Within the last quarter, Exxon Mobil XOM has observed the following analyst ratings:

9 analysts offering 12-month price targets in the last 3 months for Exxon Mobil evaluate the company at an average price target of $64.78 with a high of $72.00 and a low of $55.00.

This current average has increased by 5.9% from the previous average price target of $61.17.

Analyst Ratings: What Are They?

Ratings come from analysts, or specialists within banking and financial systems that report for specific stocks or defined sectors (typically once per quarter for each stock). Analysts usually derive their information from company conference calls and meetings, financial statements, and conversations with important insiders to reach their decisions.

Analysts also give out recommendations like "buy", "sell", "hold", or similar verbage for each stock based on their overall evaluations of the corres ponding company. A "buy" indicates that an analyst is optimistic about a stock's short-term or mid-term growth, recommending traders to purchase the stock. Contrastingly, a "sell" means that an analyst believes the stock will trend downwards in that same time frame. A "hold" suggests that investors should not buy more of or sell any of the specified stock due to that analyst's prediction of stagnation.

Some analysts will also offer forecasts for metrics like growth estimates, earnings, and revenue to provide further guidance on stocks. Investors who use analyst ratings should note that this specialized advice comes from humans and may be subject to error.