ExxonMobil shares rose 1.9% in mid-day trading Thursday, touching $152.78 before last changing hands at $151.7970. The stock had closed the previous session at $149.01, and 15,155,826 shares had traded by then, about 33% below the average session volume of 22,545,336 shares.
The move came as Wall Street kept adjusting its view of the energy giant. Wells Fargo & Company raised its price target on ExxonMobil to $185.00 from $183.00 on Thursday, April 9, and kept an overweight rating. JPMorgan Chase & Co. also lifted its target on April 9, raising it to $170.00 from $140.00 while reiterating an overweight call. Sanford C. Bernstein had earlier cut its target to $137.00 from $142.00 on Monday, January 5, while leaving an outperform rating in place. Zacks Research moved ExxonMobil from strong sell to hold on Friday, January 30, and Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (C+) rating on Friday, April 10.
The run in xom stock lands during a week when investors have been parsing a string of headlines around the company, including oil prices above $100 a barrel, disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, helium supply issues, offshore Greece drilling plans, a Q1 2026 results date and a Thai gas asset sale. The mix helps explain why the shares are moving even as analysts remain divided on how much upside is left.
What matters now is whether ExxonMobil can hold the gain after a day of heavy attention from brokers but lighter-than-normal trading. If Thursday's advance sticks, it will strengthen the case that the latest round of target hikes is helping reset expectations for the stock.
