Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Sells 6,056 Shares of Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM)

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. lessened its position in shares of Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM) by 2.8% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 206,966 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 6,056 shares during the period. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Exxon Mobil were worth $22,263,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in XOM. Keystone Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Exxon Mobil during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil during the fourth quarter worth approximately $46,000. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil in the third quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Finally, Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Exxon Mobil during the third quarter worth approximately $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.80% of the company’s stock.

Exxon Mobil Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:XOM opened at $107.37 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.31. Exxon Mobil Co. has a 52 week low of $100.42 and a 52 week high of $126.34. The firm has a market cap of $471.90 billion, a PE ratio of 13.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.89. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $109.16 and its 200-day moving average is $114.88.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The oil and gas company reported $1.67 EPS 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 business posted $2.48 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Exxon Mobil Co. will post 7.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Exxon Mobil Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be given a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.69%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. Exxon Mobil’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.51%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,100 shares of Exxon Mobil 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 18,087 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,989,570. This trade represents a 10.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. HSBC dropped their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $117.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Scotiabank dropped their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $145.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $124.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $115.00 price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $129.25.

About Exxon Mobil

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.