Conning Inc. Sells 6,076 Shares of Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM)

Conning Inc. reduced its stake in Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 343,222 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 6,076 shares during the period. Exxon Mobil accounts for 1.3% of Conning Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. Conning Inc.’s holdings in Exxon Mobil were worth $36,920,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Vertex Planning Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 3.1% in the third quarter. Vertex Planning Partners LLC now owns 2,778 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $326,000 after buying an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. First Heartland Consultants Inc. lifted its stake in Exxon Mobil by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. First Heartland Consultants Inc. now owns 9,451 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,108,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Latitude Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Latitude Advisors LLC now owns 13,378 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,568,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC grew its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 0.6% during the third quarter. Longfellow Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 14,537 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,704,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Finally, West Oak Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 16,207 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,743,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. 61.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Exxon Mobil Trading Up 1.9 %

NYSE XOM opened at $110.98 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $487.75 billion, a PE ratio of 14.15, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.89. Exxon Mobil Co. has a 12 month low of $100.42 and a 12 month high of $126.34. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $109.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $114.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) last issued its earnings results 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 return on equity of 12.92% and a net margin of 9.63%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.48 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Exxon Mobil Co. will post 7.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Exxon Mobil Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be given a dividend of $0.99 per share. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 12th. Exxon Mobil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.51%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on XOM shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Exxon Mobil from $136.00 to $135.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Bernstein Bank boosted their price target on shares of Exxon Mobil from $138.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $138.00 to $127.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $130.00 to $123.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Exxon Mobil currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $129.25.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,100 shares of Exxon Mobil stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total value of $231,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 18,087 shares in the company, valued at $1,989,570. The trade was a 10.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Exxon Mobil Company Profile

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.