Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Trading Up 3.5% After Analyst Upgrade

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) shares traded up 3.5% on Friday after Morgan Stanley raised their price target on the stock from $134.00 to $172.00. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Exxon Mobil traded as high as $171.23 and last traded at $171.1690. 30,243,442 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 36% from the average session volume of 22,217,891 shares. The stock had previously closed at $165.43.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $140.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. TD Cowen increased their target price on Exxon Mobil from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Barclays raised their price target on Exxon Mobil from $145.00 to $163.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $158.00 to $156.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $135.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $151.00.

Insider Activity at Exxon Mobil

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 5,000 shares of Exxon Mobil stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.75, for a total value of $698,750.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 23,584 shares in the company, valued at $3,295,864. This trade represents a 17.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 11,460 shares of company stock worth $1,687,854. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about Exxon Mobil

Here are the key news stories impacting Exxon Mobil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley bumped its price target to $172 and set an “overweight” rating, adding near-term analyst support for the share price. Morgan Stanley raises XOM price target to $172 (Benzinga)
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein raised its price target to $195 and reiterated an Outperform—another buy-side upgrade reinforcing upside expectations. Bernstein raises Exxon Mobil price target (Yahoo Finance)
• Positive Sentiment: Higher oil (prices above ~$95) from Middle East supply concerns is a direct tailwind for Exxon’s revenues and cash flow; several write-ups frame elevated oil as supporting Exxon’s earnings and dividend profile. Oil Over $95: Tailwind or Trap (Zacks) The Oil Shock Is Here to Stay (Yahoo Finance)
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised FY2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates for Exxon (FY26 to ~$7.07, FY27 to ~$8.34), implying stronger forward earnings than prior consensus and supporting valuation upgrades. Erste Group raises Exxon EPS estimates (MarketBeat)
• Positive Sentiment: Operational wins—like the fully automated offshore well project in Guyana (Halliburton + Exxon collaboration)—highlight efficiency gains and production upside in advantaged basins. First fully automated offshore well in Guyana (Yahoo Finance)
• Neutral Sentiment: Exxon is reportedly weighing an exit from New Zealand to refocus on higher-return assets—strategic pruning could improve returns but may trim diversification. Exxon weighs New Zealand exit (Yahoo Finance)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note Exxon scores well on value/style metrics (Zacks) and is a go-to energy name for investors seeking income and value exposure. XOM as a top-ranked value stock (Zacks)
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary flags valuation risk: Exxon’s market value has eclipsed high-growth names (e.g., Nvidia) in headline comparisons, prompting questions about whether the rally fully prices in longer-term risks and capital returns. Exxon valued like Nvidia—valuation concerns (Barchart) Exxon tops Nvidia in valuation (Seeking Alpha)

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Exxon Mobil

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. ICW Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Exxon Mobil by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. ICW Investment Advisors LLC now owns 25,286 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,043,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Fortis Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Fortis Capital Management LLC now owns 3,603 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $434,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Peoples Bank OH increased its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Peoples Bank OH now owns 14,993 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,804,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the period. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. now owns 7,368 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $887,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Peirce Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Peirce Capital Management LLC now owns 4,292 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $516,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 61.80% of the company’s stock.

Exxon Mobil Stock Up 3.5%

The firm has a market cap of $713.22 billion, a PE ratio of 25.59, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.15. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $148.48 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $127.58.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $80.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $77.98 billion. Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 8.68% and a return on equity of 11.21%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.67 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Exxon Mobil Corporation will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Exxon Mobil Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 12th were issued a $1.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 12th. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Exxon Mobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 61.58%.

About Exxon Mobil

Exxon Mobil 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.