ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Hits New 52-Week High at $128.64

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $128.64 and last traded at $127.28, with a volume of 283769 shares. The stock had previously closed at $126.84.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Johnson Rice downgraded ConocoPhillips from an “accumulate” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 14th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $138.00 to $143.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Mizuho reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $139.00 price objective (up previously from $132.00) on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Friday, March 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $153.00 to $141.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 8th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $135.12.

ConocoPhillips Stock Up 0.4 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $149.86 billion, a PE ratio of 14.05, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $113.49 and a 200-day moving average price of $116.01.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The energy producer reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.32. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 18.71% and a return on equity of 22.08%. The company had revenue of $15.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.47 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.71 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 8.79 earnings per share for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 19th were issued a $0.78 dividend. This is a boost from ConocoPhillips’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 15th. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.45%. ConocoPhillips’s payout ratio is 25.61%.

Insider Activity

In other ConocoPhillips news, EVP Nicholas G. Olds sold 12,150 shares of ConocoPhillips stock in a transaction on Monday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.44, for a total transaction of $1,536,246.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,522 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,836,161.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, SVP Heather G. Hrap sold 4,548 shares of ConocoPhillips stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.55, for a total transaction of $502,781.40. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,654 shares in the company, valued at $293,399.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Nicholas G. Olds sold 12,150 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.44, for a total transaction of $1,536,246.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,522 shares in the company, valued at $1,836,161.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 700,775 shares of company stock valued at $87,615,169. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ConocoPhillips

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norris Perne & French LLP MI grew its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Norris Perne & French LLP MI now owns 4,364 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $523,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Sloy Dahl & Holst LLC boosted its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 3.3% in the third quarter. Sloy Dahl & Holst LLC now owns 2,629 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $315,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC grew its position in ConocoPhillips by 35.9% during the 3rd quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC now owns 333 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. CRA Financial Services LLC raised its stake in ConocoPhillips by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. CRA Financial Services LLC now owns 4,702 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $563,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KLCM Advisors Inc. boosted its position in ConocoPhillips by 2.8% in the third quarter. KLCM Advisors Inc. now owns 3,305 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $396,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. 82.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

ConocoPhillips Company Profile

ConocoPhillips explores for, produces, transports, and markets crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and natural gas liquids in the United States, Canada, China, Libya, Malaysia, Norway, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company's portfolio includes unconventional plays in North America; conventional assets in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia; global LNG developments; oil sands assets in Canada; and an inventory of global exploration prospects.