ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) Stock Sees Unusually High Call Option Buying

ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) saw some unusual options trading on Friday. Stock traders bought 79,748 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 28% compared to the typical daily volume of 62,386 call options.

ExxonMobil Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of XOM traded up $3.74 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $187.03. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 21,824,505 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,721,350. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. ExxonMobil has a 1 year low of $112.51 and a 1 year high of $188.50. The business has a fifty day moving average of $167.76 and a 200 day moving average of $154.35. The company has a market cap of $775.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.21.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.12 by $0.11. ExxonMobil had a net margin of 8.88% and a return on equity of 13.14%. The business had revenue of $110.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $104.89 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.88 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that ExxonMobil will post 13.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of ExxonMobil

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in XOM. Assetmark Inc. lifted its position in shares of ExxonMobil by 8.3% during the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 492,309 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $83,525,000 after purchasing an additional 37,666 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Trust Co boosted its holdings in ExxonMobil by 392.9% during the second quarter. Charles Schwab Trust Co now owns 122,223 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $16,710,000 after purchasing an additional 97,424 shares in the last quarter. CV Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of ExxonMobil by 126.7% in the 2nd quarter. CV Advisors LLC now owns 11,589 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,584,000 after purchasing an additional 6,478 shares in the last quarter. Midwest Trust Co increased its position in shares of ExxonMobil by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. Midwest Trust Co now owns 710,969 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $120,623,000 after purchasing an additional 26,411 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in shares of ExxonMobil by 13.6% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 253,420 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $34,648,000 after buying an additional 30,423 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.80% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting ExxonMobil

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings exceeded expectations. ExxonMobil reported adjusted earnings of $4.23 per share, ahead of the roughly $4.08–$4.12 analyst consensus and well above $1.88 a year earlier. Net income reached approximately $15.4 billion, while revenue also surpassed estimates. ExxonMobil Announces Third-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Refining was the key profit driver. Record or unusually strong refining margins, particularly for diesel, more than offset weaker upstream results and lifted earnings, cash flow and shareholder returns. Exxon’s refining operations earned more than its oil-production business for the first time in six years. Exxon, Chevron earnings propelled by war-driven refining surge
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder distributions are expanding. ExxonMobil raised its dividend by approximately 3.9%–4% and plans $20 billion in share repurchases during 2027. The company also highlighted production gains from Guyana, Kearl and PNG LNG, supporting its long-term growth profile. ExxonMobil Raises Dividend by 3.9%, Sets $20 Billion 2027 Buyback Plan
• Positive Sentiment: Higher oil prices provided a favorable backdrop. Brent crude approached $120 per barrel as Middle East tensions and other geopolitical disruptions tightened energy markets. Investors also showed bullish positioning through unusually heavy call-option activity.
• Neutral Sentiment: ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods said global refining disruptions may not have a quick fix. While this could sustain margins, it also underscores continuing geopolitical and operational uncertainty. The company and Chevron additionally canceled executive travel to a Gulf energy conference because of security concerns. ExxonMobil CEO Sees No Quick Fix for Global Refining Disruptions
• Negative Sentiment: After a powerful rally, XOM offers new investors a substantially lower dividend yield than it did at the start of the year. Its valuation and dependence on elevated, potentially temporary refining margins may limit further upside if oil prices or fuel spreads retreat.

Analyst Ratings Changes

XOM has been the subject of several recent research reports. William Blair started coverage on shares of ExxonMobil in a research report on Wednesday. They issued a “market perform” rating for the company. Freedom Capital raised shares of ExxonMobil from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $199.00 price target on shares of ExxonMobil in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Bank of America lowered shares of ExxonMobil from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $154.00 to $158.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of ExxonMobil from $158.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and fourteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $167.70.

ExxonMobil Company Profile

Exxon Mobil Corporation, doing business as ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), is an integrated energy company engaged in the exploration, development, production, and sale of crude oil and natural gas. Its operations span the energy value chain, from resource development and refining to the marketing and distribution of fuels and other energy products.

Through its Energy Products segment, ExxonMobil manufactures and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, and other petroleum-based products. Its Chemical Products business produces petrochemicals, including commodity and performance products used in packaging, automotive components, construction materials, and consumer goods.