ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-four ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have assigned a hold recommendation and sixteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $110.9565.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on COP shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on ConocoPhillips from $108.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $98.00 price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Bank of America reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $102.00 price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $120.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Wolfe Research lifted their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $122.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th.

ConocoPhillips Trading Up 1.4%

COP opened at $104.25 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.32. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $94.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $93.27. ConocoPhillips has a one year low of $79.88 and a one year high of $106.20. The stock has a market cap of $128.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.74 and a beta of 0.32.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The energy producer reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $15.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.51 billion. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 13.64% and a net margin of 14.25%.ConocoPhillips’s quarterly revenue was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.78 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 8.16 EPS for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were given a dividend of $0.84 per share. This is a boost from ConocoPhillips’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.78. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is presently 47.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling at ConocoPhillips

In other news, CEO Ryan Michael Lance sold 500,708 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.50, for a total transaction of $46,315,490.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 325,972 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,152,410. This represents a 60.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director William H. Mcraven acquired 5,768 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $86.68 per share, with a total value of $499,970.24. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 5,768 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $499,970.24. This represents a ? increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ConocoPhillips

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Heartland Bank & Trust Co raised its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 97.2% during the second quarter. Heartland Bank & Trust Co now owns 6,861 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $616,000 after purchasing an additional 3,381 shares during the last quarter. Tema Etfs LLC acquired a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,804,000. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its position in ConocoPhillips by 12.1% during the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 140,829 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $13,321,000 after purchasing an additional 15,202 shares during the period. Chilton Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 389,995 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $36,890,000 after buying an additional 11,958 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 107.5% in the 3rd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 103,430 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $9,783,000 after buying an additional 53,587 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

Key ConocoPhillips News

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Federal judge cleared ConocoPhillips to proceed with its winter drilling program in Alaska, reducing near-term legal uncertainty that could have delayed production and spending. Federal judge rules that ConocoPhillips can proceed with winter drilling program
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory clearance was echoed in coverage that a judge “green-lit” COP’s Alaska drilling program, further lowering execution risk for Arctic activity. Judge green-lights ConocoPhillips Alaska oil drilling program
• Positive Sentiment: Geopolitical risk has pushed oil prices higher (Iran/strait-of-Hormuz concerns), which benefits integrated E&P names like ConocoPhillips through stronger commodity realizations and cash flow. Oil Rallies On Iran War Fears – 5 Integrated Energy Giants With Big Dividends
• Neutral Sentiment: ConocoPhillips says its plans for four new Arctic wells are unaffected by the toppled rig, which suggests management expects limited near-term disruption to the development schedule. ConocoPhillips’ plans for 4 new Arctic wells unaffected by toppled rig, company says
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes the company called the Doyon rig destruction “a sad day” but downplayed major impacts; investors should watch for official damage/insurance updates. ConocoPhillips execs call Doyon oil rig destruction a ‘sad day,’ but no major impacts expected
• Negative Sentiment: An Arctic rig toppled and ignited a fire — an operational and reputational risk that could lead to added costs, regulatory scrutiny or delays if follow-up inspections or litigation arise. Monitor incident reports and any updates from regulators. As an Oil Rig Topples in the Alaskan Arctic and Ignites a Fire, Exploration There Continues
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect a year-over-year earnings decline for the upcoming quarter, which could cap near-term upside if results miss expectations or guidance is cautious. Analysts Estimate ConocoPhillips (COP) to Report a Decline in Earnings: What to Look Out for

About ConocoPhillips

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is a Houston-based international energy company focused on exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Formed in 2002 through the merger of Conoco Inc and Phillips Petroleum Company, the firm operates as an independent upstream company that explores for, develops and produces crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids across a portfolio of global assets.

The company’s activities span conventional and unconventional resources and include onshore and offshore operations in multiple regions around the world.