BP (NYSE:BP) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Scotiabank Analyst Says

BP (NYSE:BP) had its price objective hoisted by equities researchers at Scotiabank from $41.00 to $58.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “sector outperform” rating on the oil and gas exploration company’s stock. Scotiabank’s target price points to a potential upside of 25.20% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on BP. Melius Research downgraded shares of BP from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $31.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of BP from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of BP from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $49.40 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of BP from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating on shares of BP in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.39.

BP Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BP opened at $46.33 on Wednesday. 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 has a 1-year low of $27.20 and a 1-year high of $48.27. The company has a market capitalization of $121.33 billion, a P/E ratio of -4,628.07, a P/E/G ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.21. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $43.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $38.18.

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 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.03. BP had a net margin of 0.03% and a return on equity of 9.68%. The business had revenue of $47.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $42.19 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.44 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that BP will post 4.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BP

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BP. Sound Shore Management Inc. CT bought a new stake in BP in the fourth quarter worth $67,890,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund bought a new stake in BP in the fourth quarter worth $17,768,000. Sagefield Capital LP increased its position in BP by 125.2% in 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 purchasing an additional 274,381 shares during the last quarter. Milford Funds Ltd. bought a new stake in BP in the fourth quarter worth $8,335,000. Finally, Vestor Capital LLC increased its position in BP by 3,119.8% in the fourth quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 66,553 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $2,311,000 after purchasing an additional 64,486 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 11.01% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about BP

Here are the key news stories impacting BP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades lift tone — Scotiabank raised its BP price target from $41 to $58 and moved to “sector outperform,” and BNP Paribas recently upgraded BP to Outperform, signaling dealer optimism about integrated energy exposure to higher oil prices. Benzinga Upgrade Details
• Positive Sentiment: New upstream opportunity — Gabon expects to sign production‑sharing contracts with BP and Exxon within 4–6 months, which could expand BP’s African production footprint and long‑term reserves. Gabon Production-Sharing Contracts
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 earnings and catalysts — BP reports Q1 on April 28; consensus and previews point to strong refining margins and revenue upside, making the report a likely near‑term driver of volatility. Monitor EPS, refining/mkt margins, and guidance. Q1 Factors to Watch
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector momentum arguments — Several analyst pieces highlight integrated energy names (including BP) as potential outperformers if oil stays elevated; useful context but not an immediate company‑specific catalyst. Energy Stocks Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder revolt over climate strategy — Investors used the AGM to express frustration after BP watered down some net‑zero commitments; two special resolutions failed to achieve the required majorities, signaling governance and ESG concerns that could pressure institutional holders and sentiment. Telegraph: Investor Rebellion Reuters: AGM Vote Outcome
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholders rejected climate disclosure measures — Proposals on virtual‑only meetings and retiring two climate disclosure obligations received roughly 47% support, short of thresholds, underscoring investor unease on transparency and climate commitments. Quartz: Shareholder Votes
• Negative Sentiment: Operational risk — A lockout at BP’s 440k bpd Whiting, Indiana refinery has entered a second month as union talks stall, risking throughput disruption, higher costs, and shorter‑term margin impacts if prolonged. Reuters: Whiting Lockout

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.