Citigroup Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Stock

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) had its price target hoisted by analysts at Citigroup from $135.00 to $150.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the energy producer’s stock. Citigroup’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 15.06% from the stock’s current price.

COP has been the topic of a number of other research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on ConocoPhillips from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on ConocoPhillips from $132.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded ConocoPhillips from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Capital One Financial lifted their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $116.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, ConocoPhillips presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $124.36.

ConocoPhillips Price Performance

COP opened at $130.37 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $158.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.56, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a 50-day moving average of $115.93 and a 200-day moving average of $100.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.30. ConocoPhillips has a 1-year low of $79.88 and a 1-year high of $135.87.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The energy producer reported $1.02 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.23 by ($0.21). The company had revenue of $13.86 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.35 billion. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 11.90% and a net margin of 12.98%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.98 EPS. Equities analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 8.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other ConocoPhillips news, SVP Andrew D. Lundquist sold 34,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.68, for a total value of $4,128,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 17,469 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,090,689.92. This represents a 66.39% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Heather G. Hrap sold 2,654 shares of ConocoPhillips stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.68, for a total transaction of $317,630.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 5,663 shares in the company, valued at approximately $677,747.84. This trade represents a 31.91% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 734,891 shares of company stock worth $93,345,692. 0.24% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ConocoPhillips

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of COP. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 120,251,183 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $11,256,713,000 after acquiring an additional 408,304 shares during the period. Capital International Investors boosted its stake in ConocoPhillips by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 48,360,060 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $4,527,230,000 after purchasing an additional 2,714,663 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in ConocoPhillips by 6.0% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 41,450,162 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $3,880,151,000 after purchasing an additional 2,350,645 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in ConocoPhillips by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 15,038,675 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $1,407,770,000 after purchasing an additional 648,432 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in ConocoPhillips by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 14,847,367 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $1,389,862,000 after purchasing an additional 193,401 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

More ConocoPhillips News

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on COP to $150 and kept a Buy rating, backing a meaningful upside case versus recent levels and providing institutional support. Citigroup Raises Target
• Positive Sentiment: Some brokerages/upgrades (Zacks/others) and a positive forecast note have improved headline analyst sentiment, which can support flows and valuation expectations. Analyst Forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro and sector coverage pieces (e.g., takeaways that oil stocks may be “tapped out”) are driving headlines and trading volatility but do not change COP’s fundamentals immediately. Barron’s Sector Note
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Ryan Lance sold 113,221 shares (~$15M) at ~ $132.71 on Mar 31, a sizable insider sale that can be perceived negatively by investors watching insider signals even if done for personal reasons. CEO Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst rotation toward Diamondback Energy and its recognition on “top oil picks” lists highlights investor preference for shale growth/production discipline, which can divert investor dollars away from larger diversified producers like COP. Diamondback vs COP
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term oil-market moves (recent unwind of a geopolitical premium) trimmed the sector and pressured oil-weighted names, a macro headwind for COP until crude stabilizes. Market Effects

ConocoPhillips Company Profile

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is a Houston-based international energy company focused on exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Formed in 2002 through the merger of Conoco Inc and Phillips Petroleum Company, the firm operates as an independent upstream company that explores for, develops and produces crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids across a portfolio of global assets.

The company’s activities span conventional and unconventional resources and include onshore and offshore operations in multiple regions around the world.