Willis Investment Counsel Buys 1,894 Shares of Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM)

Willis Investment Counsel raised its position in shares of Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM) by 0.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 209,292 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,894 shares during the period. Exxon Mobil accounts for approximately 1.5% of Willis Investment Counsel’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings in Exxon Mobil were worth $22,514,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vertex Planning Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil by 3.1% during the third quarter. Vertex Planning Partners LLC now owns 2,778 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $326,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. First Heartland Consultants Inc. increased its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil by 0.9% in the third quarter. First Heartland Consultants Inc. now owns 9,451 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,108,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. Latitude Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Latitude Advisors LLC now owns 13,378 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,568,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC increased its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 0.6% in the third quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 14,537 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,704,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. Finally, West Oak Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 16,207 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,743,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. 61.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Exxon Mobil Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE XOM opened at $109.81 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $482.63 billion, a PE ratio of 14.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.89. Exxon Mobil Co. has a 1 year low of $100.42 and a 1 year high of $126.34. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $109.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $115.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 0.97.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The oil and gas company reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.77 by ($0.10). Exxon Mobil had a return on equity of 12.92% and a net margin of 9.63%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.48 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Exxon Mobil Co. will post 7.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Exxon Mobil Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be issued a $0.99 dividend. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 12th. Exxon Mobil’s payout ratio is 50.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total transaction of $231,000.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 18,087 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,989,570. The trade was a 10.40 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Truist Financial raised their target price on Exxon Mobil from $117.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. UBS Group reduced their target price on Exxon Mobil from $149.00 to $147.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Bernstein Bank raised their price target on Exxon Mobil from $138.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil in a report on Monday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $129.25.

Exxon Mobil Company Profile

Exxon Mobil Corporation engages in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas in the United States and internationally. It operates through Upstream, Energy Products, Chemical Products, and Specialty Products segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces crude oil and natural gas.