Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) Sets New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $126.41 and last traded at $126.5330, with a volume of 2963424 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.03.

Key Headlines Impacting Exxon Mobil

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

• Positive Sentiment: Higher oil prices and income focus — a renewed rally above the $60/barrel threshold has buoyed bullish interest in large-cap, high‑yield energy names, supporting Exxon’s revenue outlook and dividend appeal. Oil Is Surging Over $60 – Grab These Large Cap High-Yield Dividend Energy Giants Now
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades — Zacks raised earnings estimates for Exxon, which supports forward EPS expectations and helps justify the stock’s valuation multiple. Zacks Research Raises Earnings Estimates for Exxon Mobil
• Positive Sentiment: Company still pursuing Venezuela access — Reuters reports Exxon remains interested in a Venezuela assessment visit and is prepared to send a team despite political pushback, keeping the upside optionality alive if geopolitics shift. Exxon Mobil still interested in Venezuela visit despite Trump rebuke
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term strategy steady — coverage notes Exxon’s updated 2030 plan looks more robust than earlier forecasts, which supports medium-term cash‑flow expectations but is unlikely to move the stock dramatically near‑term. Exxon Mobil: 2030 Plan More Robust Than Initial Forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Political and policy debate continues — economists and commentators (e.g., Paul Krugman pieces) question the feasibility of an aggressive “drill” push; these macro views shape sentiment but don’t immediately change Exxon’s fundamentals. Trump’s ‘Drill Baby, Drill’ Is Dead At Home And Abroad, Says Economist Paul Krugman
• Negative Sentiment: Political risk: Trump may block Exxon from Venezuela — after CEO Darren Woods called Venezuela “uninvestable” at a White House meeting, President Trump said he’s “inclined” to keep Exxon out of any U.S. push into Venezuelan oil; media coverage of that threat pressured the stock earlier and creates near‑term headline risk. Trump says he might keep Exxon out of Venezuela

Analyst Ratings Changes

XOM has been the subject of several research reports. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $144.00 to $142.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $146.00 to $148.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Exxon Mobil from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $114.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, December 8th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $135.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Exxon Mobil has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $130.25.

Exxon Mobil Stock Up 1.9%

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 50 day moving average price of $118.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $114.05. The company has a market capitalization of $532.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.39, a P/E/G ratio of 7.77 and a beta of 0.37.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, June 17th. The oil and gas company reported $0.65 earnings per share for the quarter. Exxon Mobil had a return on equity of 11.22% and a net margin of 8.99%.The firm had revenue of $57.55 billion during the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Exxon Mobil Corporation will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Exxon Mobil Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were given a $1.03 dividend. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. 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 presently 59.88%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 3,000 shares of Exxon Mobil stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.19, for a total value of $351,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 28,584 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,349,758.96. This trade represents a 9.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Exxon Mobil

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil during the second quarter worth $6,163,719,000. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC bought a new stake in shares of Exxon Mobil during the 2nd quarter valued at about $607,621,000. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in Exxon Mobil by 150.2% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 7,602,601 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $819,560,000 after acquiring an additional 4,563,707 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Exxon Mobil by 200.7% in the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 2,014,446 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $217,162,000 after acquiring an additional 4,015,099 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Exxon Mobil by 10,809.8% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,095,106 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $333,652,000 after acquiring an additional 3,066,736 shares during the period. 61.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Exxon Mobil Company Profile

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.