ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $140.59.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on COP shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $123.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $139.00 target price (up previously from $132.00) on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research note on Friday, March 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $141.00 to $149.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Barclays began coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $158.00 target price for the company. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 11th.

Insider Transactions at ConocoPhillips

In other news, SVP Heather G. Hrap sold 4,548 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.55, for a total value of $502,781.40. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,654 shares in the company, valued at approximately $293,399.70. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Ryan Michael Lance sold 607,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.91, for a total transaction of $76,427,370.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 6,780 shares in the company, valued at approximately $853,669.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Heather G. Hrap sold 4,548 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.55, for a total transaction of $502,781.40. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,654 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $293,399.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 700,775 shares of company stock worth $87,615,169. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ConocoPhillips

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. West Branch Capital LLC grew its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 87.8% in the 4th quarter. West Branch Capital LLC now owns 231 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. Sachetta LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Cooksen Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, RVW Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. 82.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

ConocoPhillips Stock Performance

Shares of COP stock opened at $130.25 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $153.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.43. ConocoPhillips has a 52 week low of $95.70 and a 52 week high of $135.18. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $119.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $116.86.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The energy producer reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.32. The business had revenue of $15.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.47 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 18.71% and a return on equity of 22.08%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.71 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 9.21 earnings per share for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 19th were issued a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.40%. This is a positive change from ConocoPhillips’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 15th. ConocoPhillips’s payout ratio is presently 25.61%.

ConocoPhillips Company Profile

ConocoPhillips explores for, produces, transports, and markets crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and natural gas liquids in the United States, Canada, China, Libya, Malaysia, Norway, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company's portfolio includes unconventional plays in North America; conventional assets in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia; global LNG developments; oil sands assets in Canada; and an inventory of global exploration prospects.