ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, sixteen have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $121.95.

A number of research firms have commented on COP. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $116.00 to $111.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Barclays reduced their target price on ConocoPhillips from $135.00 to $120.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Raymond James lifted their price target on ConocoPhillips from $103.00 to $109.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Scotiabank reduced their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $115.00 to $95.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th.

Institutional Trading of ConocoPhillips

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Albion Financial Group UT increased its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 876.9% in the 4th quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 254 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 228 shares during the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in ConocoPhillips during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. 10Elms LLP bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in ConocoPhillips by 341.5% during the first quarter. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 287 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

ConocoPhillips Price Performance

ConocoPhillips stock opened at $89.63 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $92.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $98.77. ConocoPhillips has a 1 year low of $79.88 and a 1 year high of $121.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.29. The company has a market cap of $113.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.51, a PEG ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 0.64.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The energy producer reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.05 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $16.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.74 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 16.23% and a return on equity of 17.26%. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.05 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that ConocoPhillips will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 19th will be issued a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.48%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 19th. ConocoPhillips’s payout ratio is currently 39.64%.

About ConocoPhillips

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.