ExxonMobil Corporation $XOM Position Lessened by ProShare Advisors LLC

ProShare Advisors LLC cut its position in shares of ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) by 1.3% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,763,449 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 23,903 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC’s holdings in ExxonMobil were worth $287,001,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in XOM. NBT Bank N.A. acquired a new position in shares of ExxonMobil in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Aventus Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of ExxonMobil during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Atlantic Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of ExxonMobil by 776.9% in the 1st quarter. Atlantic Private Wealth LLC now owns 228 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of ExxonMobil in the 1st quarter valued at about $53,000. Finally, Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd increased its stake in shares of ExxonMobil by 53.1% in the 1st quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 326 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.80% of the company’s stock.

ExxonMobil Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of ExxonMobil stock opened at $187.03 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $775.23 billion, a PE ratio of 19.22, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.21. ExxonMobil Corporation has a twelve month low of $112.51 and a twelve month high of $188.50. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $167.76 and its 200 day moving average price is $154.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.12 by $0.11. ExxonMobil had a return on equity of 16.63% and a net margin of 10.24%. The company had revenue of $110.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $104.89 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.88 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that ExxonMobil Corporation will post 13.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ExxonMobil Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a $1.07 dividend. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. This is a boost from ExxonMobil’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. ExxonMobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 42.34%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

XOM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Argus increased their price target on ExxonMobil from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. HSBC restated a “hold” rating and issued a $90.00 price objective on shares of ExxonMobil in a research report on Friday, September 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on ExxonMobil from $158.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Bank of America lowered ExxonMobil from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and increased their target price for the company from $154.00 to $158.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of ExxonMobil from $175.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and fourteen have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, ExxonMobil currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $167.70.

Key Headlines Impacting ExxonMobil

Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q3 earnings supported the rally. ExxonMobil generated approximately $15.4 billion in GAAP net income, or $3.72 in basic earnings per share, on $110.5 billion of revenue. Results exceeded expectations, with refining margins providing the main boost. ExxonMobil Q3 earnings article
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend growth reinforces ExxonMobil’s income appeal. The company raised its quarterly dividend 3.9% to $1.07 per share, equivalent to $4.28 annually and a yield of roughly 2.3%. The increase reportedly marks the 44th consecutive annual dividend increase. ExxonMobil Q3 earnings takeaways
• Positive Sentiment: Cash generation and capital returns remain strong. Free cash flow reportedly surged 90% year to date. ExxonMobil spent $5.1 billion on share repurchases during the quarter, more than its $4.3 billion in dividend payments, and reduced net debt by nearly $11 billion during the first nine months. ExxonMobil dividend and free cash flow article
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and financial commentators continue to describe XOM as a blue-chip energy holding, citing its low beta, scale and diversified upstream portfolio. Elevated geopolitical tensions have also supported oil-company profits and investor interest in the sector. ExxonMobil blue-chip energy investment article
• Neutral Sentiment: Heavy trading in ExxonMobil call options and a reported 2.3% increase in Childress Capital Advisors’ stake suggest bullish positioning, but neither necessarily reflects long-term fundamental demand.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors should watch earnings quality and valuation. Upstream earnings declined, refining margins drove much of the quarterly beat, and some reports characterized sales as below analyst estimates. With shares near their 52-week high, future gains may depend on sustained commodity prices and refining strength. ExxonMobil refining profits article

ExxonMobil 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.