ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) Short Interest Down 19.2% in April
by Jessica Moore · The Cerbat GemExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM – Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 42,991,642 shares, a decrease of 19.2% from the March 31st total of 53,204,836 shares. Approximately 1.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 23,596,194 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.8 days.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several research firms have recently commented on XOM. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on ExxonMobil from $172.00 to $171.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of ExxonMobil from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of ExxonMobil in a research note on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $171.00 price target on shares of ExxonMobil in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price target on shares of ExxonMobil from $186.00 to $182.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, ExxonMobil presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $161.55.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on XOM
ExxonMobil Price Performance
Shares of ExxonMobil stock traded down $0.15 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $154.53. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 22,800,470 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,013,698. The company has a market cap of $642.29 billion, a PE ratio of 23.10, a PEG ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 0.29. 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 business has a 50 day moving average price of $154.98 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $134.93. ExxonMobil has a 12-month low of $101.18 and a 12-month high of $176.41.
ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $80.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $77.98 billion. ExxonMobil had a return on equity of 11.21% and a net margin of 8.68%.The firm’s revenue was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.67 earnings per share. Analysts expect that ExxonMobil will post 11.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
ExxonMobil Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 12th were issued a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a $4.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 12th. ExxonMobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 61.58%.
Key ExxonMobil News
Here are the key news stories impacting ExxonMobil this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised its FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts materially, boosting near‑term earnings expectations and supporting valuation upside for XOM. Erste Group raises EPS estimates
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and heavy share buybacks remain bullish catalysts — Scotiabank recently raised its price target and Exxon’s multi‑billion buyback program continues to reduce float and support EPS. Analyst revision and buybacks
- Neutral Sentiment: Q1 reporting logistics: Exxon will release its Q1 press release early May 1 with a CEO call — the print and management commentary on volumes, price realization and project progress will drive intraday moves. Earnings timing and preview
- Neutral Sentiment: Street estimates: Consensus previews (Zacks) expect Q1 EPS near $1.07 on roughly $81.5B revenue — but upstream price/volume swings could push results either way, so the beat/miss will matter more than the headline. Zacks Q1 preview
- Neutral Sentiment: Project activity: Subsea 7 announced a substantial EPCI award tied to ExxonMobil activity offshore Angola — indicates ongoing upstream investment but is more a contractor win than an immediate earnings boost for Exxon. Subsea 7 contract
- Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical risk: Analysts warn that the Strait of Hormuz conflict could have trimmed Q1 volumes/pricing and may weigh on revenue and refining margins — heightened volatility increases the chance of a guidance reset. Hormuz conflict impact
- Negative Sentiment: Lawsuit risk: A new New Mexico lawsuit alleges Exxon understated orphaned‑well remediation liabilities for hundreds of wells — an adverse ruling or increased reserve requirements could raise future costs and ESG/legal uncertainty. Orphaned well lawsuit
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 5,000 shares of ExxonMobil stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.75, for a total transaction of $698,750.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 23,584 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,295,864. The trade was a 17.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 11,460 shares of company stock valued at $1,687,854. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On ExxonMobil
Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Berbice Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in ExxonMobil in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of ExxonMobil during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of ExxonMobil by 456.1% during the fourth quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 228 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. Key Capital Management INC purchased a new position in shares of ExxonMobil during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Westfuller Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of ExxonMobil in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.80% of the company’s stock.
ExxonMobil Company Profile
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.