Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Cut to Strong Sell at Zacks Research

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) was downgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on XOM. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Citigroup upped their price target on Exxon Mobil from $115.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $156.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $146.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $129.45.

Exxon Mobil Price Performance

NYSE XOM opened at $122.59 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $117.33 and a 200-day moving average price of $113.56. Exxon Mobil has a 52 week low of $97.80 and a 52 week high of $122.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $516.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.82, a PEG ratio of 7.41 and a beta of 0.38.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last announced its earnings results on Friday, June 17th. The oil and gas company reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 8.99% and a return on equity of 11.22%. The company had revenue of $57.55 billion during the quarter. Equities research analysts anticipate that Exxon Mobil will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Exxon Mobil news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total transaction of $351,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 28,584 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,349,758.96. This trade represents a 9.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Exxon Mobil

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Westfuller Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Game Plan Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 1,500.0% in the first quarter. Game Plan Financial Advisors LLC now owns 320 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Marshall & Sullivan Inc. WA bought a new position in Exxon Mobil during the second quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Bare Financial Services Inc grew its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 121.8% during the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Exxon Mobil in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Institutional investors own 61.80% of the company’s stock.

Key Exxon Mobil News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlighting XOM’s outperformance and resilience helped sentiment; analysts and write-ups point to steady cash flow, dividends and sector fundamentals as reasons investors favor the stock. Exxon Mobil (XOM) Laps the Stock Market: Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity: about 87,148 call contracts traded (≈28% above average), indicating significant bullish positioning by traders. Large call buying can amplify short-term upside as speculators and hedgers position for further gains.
• Positive Sentiment: Fundamentals reminder — coverage highlighting Exxon’s strong cash generation (operating cash flow and multi‑billion free cash flow) and a reliable ~3.4% yield supports investor conviction in dividends, buybacks and balance-sheet strength. This underpins longer-term investor demand. 3 Cash-Flow Machines Investors May Want Heading Into 2026 (XOM)
• Neutral Sentiment: Media/influencer mention: a stock‑picking segment named XOM among a short list of “Big 3” tickers to watch in 2026 for its energy resilience. This can raise retail interest but is more narrative-driven than fundamental. The Big 3: MU, XOM, RKLB
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings preview: analysts expect Exxon’s upcoming quarter to show a single‑digit decline in bottom‑line earnings, which could cap upside or create volatility around the report if results or guidance miss expectations. Exxon Mobil’s Quarterly Earnings Preview: What You Need to Know

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.