Capital Investment Advisors LLC Raises Stock Position in Exxon Mobil Corporation $XOM

Capital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 231,488 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,233 shares during the period. Capital Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Exxon Mobil were worth $27,857,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 150.2% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 7,602,601 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $819,560,000 after purchasing an additional 4,563,707 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC increased its stake in Exxon Mobil by 200.7% during the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 2,014,446 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $217,162,000 after buying an additional 4,015,099 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in Exxon Mobil by 7.4% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 38,728,643 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $4,366,655,000 after buying an additional 2,660,910 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 218.4% during the third quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 1,380,899 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $155,696,000 after acquiring an additional 2,546,791 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 105.4% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,925,026 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $329,797,000 after acquiring an additional 1,501,235 shares during the last quarter. 61.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Exxon Mobil News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rising crude and geopolitical risk lift near‑term outlook — higher oil prices from Middle East tensions are cited as a catalyst for stronger cash flow and earnings potential for Exxon. What Lies Ahead for ExxonMobil Amid Surging Crude Prices?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and target hikes: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $172 and kept an Overweight rating, supporting higher sentiment and buying. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein raised its price recommendation to $195 (from $159) and reiterated Outperform, adding upside to estimates and investor interest. Bernstein Raises Exxon Target
• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrades to earnings forecasts: Erste Group lifted FY2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates, implying stronger forward earnings than consensus. MarketBeat: Erste Group note
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options flow — traders bought ~163,879 XOM call contracts (about a 30% increase vs. typical call volume), indicating speculative or hedged bullish bets that likely boosted intraday demand.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational execution: Exxon participated in the industry’s first fully automated offshore well placement in Guyana, showcasing tech-led efficiency gains that can lower costs and speed production growth. Halliburton & Guyana automation
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic portfolio moves: Exxon is weighing an exit from New Zealand to refocus on higher‑return advantaged assets — a potential long‑term efficiency play but not an immediate earnings driver. Exxon New Zealand exit
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and downside risk commentary: Several pieces note XOM’s valuation has risen sharply (one piece highlights XOM exceeding Nvidia by some measures) and question whether elevated oil prices could later expose valuation downside if prices normalize. Exxon vs. Nvidia valuation discussion
• Negative Sentiment: “Tailwind or trap?” analysts warn that while oil >$95 helps earnings now, higher valuations and sustained high prices raise the risk of sharper downside if geopolitical tensions ease. Oil Over $95: Tailwind or Trap?

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 1,080 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.50, for a total transaction of $167,940.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 17,124 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,662,782. This trade represents a 5.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders have sold a total of 11,460 shares of company stock valued at $1,687,854 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Exxon Mobil Price Performance

NYSE:XOM opened at $171.17 on Friday. Exxon Mobil Corporation has a one year low of $97.80 and a one year high of $171.23. The stock has a market cap of $713.22 billion, a PE ratio of 25.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 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 stock has a 50 day moving average price of $149.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $128.13.

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

Exxon Mobil Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 12th were given a dividend of $1.03 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 12th. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Exxon Mobil’s payout ratio is presently 61.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on XOM. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Exxon Mobil from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. HSBC raised their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $135.00 to $158.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $134.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $145.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Exxon Mobil presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $151.00.

Exxon Mobil Company Profile

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.