Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM) Shares Sold by Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.

Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. lessened its stake in Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM) by 2.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 268,448 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 7,669 shares during the quarter. Exxon Mobil comprises about 0.9% of Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.’s holdings in Exxon Mobil were worth $28,877,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its stake in Exxon Mobil by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 387,247 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $41,656,000 after purchasing an additional 6,554 shares during the period. Arlington Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 44.4% during the 4th quarter. Arlington Financial Advisors LLC now owns 8,738 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $940,000 after buying an additional 2,685 shares during the last quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 8.7% during the 4th quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 144,843 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $15,581,000 after buying an additional 11,632 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 176,183 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $18,952,000 after acquiring an additional 12,034 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Byrne Asset Management LLC grew its position in Exxon Mobil by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC now owns 9,953 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,071,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.80% of the company’s stock.

Exxon Mobil Stock Performance

Shares of XOM opened at $111.71 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $109.28 and a 200 day moving average price of $114.92. The company has a market capitalization of $490.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.89. Exxon Mobil Co. has a 52-week low of $100.42 and a 52-week high of $126.34.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The oil and gas company reported $1.67 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.77 by ($0.10). Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 9.63% and a return on equity of 12.92%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.48 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Exxon Mobil Co. will post 7.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Exxon Mobil Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be issued a $0.99 dividend. This represents a $3.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.54%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. Exxon Mobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.51%.

Insider Activity at Exxon Mobil

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total transaction of $231,000.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 18,087 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,989,570. This represents a 10.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on XOM. UBS Group decreased their price target on Exxon Mobil from $149.00 to $147.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Argus raised shares of Exxon Mobil to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. HSBC dropped their price target on shares of Exxon Mobil from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $124.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Mizuho cut their target price on Exxon Mobil from $137.00 to $134.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $129.25.

About Exxon Mobil

Exxon Mobil Corporation engages in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas in the United States and internationally. It operates through Upstream, Energy Products, Chemical Products, and Specialty Products segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces crude oil and natural gas.