Chevron (NYSE:CVX) Sets New 1-Year High on Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday after Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on the stock from $196.00 to $204.00. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Chevron traded as high as $177.38 and last traded at $176.9520, with a volume of 5103317 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $174.03.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on CVX. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Chevron from $180.00 to $174.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of Chevron from $170.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Chevron in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Chevron from $158.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $190.00 price objective on shares of Chevron in a report on Monday. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Chevron currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $175.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Chevron news, CEO Michael K. Wirth sold 320,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.99, for a total transaction of $52,270,893.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 14,450 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,355,205.50. This trade represents a 95.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider R. Hewitt Pate sold 41,134 shares of Chevron stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.40, for a total transaction of $7,256,037.60. Following the transaction, the insider owned 4,169 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $735,411.60. The trade was a 90.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 764,958 shares of company stock valued at $122,930,032. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Chevron News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Chevron this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs reasserted a bullish view, keeping a Buy stance and highlighting structural growth, cash-generation and capital returns that support upside despite near-term execution and commodity risks. Goldman Sachs Buy Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $204 and kept an Overweight rating, reinforcing upside expectations that can drive additional buying. Wells Fargo Price Target Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend strength and payout growth remain central to the bull case — analysts and outlets are highlighting Chevron’s sustained dividend increases and yield as a defensive income play that supports investor demand. Dividend Hike Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Industry write-ups point to robust fundamentals, operational efficiency gains and the Hess acquisition (adding production in Guyana) as drivers for a higher long-term valuation. These narratives support higher target prices from buy-side analysts. Seeking Alpha Bullish Take
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed — EPS beat consensus ($1.52 vs $1.44) but revenue missed and net income was down y/y, a combination that tempers enthusiasm while still supporting cash-flow narratives. Q4 Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen and other boutiques have maintained Hold ratings or modest target adjustments (reflecting limited near-term upside), which dampens but doesn’t overturn the bullish momentum. TD Cowen Note
• Negative Sentiment: Oil prices slid after U.S.-Iran tensions eased, removing a supply-risk premium and pressuring integrated oil margins and near-term revenue expectations — a headwind for Chevron and the sector. Oil Price Slide
• Negative Sentiment: HSBC and other shops have trimmed views or moved to Hold, arguing some of Chevron’s strength may already be priced in — such notes can cap rallies. HSBC Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling disclosed (CFO stock sale of ~$1.28M) may concern some investors, adding short-term pressure or sentiment noise. Insider Sale Report

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chevron

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Mraz Amerine & Associates Inc. raised its holdings in Chevron by 1.0% in the second quarter. Mraz Amerine & Associates Inc. now owns 9,053 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,296,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Drake & Associates LLC grew its holdings in shares of Chevron by 15.6% during the second quarter. Drake & Associates LLC now owns 3,876 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $555,000 after buying an additional 524 shares during the last quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Chevron by 3.8% during the second quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC now owns 143,748 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $20,583,000 after acquiring an additional 5,277 shares in the last quarter. Seamount Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Chevron by 95.6% in the 2nd quarter. Seamount Financial Group Inc. now owns 12,981 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,859,000 after acquiring an additional 6,345 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MADDEN SECURITIES Corp lifted its position in Chevron by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. MADDEN SECURITIES Corp now owns 33,802 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $4,840,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.42% of the company’s stock.

Chevron Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $157.48 and a 200-day moving average of $155.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $358.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.74, a PEG ratio of 12.12 and a beta of 0.70.

Chevron (NYSE:CVX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $45.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $48.18 billion. Chevron had a return on equity of 8.23% and a net margin of 6.51%.The company’s revenue was down 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.06 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Chevron Corporation will post 10.79 EPS for the current year.

Chevron Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a $1.78 dividend. This is a positive change from Chevron’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.71. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $7.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%. Chevron’s payout ratio is presently 102.70%.

About Chevron

Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is an American multinational energy company engaged in virtually all aspects of the oil and gas industry. As an integrated energy firm, Chevron’s core activities include upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production, midstream transportation and storage, downstream refining and marketing of fuels and lubricants, and petrochemical manufacturing through joint ventures and subsidiaries. The company markets fuels under brands such as Chevron, Texaco and Caltex and supplies a range of products and services to retail customers, industrial users and commercial fleets worldwide.

Chevron traces its corporate lineage to the early petroleum companies that eventually became Standard Oil of California and has evolved through significant mergers and restructurings, including the acquisitions of Gulf Oil and Texaco.