BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the twenty-two ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $38.2750.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on BP shares. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of BP in a research note on Friday, December 12th. HSBC upgraded shares of BP from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $35.10 to $45.30 in a research note on Friday. BNP Paribas Exane lowered shares of BP from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $38.50 price target on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Scotiabank set a $41.00 price objective on shares of BP in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Argus raised BP to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th.

BP News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting BP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BP agreed to sell its Gelsenkirchen refinery to Klesch Group and raised its cost‑reduction target by about $1bn, which should improve margins and free cash flow. BP divests Gelsenkirchen refinery, increases cost reduction goal
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. approval to advance a Gulf of Mexico project supports upstream production growth and long‑term reserves replacement. BP Granted Approval to Advance Gulf of Mexico Project
• Positive Sentiment: BP, alongside partners, is shipping record volumes of U.S. fuels to Australia to fill supply gaps — a near‑term boost to product margins and trading income. Exxon, BP, Vitol ship most US fuels to Australia
• Positive Sentiment: HSBC upgraded BP to “hold” and raised its price target, a modest vote of confidence from an analyst that may limit downside. HSBC upgrades BP from reduce to hold
• Neutral Sentiment: BP announced a move of its global HQ back to central London (Bankside), a corporate‑structure update with limited immediate financial impact but some relocation costs to consider. BP moves back to central London
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst writeups highlight BP as a long‑term value play based on cash flow and dividends; useful for buy‑and‑hold investors but not an immediate price mover. Why BP is a Top Value Stock for the Long‑Term
• Negative Sentiment: BP has locked out more than 800 union workers at the Whiting, Indiana refinery; ongoing pickets and a protracted labor dispute could disrupt refining throughput and raise costs. Locked out BP workers picket outside Indiana refinery
• Negative Sentiment: BP and peers face an anticompetitive conduct probe in Australia tied to fuel shipments — potential regulatory scrutiny and fines could weigh on sentiment. BP, Exxon Mobil units face anticompetitive conduct probe in Australia

BP Stock Down 2.4%

Shares of BP stock opened at $44.76 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The company has a market cap of $117.36 billion, a P/E ratio of -4,471.23, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.31. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $38.67 and its 200-day moving average price is $36.23. BP has a 52-week low of $25.22 and a 52-week high of $46.79.

BP (NYSE:BP) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. 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 company had revenue of $47.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $42.19 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.44 earnings per share. BP’s revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that BP will post 3.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BP Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $0.4992 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.5%. BP’s payout ratio is currently -19,800.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new position in BP in the 4th quarter worth about $205,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 508 shares in the last quarter. Sagefield Capital LP grew its position in shares of 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 valued at $17,141,000 after purchasing an additional 274,381 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC boosted its holdings in BP by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 18,304 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $636,000 after buying an additional 999 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Milford Funds Ltd. purchased a new stake in BP during the 4th quarter worth approximately $8,335,000. 11.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.