ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) Upgraded by Freedom Capital to Hold Rating

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) was upgraded by stock analysts at Freedom Capital from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on XOM. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price objective on shares of ExxonMobil from $195.00 to $182.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Scotiabank raised their target price on ExxonMobil from $128.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Barclays upped their price target on shares of ExxonMobil from $163.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on ExxonMobil from $178.00 to $184.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of ExxonMobil from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $162.95.

ExxonMobil Price Performance

Shares of ExxonMobil stock opened at $154.06 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $145.75 and a 200-day moving average of $149.15. ExxonMobil has a 52-week low of $105.53 and a 52-week high of $176.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $638.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 0.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.13.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The oil and gas company reported $3.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.56 by ($0.04). ExxonMobil had a net margin of 8.88% and a return on equity of 13.14%. The company had revenue of $114.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.94 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.64 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that ExxonMobil will post 11.46 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ExxonMobil

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in shares of ExxonMobil by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 75,152,366 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $9,043,836,000 after purchasing an additional 1,457,560 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of ExxonMobil in the 4th quarter valued at about $7,625,063,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of ExxonMobil by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 46,605,353 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $5,608,488,000 after buying an additional 531,362 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in shares of ExxonMobil by 1.0% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 44,026,019 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $4,963,934,000 after purchasing an additional 445,283 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of ExxonMobil by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 34,090,589 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $4,102,708,000 after acquiring an additional 293,446 shares during the last quarter. 61.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting ExxonMobil

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ExxonMobil reported its best underlying quarterly profit in roughly four years, benefiting from higher oil prices, robust refining margins and favorable market disruptions tied to the Iran conflict. Exxon Posts Its Best Profit in Four Years
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter production reached its highest level in more than 20 years, with Permian Basin output setting a quarterly record. The production growth strengthens ExxonMobil’s ability to benefit from elevated energy prices. ExxonMobil Posts US$14.5 Billion Q2 Profit
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted ExxonMobil’s strong balance sheet, rising free cash flow and potential for shareholder returns, supporting the view that the company remains well positioned across upstream, refining and chemicals. ExxonMobil: A Capital Return Play Amid Soaring FCF
• Neutral Sentiment: ExxonMobil’s quarterly revenue exceeded expectations, but earnings per share narrowly missed consensus estimates. The mixed result may temper enthusiasm despite strong underlying operations. Should You Buy ExxonMobil Stock Despite Its Q2 Earnings Miss?
• Neutral Sentiment: DZ Bank reaffirmed its “hold” rating and assigned a $156 price target, suggesting limited near-term upside after XOM’s recent strength. DZ Bank Reaffirms ExxonMobil Hold Rating
• Negative Sentiment: President Donald Trump criticized ExxonMobil and Chevron for benefiting from higher oil and gasoline prices and urged them to reduce fuel prices. The comments raise concerns about potential political pressure, windfall-profit criticism or policy intervention. Trump Criticizes Exxon and Chevron Profits
• Negative Sentiment: Management said crude oil and gasoline prices have become disconnected, highlighting the risk that refining and fuel-market gains could weaken if supply disruptions ease or margins normalize. Exxon CEO Discusses Crude and Gasoline Prices

About ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) is an integrated oil and gas company engaged in the exploration, production, refining, distribution and marketing of petroleum products and the manufacture and sale of petrochemicals. Its operations span the full energy value chain, including upstream exploration and development of crude oil and natural gas; midstream transportation and storage; and downstream refining, product distribution and retail. The company also produces a broad range of chemical products for industrial and consumer applications.

ExxonMobil markets fuels and lubricants under well-known brands such as Exxon, Mobil and Esso, and its Mobil 1 motor oil is a prominent consumer product.