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The Zacks Analyst Blog Exxon, International Business Machines, Citigroup, Natural Resource Partners and Oil-Dri
Read MoreHide Full Article
For Immediate Releases
Chicago, IL – April 23, 2026 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), International Business Machines Corp. (IBM - Free Report) , Citigroup Inc. (C - Free Report) , Natural Resource Partners L.P. (NRP - Free Report) and Oil-Dri Corp. of America (ODC - Free Report) .
Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:
Top Analyst Reports for ExxonMobil, IBM & Citigroup
The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Exxon Mobil Corp., International Business Machines Corp. and Citigroup Inc., as well as two micro-cap stocks Natural Resource Partners L.P. and Oil-Dri Corp. of America. The Zacks microcap research is unique as our research content on these small and under-the-radar companies is the only research of its type in the country.
These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.
Exxon Mobil’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Oil and Gas - Integrated - International industry over the past six months (+30.9% vs. +30.7%). The company’s high-value assets in the Permian Basin and Guyana drive robust production growth, doubling upstream earnings since 2019. Notably, in the Permian, XOM intends production to surpass 2.5 million oil-equivalent barrels per day beyond 2030.
On the other hand, in Guyana, the company’s efforts have turned a 2015 oil discovery into one of the fastest-growing projects in the world. With a lower exposure to debt capital, XOM supports steady cash flows, dividends, buybacks and investments in high-return projects. ExxonMobil has raised its dividend every year for the past 43 years, demonstrating its commitment to returning capital to shareholders.
Additionally, XOM is constructing the world’s largest low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia plant in Baytown, which is expected to position it as a frontrunner in clean energy initiatives.
Shares of IBM have gained +7.3% over the past year against the Zacks Computer - Integrated Systems industry’s gain of +150.4%. The company is poised to benefit from strong demand for hybrid cloud and AI, driving growth in Software and Consulting. IBM’s growth is likely to be driven primarily by analytics, cloud computing, and security in the long haul.
The company’s core technology platform for AI capabilities watsonx is gaining significant market traction. In collaboration with Adobe It introduced AI-driven Experience Orchestration to help companies turn customer data into real-time actions, improving responsiveness. Such innovative product launches bode well for sustainable growth.
However, frequent acquisitions have escalated integration risks. Buyouts have negatively impacted the company’s balance sheet in the form of high levels of goodwill and net intangible assets. Stiff competition in the hardware enterprise servers and storage markets is weighing on profits.
Citigroup’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Financial - Investment Bank industry over the past six months (+37.7% vs. +8.7%). The company’s earnings topped estimates in the last four consecutive quarters. First-quarter 2026 results benefited from higher year-over-year net interest income (NII).
Ongoing transformation initiatives, including consumer business exits, cost cuts and operational streamlining, will likely support revenue growth as stranded costs and transformation spend begin to moderate. Management expects revenues to see a 4-5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2026. Its expansion into private credit boosts diversification, with a strong capital base supporting shareholder returns.
However, its rising expenses due to investments in business transformation efforts, technological advancement are worrisome. Volatility in fee income and deteriorating asset quality are concerning too.
Shares of Natural Resource Partners have outperformed the Zacks Coal industry over the past six months (+15.4% vs. +0.8%). This microcap company with a market capitalization of $1.53 billion offers a differentiated, asset-light royalty model that provides exposure to energy and industrial demand while limiting operational risks.
Natural Resource Partners’ extensive land base supports diversified mineral income and long-term optionality from emerging uses such as carbon sequestration and renewables. The company’s stable cash flow is underpinned by contractual minimum payments and disciplined capital allocation, alongside a significantly improved balance sheet that enhances financial flexibility.
However, near-term performance remains pressured by weak commodity cycles, particularly in metallurgical coal and soda ash, with suspended JV distributions and potential capital requirements adding uncertainty. Concentration in key counterparties and logistics dependencies elevates risks, leaving cash flow resilience reliant on commodity recovery.
Shares of Oil-Dri Corporation of America have gained +20.1% over the past six months against the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry’s gain of +37.3%. This microcap company with a market capitalization of $1.05 billion presents a mixed investment profile anchored by diversified end-market exposure and a resilient, vertically integrated operating model.
Oil-Dri Corporation of America’s Fluids Purification segment benefits from demand across edible oils, jet fuel, and renewable fuels, while innovation in premium and lightweight cat litter supports a gradual shift toward higher-value consumer products. Growth in agriculture and horticulture adds further diversification to the B2B portfolio. Strong liquidity and disciplined capital allocation enable continued reinvestment and shareholder returns.
However, earnings remain sensitive to customer concentration, channel volatility, and external disruptions such as policy shifts and weather events. Retail performance shows reliance on mix improvements rather than consistent organic growth, while B2B results highlight exposure to cyclical demand and customer-specific changes.
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Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Previewreports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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The Zacks Analyst Blog Exxon, International Business Machines, Citigroup, Natural Resource Partners and Oil-Dri
For Immediate Releases
Chicago, IL – April 23, 2026 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), International Business Machines Corp. (IBM - Free Report) , Citigroup Inc. (C - Free Report) , Natural Resource Partners L.P. (NRP - Free Report) and Oil-Dri Corp. of America (ODC - Free Report) .
Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:
Top Analyst Reports for ExxonMobil, IBM & Citigroup
The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Exxon Mobil Corp., International Business Machines Corp. and Citigroup Inc., as well as two micro-cap stocks Natural Resource Partners L.P. and Oil-Dri Corp. of America. The Zacks microcap research is unique as our research content on these small and under-the-radar companies is the only research of its type in the country.
These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.
You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>
Today's Featured Research Reports
Exxon Mobil’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Oil and Gas - Integrated - International industry over the past six months (+30.9% vs. +30.7%). The company’s high-value assets in the Permian Basin and Guyana drive robust production growth, doubling upstream earnings since 2019. Notably, in the Permian, XOM intends production to surpass 2.5 million oil-equivalent barrels per day beyond 2030.
On the other hand, in Guyana, the company’s efforts have turned a 2015 oil discovery into one of the fastest-growing projects in the world. With a lower exposure to debt capital, XOM supports steady cash flows, dividends, buybacks and investments in high-return projects. ExxonMobil has raised its dividend every year for the past 43 years, demonstrating its commitment to returning capital to shareholders.
Additionally, XOM is constructing the world’s largest low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia plant in Baytown, which is expected to position it as a frontrunner in clean energy initiatives.
(You can read the full research report on Exxon Mobil here >>>)
Shares of IBM have gained +7.3% over the past year against the Zacks Computer - Integrated Systems industry’s gain of +150.4%. The company is poised to benefit from strong demand for hybrid cloud and AI, driving growth in Software and Consulting. IBM’s growth is likely to be driven primarily by analytics, cloud computing, and security in the long haul.
The company’s core technology platform for AI capabilities watsonx is gaining significant market traction. In collaboration with Adobe It introduced AI-driven Experience Orchestration to help companies turn customer data into real-time actions, improving responsiveness. Such innovative product launches bode well for sustainable growth.
However, frequent acquisitions have escalated integration risks. Buyouts have negatively impacted the company’s balance sheet in the form of high levels of goodwill and net intangible assets. Stiff competition in the hardware enterprise servers and storage markets is weighing on profits.
(You can read the full research report on IBM here >>>)
Citigroup’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Financial - Investment Bank industry over the past six months (+37.7% vs. +8.7%). The company’s earnings topped estimates in the last four consecutive quarters. First-quarter 2026 results benefited from higher year-over-year net interest income (NII).
Ongoing transformation initiatives, including consumer business exits, cost cuts and operational streamlining, will likely support revenue growth as stranded costs and transformation spend begin to moderate. Management expects revenues to see a 4-5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2026. Its expansion into private credit boosts diversification, with a strong capital base supporting shareholder returns.
However, its rising expenses due to investments in business transformation efforts, technological advancement are worrisome. Volatility in fee income and deteriorating asset quality are concerning too.
(You can read the full research report on Citigroup here >>>)
Shares of Natural Resource Partners have outperformed the Zacks Coal industry over the past six months (+15.4% vs. +0.8%). This microcap company with a market capitalization of $1.53 billion offers a differentiated, asset-light royalty model that provides exposure to energy and industrial demand while limiting operational risks.
Natural Resource Partners’ extensive land base supports diversified mineral income and long-term optionality from emerging uses such as carbon sequestration and renewables. The company’s stable cash flow is underpinned by contractual minimum payments and disciplined capital allocation, alongside a significantly improved balance sheet that enhances financial flexibility.
However, near-term performance remains pressured by weak commodity cycles, particularly in metallurgical coal and soda ash, with suspended JV distributions and potential capital requirements adding uncertainty. Concentration in key counterparties and logistics dependencies elevates risks, leaving cash flow resilience reliant on commodity recovery.
(You can read the full research report on Natural Resource Partners here >>>)
Shares of Oil-Dri Corporation of America have gained +20.1% over the past six months against the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry’s gain of +37.3%. This microcap company with a market capitalization of $1.05 billion presents a mixed investment profile anchored by diversified end-market exposure and a resilient, vertically integrated operating model.
Oil-Dri Corporation of America’s Fluids Purification segment benefits from demand across edible oils, jet fuel, and renewable fuels, while innovation in premium and lightweight cat litter supports a gradual shift toward higher-value consumer products. Growth in agriculture and horticulture adds further diversification to the B2B portfolio. Strong liquidity and disciplined capital allocation enable continued reinvestment and shareholder returns.
However, earnings remain sensitive to customer concentration, channel volatility, and external disruptions such as policy shifts and weather events. Retail performance shows reliance on mix improvements rather than consistent organic growth, while B2B results highlight exposure to cyclical demand and customer-specific changes.
(You can read the full research report on Oil-Dri Corporation of America here >>>)
Free: Instant Access to Zacks' Market-Crushing Strategies
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.
Today you can tap into those powerful strategies – and the high-potential stocks they uncover – free. No strings attached.
Get all the details here >>
Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Previewreports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.