Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Shares Down 0.7% – Time to Sell?

Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM) shares traded down 0.7% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $114.84 and last traded at $115.12. 5,521,653 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 63% from the average session volume of 14,837,764 shares. The stock had previously closed at $115.90.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on XOM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 16th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $139.00 to $140.00 in a report on Friday, January 31st. HSBC decreased their price target on Exxon Mobil from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Scotiabank dropped their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $145.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Exxon Mobil from $136.00 to $135.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Exxon Mobil presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $129.15.

Exxon Mobil Trading Down 0.9 %

The stock’s 50 day moving average is $109.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.60. The company has a market capitalization of $498.61 billion, a PE ratio of 14.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 9.63% and a return on equity of 12.92%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.48 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Exxon Mobil Co. will post 7.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Exxon Mobil Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th were paid a $0.99 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.45%. Exxon Mobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.51%.

Insider Activity at Exxon Mobil

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total transaction of $231,000.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 18,087 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,989,570. This trade represents a 10.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Exxon Mobil

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil during the fourth quarter worth $6,936,737,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in Exxon Mobil by 14.4% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 43,983,110 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $4,731,263,000 after acquiring an additional 5,538,694 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Exxon Mobil by 1,524.1% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 5,445,922 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $585,818,000 after acquiring an additional 5,110,603 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 16.3% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 31,522,556 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $3,936,929,000 after acquiring an additional 4,415,012 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 46,017,358 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $4,950,087,000 after purchasing an additional 2,998,892 shares during the last quarter. 61.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.