Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM)
by Amy Steele · The Cerbat GemExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM – Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Stock investors bought 280,373 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 277% compared to the typical volume of 74,444 call options.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of research firms have recently weighed in on XOM. BNP Paribas Exane set a $165.00 price target on ExxonMobil and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on ExxonMobil from $128.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $182.00 price objective on shares of ExxonMobil in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Freedom Capital raised ExxonMobil from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, DZ Bank cut ExxonMobil from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $156.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $163.29.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on XOM
Hedge Funds Weigh In On ExxonMobil
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of XOM. Aventus Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of ExxonMobil during the second quarter worth $27,000. Portus Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in ExxonMobil in the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in ExxonMobil in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in ExxonMobil during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in ExxonMobil by 456.1% during the 4th quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 228 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. 61.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
ExxonMobil Trading Up 0.9%
Shares of NYSE XOM opened at $160.08 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $147.00 and its 200-day moving average is $150.45. The stock has a market cap of $663.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.60, a P/E/G ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 0.17. ExxonMobil has a twelve month low of $105.67 and a twelve month high of $176.41. 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 (NYSE:XOM – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The oil and gas company reported $3.52 earnings per share (EPS) 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 firm had revenue of $114.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.94 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.64 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that ExxonMobil will post 11.86 EPS for the current year.
ExxonMobil Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be given a dividend of $1.03 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 17th. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. ExxonMobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.02%.
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.