Chevron (NYSE:CVX) Shares Down 2.5% After Analyst Downgrade

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX)’s share price fell 2.5% during mid-day trading on Tuesday after TD Cowen lowered their price target on the stock from $214.00 to $204.00. TD Cowen currently has a hold rating on the stock. Chevron traded as low as $184.60 and last traded at $186.95. 12,077,216 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 8% from the average session volume of 13,123,500 shares. The stock had previously closed at $191.78.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Chevron from $174.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, March 27th. Melius Research upgraded shares of Chevron from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Argus set a $203.00 price target on shares of Chevron in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Chevron in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Tudor Pickering upgraded shares of Chevron from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $225.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Chevron presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $195.09.

Insider Activity at Chevron

In related news, insider Alana K. Knowles sold 2,408 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.28, for a total transaction of $441,338.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Michael K. Wirth sold 272,624 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.35, for a total transaction of $51,621,354.40. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 31,266 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,920,217.10. This trade represents a 89.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 779,407 shares of company stock valued at $145,972,971 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Chevron News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Chevron this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Chevron announced an asset swap that raises its Petroindependencia stake to ~49% and secures Orinoco heavy‑oil development rights — a long‑term boost to heavy crude exposure and valuation. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada lifted its price target and other outlets report analyst upgrades tied to recent discoveries and stronger oil fundamentals — supportive for upside expectations. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Large institutional interest — Berkshire Hathaway added to its Chevron stake, a credible long‑term vote of confidence that can attract other investors. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: High‑visibility endorsements (Jim Cramer recommending Chevron for offshore exposure) and reports of a Gulf discovery are driving retail and momentum flows into the stock. Read More. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed — EPS beat but revenue missed and year‑over‑year sales declined, leaving near‑term earnings visibility somewhat uncertain despite strong operating cash flow. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management expects higher Q1 profits given current geopolitical oil dynamics, which supports forward earnings estimates but depends on sustained oil prices and stable operations. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution/regulatory risk in Venezuela: Suelopetrol says it has not been notified of Chevron’s expansion in the joint venture — introduces uncertainty about timing/approval of the asset swap and could delay or alter expected benefits. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Some analyst caution persists — a recent TD Cowen adjustment to a lower price target/hold view and notes about near‑term earnings headwinds temper upside momentum. Read More.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chevron

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CVX. Core Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Chevron in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. bought a new position in shares of Chevron in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Basso Capital Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of Chevron in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Karpus Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Chevron in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Chevron in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. 72.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Chevron Trading Down 2.5%

The firm has a market capitalization of $372.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.60. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $192.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $168.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.86.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $45.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $48.18 billion. Chevron had a net margin of 6.51% and a return on equity of 7.89%. The company’s revenue was down 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.06 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Chevron Corporation will post 10.79 EPS for the current year.

Chevron Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were issued a $1.78 dividend. This represents a $7.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. This is a boost from Chevron’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.71. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. Chevron’s payout ratio is presently 106.91%.

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.