Gradient Investments LLC Buys 23,254 Shares of ConocoPhillips $COP

Gradient Investments LLC lifted its position in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 9.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 274,534 shares of the energy producer’s stock after acquiring an additional 23,254 shares during the quarter. Gradient Investments LLC’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $25,699,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tema Etfs LLC purchased a new stake in ConocoPhillips in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,804,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 14.7% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,331,176 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $220,506,000 after buying an additional 298,245 shares during the last quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 8.7% in the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 1,996,426 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $188,842,000 after buying an additional 160,410 shares during the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 12.1% in the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 140,829 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $13,321,000 after acquiring an additional 15,202 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Chilton Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 3.2% in the third quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 389,995 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $36,890,000 after acquiring an additional 11,958 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on ConocoPhillips from $132.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $117.00 to $108.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Susquehanna lifted their target price on ConocoPhillips from $115.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Roth Mkm downgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $112.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $120.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $120.38.

Key Headlines Impacting ConocoPhillips

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ConocoPhillips was a bidder in a record Alaska National Petroleum Reserve lease sale that drew roughly $163 million in high bids, signaling renewed upstream access and long‑term resource optionality for COP in the Arctic. Record Arctic Alaska auction lures ExxonMobil, Shell, Repsol and ConocoPhillips
• Positive Sentiment: Geopolitical flare-ups (missile attacks affecting LNG facilities) have pushed crude and energy prices higher, which should boost ConocoPhillips’ revenue and cash flow in the near term given its oil exposure. Oil Prices Surge After Attacks on Energy Assets in Qatar; Energy Stocks Higher in Premarket Trading
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target on COP to $136, reflecting bullish analyst sentiment that can support investor confidence and buying interest. Mizuho Raises ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Price Target to $136.00
• Neutral Sentiment: ConocoPhillips scheduled its first‑quarter earnings conference call for April 30; investors will watch the call for updated production, capex guidance and margin commentary that could move the stock. ConocoPhillips to hold first-quarter earnings conference call on Thursday, April 30
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and press note U.S. oil producers could see a near‑term windfall from higher crude (an estimate cited ~$63B), but they also warn prolonged geopolitical conflict could harm demand and operations—an ambiguous signal for investors. U.S. oil producers could get $63 billion boost from high crude prices
• Negative Sentiment: An executive stock sale: a ConocoPhillips SVP sold about $4.13 million of COP shares, which investors sometimes view as a near‑term negative signal on insider sentiment even if sales are for diversification or other reasons. ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) SVP Sells $4,128,960.00 in Stock

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Timothy A. Leach sold 40,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.79, for a total value of $4,751,600.00. Following the sale, the director owned 411,211 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $48,847,754.69. The trade was a 8.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Andrew D. Lundquist sold 34,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.68, for a total transaction of $4,128,960.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 17,469 shares in the company, valued at $2,090,689.92. The trade was a 66.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 100,176 shares of company stock valued at $11,934,877. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

ConocoPhillips Price Performance

Shares of NYSE COP opened at $126.78 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $109.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $97.85. ConocoPhillips has a 1-year low of $79.88 and a 1-year high of $128.13. The firm has a market cap of $156.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 0.27.

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

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th were issued a dividend of $0.84 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 18th. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is 53.00%.

ConocoPhillips 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.