P/E/G ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 0.19. ExxonMobil Corporation has a twelve month low of $101.18 and a twelve month high of $176.41.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The oil and gas company reported $1.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $83.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $81.13 billion. ExxonMobil had a return on equity of 10.24% and a net margin of 7.57%.ExxonMobil’s quarterly revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.76 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that ExxonMobil Corporation will post 11.5 EPS for the current year.

ExxonMobil Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. ExxonMobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.48%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other ExxonMobil news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total value of $339,313.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 18,204 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,872,955.28. This trade represents a 10.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about ExxonMobil

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: High oil prices are expected to support ExxonMobil’s exploration and production earnings, with stronger Permian recoveries and Guyana output helping profitability. How Will High Oil Prices Aid ExxonMobil’s Energy Business?
• Positive Sentiment: A Texas jury found ExxonMobil not liable in a long-running investor lawsuit tied to Canadian oil sands and Rocky Mountain gas disclosures, removing a legal overhang. Exxon Mobil not liable to investors over Canadian oil sands, gas assets, jury says
• Positive Sentiment: ExxonMobil resumed drilling in Guyana’s Canje block, which could support longer-term growth if exploration results are encouraging. Exxon resumes drilling in Guyana’s Canje block after four-year absence
• Neutral Sentiment: Bernstein cut ExxonMobil’s price target from $195 to $182, which may temper some near-term enthusiasm despite continued analyst interest. Exxon Mobil (XOM) Price Target Trimmed by $13 at Bernstein
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors are pushing back on ExxonMobil’s plan to move its incorporation from New Jersey to Texas, citing governance and shareholder-rights concerns. Exxon Mobil Texas Move Pits Shareholder Rights Against Governance Goals

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on XOM shares. BNP Paribas Exane set a $165.00 price objective on ExxonMobil and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on ExxonMobil from $178.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on ExxonMobil from $172.00 to $171.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Zacks Research upgraded ExxonMobil from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on ExxonMobil from $150.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $163.95.

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.