Exxon Mobil Shares: Wall Street's Optimistic or Pessimistic View?
Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM), a global oil and gas giant with a market cap of $480.3 billion, is currently undergoing a mixed assessment from financial analysts. As of late July 2025, the company holds a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" based on the assessments of 20 analysts.
The distribution includes 1 sell, 9 hold, 8 buy, and 2 strong buy ratings. The average price target set by these analysts is approximately $125.42 per share[1]. Individual recent analyst actions include:
- UBS Group adjusted their price target down slightly to $131 with a "buy" rating (April 2025)[1].
- Piper Sandler increased their target to $134 with an "overweight" rating (July 2025)[1].
- Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating in mid-July 2025[1].
- Scotiabank maintained an "outperform" rating also in July 2025[1].
- Wall Street Zen upgraded from "sell" to "hold" at the end of June 2025[1].
According to another analyst summary with broader coverage, there are 24 analyst opinions including 15 "Strong Buy" ratings with a slightly lower average price target near $123.43[2]. These analysts acknowledge challenges such as recent earnings declines and commodity price pressures but remain cautiously optimistic given Exxon’s balance sheet strength and dividend stability.
Exxon Mobil's earnings surprise history is solid, as it has beaten the consensus estimates in each of the last four quarters. However, for the current fiscal year, ending in December 2025, analysts expect XOM's adjusted EPS to decline 15.5% year-over-year to $6.58[1].
On a YTD basis, XOM shares are up 4.9%, lagging behind the S&P 500's 8.3% rise. Over the past 52 weeks, XOM has slumped 2.8%, while the broader S&P 500 Index has gained 16.6%. On Jul. 8, Exxon Mobil shares rose over 2%.
Exxon Mobil operates through Upstream, Energy Products, Chemical Products, and Specialty Products segments. The company's stock has slightly trailed the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund's 2.7% dip over the past 52 weeks but has surpassed the ETF's 3.8% rise on a YTD basis.
In summary, Exxon Mobil is broadly viewed positively by the consensus of financial analysts, with a moderate buy stance and price targets in the $123–$134 range, reflecting confidence in medium-term upside despite short-term operational and market headwinds[1][2]. All information and data in the article is solely for informational purposes. For more information, please view the website's Disclosure Policy here.
Notably, on July 11, Scotiabank raised its price target on Exxon Mobil from $115 to $125[1]. Scotiabank maintains an "Outperform" rating for Exxon Mobil.
Disclosure: Kritika Sarmah did not have positions in any of the securities mentioned in the article at the date of publication.
Investors might find the stock-market performance of Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) appealing, given the consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" and price targets ranging from $123 to $134. Current challenges such as earnings declines and commodity price pressures have not discouraged analysts, who remain optimistic due to Exxon's balance sheet strength and dividend stability.
After raising its price target on Exxon Mobil from $115 to $125 on July 11, Scotiabank maintains an "Outperform" rating for the company, suggesting that it continues to view XOM as a potentially profitable investment opportunity in the stock-market.
