Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Stock Price Up 2.8% – Time to Buy?

Shares of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) were up 2.8% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $131.72 and last traded at $130.1190. Approximately 27,455,433 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 35% from the average daily volume of 20,373,943 shares. The stock had previously closed at $126.54.

Exxon Mobil News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Market momentum tied to CEO comments — coverage notes that CEO Darren Woods’ blunt assessment of Venezuela may have reassured investors about risk management, helping lift XOM sentiment. Exxon Mobil’s stock hits a new high. Its CEO’s call on Venezuela may be helping.
• Positive Sentiment: Refinery readied for Venezuelan crude — sources say the Baton Rouge refinery is preparing to run Venezuelan oil, which could support refinery margins and throughput if imports proceed. This is a tangible operational benefit. Exxon Baton Rouge, Louisiana refinery preparing to run Venezuelan oil, sources say
• Positive Sentiment: Investor endorsement on TV — prominent money managers mentioned XOM as a buy on CNBC, which can lift retail/short-term flows and visibility. Delta Air, Exxon Mobil, TKO Group And A Financial Stock On CNBC’s ‘Final Trades’
• Positive Sentiment: Company pursuing Venezuela engagement — Reuters reports Exxon remains interested in a Venezuela visit and assessment team, signaling intent to capture potential upstream opportunities if geopolitics allow. Exxon Mobil still interested in Venezuela visit despite Trump rebuke
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings date set — ExxonMobil will report Q4 2025 results on Jan. 30; this scheduled event is a short-term catalyst/risk for shares depending on commodity-driven results. ExxonMobil to Release Fourth Quarter 2025 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Asset-sale paused — Shell and Exxon halted a planned sale of Southern North Sea gas assets to Viaro Energy; this removes a near-term deal but leaves strategic options open. Shell and Exxon halt UK gas asset sale to Viaro Energy
• Negative Sentiment: Political risk from the White House — President Trump publicly threatened to block Exxon from Venezuelan opportunities after the CEO called Venezuela “uninvestable,” introducing regulatory and reputational risk. Trump Threatens To Block ExxonMobil From Venezuela Investments
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst/earnings pressure — commentary and screens note expectations for lower Q4 earnings due to softer crude prices, which could cap upside if oil weakens further. Exxon Mobil (XOM) Forecasts Lower Q4 Earnings Due to Decline in Crude Prices
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational/political headlines carry downside — press analysis warns that Exxon’s “truth-telling” on Venezuela risks friction with the administration, a factor investors must price into political/regulatory risk. Exxon’s Truth-Telling on Venezuela Shows Risk of Crossing Trump

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on XOM shares. BNP Paribas upgraded Exxon Mobil from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. BNP Paribas Exane raised Exxon Mobil from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $114.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, December 8th. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on Exxon Mobil from $144.00 to $142.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $146.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a report on Friday, December 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $130.25.

Exxon Mobil Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average is $118.50 and its 200 day moving average is $114.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $548.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.91, a PEG ratio of 7.73 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 0.79.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last issued its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The oil and gas company reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.72 by $0.16. Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 8.99% and a return on equity of 11.22%. The company had revenue of $83.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $83.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.92 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Exxon Mobil Corporation will post 7.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Exxon Mobil Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th were given a $1.03 dividend. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. This is an increase from Exxon Mobil’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.99. Exxon Mobil’s payout ratio is currently 59.88%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total value of $351,570.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 28,584 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,349,758.96. This represents a 9.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Exxon Mobil

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. James Reed Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 19.9% during the 4th quarter. James Reed Financial Services Inc. now owns 4,706 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $566,000 after buying an additional 781 shares during the period. Clarius Group LLC lifted its position in Exxon Mobil by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Clarius Group LLC now owns 23,925 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,879,000 after acquiring an additional 1,305 shares during the last quarter. Centennial Wealth Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Centennial Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 7,848 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $944,000 after acquiring an additional 287 shares during the period. ORG Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. ORG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 55,959 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $6,738,000 after purchasing an additional 2,144 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Embree Financial Group increased its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Embree Financial Group now owns 31,471 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,787,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 61.80% of the company’s stock.

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.