Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Upgraded by Argus to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Argus upgraded shares of Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) to a strong-buy rating in a research report report published on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on XOM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Exxon Mobil from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 16th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $130.00 to $123.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Scotiabank lowered their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $145.00 to $140.00 in a report on Friday, January 31st. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Exxon Mobil from $149.00 to $147.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $132.00 to $128.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $129.25.

Exxon Mobil Stock Performance

Shares of XOM opened at $109.81 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $109.94 and a 200-day moving average of $115.08. Exxon Mobil has a one year low of $100.42 and a one year high of $126.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The company has a market cap of $482.63 billion, a PE ratio of 14.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.89.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The oil and gas company reported $1.67 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Exxon Mobil will post 7.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Exxon Mobil Announces Dividend

The firm 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.61%. Exxon Mobil’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.51%.

Insider Transactions at Exxon Mobil

In other Exxon Mobil news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total value of $231,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 18,087 shares in the company, valued at $1,989,570. This trade represents a 10.40 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Exxon Mobil

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 10.7% in the third quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 47,195 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $5,532,000 after buying an additional 4,578 shares in the last quarter. Helen Stephens Group LLC increased its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Helen Stephens Group LLC now owns 41,637 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $4,479,000 after purchasing an additional 2,825 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 36.8% in the third quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 25,127 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,945,000 after purchasing an additional 6,753 shares during the last quarter. Parthenon LLC increased its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 2.4% in the third quarter. Parthenon LLC now owns 191,590 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $22,458,000 after purchasing an additional 4,445 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hilltop Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 41.3% in the third quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 76,288 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $8,942,000 after purchasing an additional 22,296 shares during the last quarter. 61.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.