BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) Short Interest Down 34.2% in January

BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 8,045,280 shares, a decline of 34.2% from the January 15th total of 12,230,839 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 7,642,066 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.1 days. Currently, 0.3% of the company’s stock are sold short. Currently, 0.3% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 7,642,066 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.1 days.

BP Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE BP traded up $0.50 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $37.69. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 7,459,041 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,194,334. The stock has a market capitalization of $98.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3,764.74, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.33. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $35.84 and a 200-day simple moving average of $35.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. BP has a fifty-two week low of $25.22 and a fifty-two week high of $39.51.

BP (NYSE:BP) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $47.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $42.19 billion. BP had a return on equity of 9.68% and a net margin of 0.03%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.44 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that BP will post 3.53 earnings per share for the current year.

BP Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.4992 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. BP’s payout ratio is currently -19,800.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Scotiabank set a $41.00 price target on BP in a report on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings raised BP from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of BP in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $51.00 target price on shares of BP in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of BP in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, BP has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $37.35.

Institutional Trading of BP

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Strategic Advocates LLC bought a new position in shares of BP during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of BP during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of BP in the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. YANKCOM Partnership boosted its position in shares of BP by 1,068.3% during the fourth quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 958 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 876 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in BP during the third quarter valued at $43,000. 11.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

BP News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting BP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Sanctions reset opens the door for BP to re-engage with Venezuela’s large oil reserves, presenting medium-to-long-term production and reserves upside if commercial terms and sanctions relief permit. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 2025 prepared remarks (earnings call transcript) highlight group results and management commentary — recent quarter showed revenue and EPS slightly above consensus, supporting near-term cash flow and dividend capacity. Investors should watch management guidance and buyback/dividend commentary in the transcript for capital-allocation signals. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen lowered its price target from $37 to $35 but kept a “hold” rating — implies modest downside vs. the current price but not a consensus sell signal; this may temper upside but is not a severe bearish shift. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Freedom Capital downgraded BP from “hold” to “strong sell,” adding downward pressure via negative sentiment and potential short-term selling. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple small brokers cut ratings or lowered views (Wall Street Zen, Melius Research), increasing sell-side headwinds and heightening volatility risk as investors digest mixed analyst outlooks. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Labor talks at the Whiting refinery — with strike preparations reported — pose operational risk and could hit refining throughput and margins if negotiations deteriorate. Monitor progress closely for short-term production impacts. Read More.

BP Company Profile

BP plc is a British multinational integrated energy company headquartered in London. Originating in the early 20th century as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, BP has grown into one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, operating across exploration and production, refining and marketing, trading, and a range of low-carbon businesses.

The company’s core activities include upstream exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, midstream and trading operations, and downstream refining, marketing and supply of fuels, lubricants and petrochemicals.