BP (NYSE:BP) Stock Rating Upgraded by BNP Paribas Exane

BP (NYSE:BP) was upgraded by equities researchers at BNP Paribas Exane from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Scotiabank raised shares of BP to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of BP from $39.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of BP from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $49.40 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Melius Research cut shares of BP from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $31.00 target price for the company. in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of BP in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $42.98.

BP Trading Down 6.3%

Shares of NYSE BP opened at $44.61 on Friday. BP has a 1 year low of $27.20 and a 1 year high of $48.27. The stock has a market cap of $116.96 billion, a P/E ratio of -4,456.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 0.21. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $42.46 and a 200 day moving average of $37.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 0.98.

BP (NYSE:BP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.03. BP had a net margin of 0.03% and a return on equity of 9.68%. The company had revenue of $47.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $42.19 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.44 EPS. BP’s revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that BP will post 3.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of BP

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV grew its position in BP by 27.3% during the first quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 8,968 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $422,000 after buying an additional 1,923 shares during the period. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new position in shares of BP during the fourth quarter worth $205,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of BP by 39.1% during the fourth quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 1,808 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $63,000 after acquiring an additional 508 shares during the last quarter. Sagefield Capital LP boosted its position in shares of BP by 125.2% during the fourth quarter. Sagefield Capital LP now owns 493,556 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $17,141,000 after acquiring an additional 274,381 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC boosted its position in shares of BP by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 18,304 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $636,000 after acquiring an additional 999 shares during the last quarter. 11.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

BP News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting BP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BP flagged “exceptional” oil trading results for Q1 2026, citing heightened price volatility and dislocations between marker and realized prices tied to Middle East conflict — trading gains BP says are separate from production guidance. This suggests a near-term cash/earnings boost that can support the share price. BP Flags Exceptional Q1 2026 Trading As Valuation Questions Linger
• Positive Sentiment: UBS upgraded BP from Neutral to Buy and raised its price target to 700p, citing leadership change (new CEO Meg O’Neill) and an opportunity to improve returns — a credible bank upgrade that can attract investors and support upside momentum. Investment bank upgrades BP with 700p price target as new CEO takes helm
• Positive Sentiment: Industry commentary and roundup pieces (Zacks) continue to spotlight BP among energy stocks benefiting from geopolitics, capital discipline and tight supply — a supportive thematic backdrop for flow into majors. 4 Energy Stocks to Buy as Geopolitics Reshapes Global Markets
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets note BP is a “trending” stock and publish earnings-estimate pieces; useful for retail interest but not new fundamental catalysts. BP p.l.c. (BP) Is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-blog coverage (Zacks/others) highlights sector tailwinds for integrated majors — supportive context but not company-specific new data. The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Exxon Mobil, Chevron and BP
• Negative Sentiment: Kenyan courts have allowed a lawsuit against BP over alleged toxic waste from 1980s exploration to proceed — a legal development that creates reputational risk and potential material liabilities if damages are pursued or broader claims emerge. BP sued in Kenya over alleged toxic waste from 1980s oil exploration
• Negative Sentiment: A separate report frames the Kenyan case as alleging more than 500 deaths tied to toxic waste — if damages and punitive claims escalate, this could weigh on investor sentiment and valuation. BP sued over 500 deaths in Kenya

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.