Plato Investment Management Ltd Takes $476,000 Position in Phillips 66 $PSX

Plato Investment Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 2,833 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $476,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MUFG Securities EMEA plc boosted its stake in Phillips 66 by 113.5% in the fourth quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc now owns 16,518 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,131,000 after acquiring an additional 8,783 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Phillips 66 by 478.4% in the 4th quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 63,290 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $8,167,000 after purchasing an additional 52,348 shares during the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp boosted its position in Phillips 66 by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 675,084 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $87,113,000 after purchasing an additional 10,585 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in Phillips 66 by 543.7% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 128,156 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $23,348,000 after purchasing an additional 108,248 shares during the period. Finally, National Pension Service grew its stake in Phillips 66 by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. National Pension Service now owns 614,059 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $79,238,000 after buying an additional 11,960 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Phillips 66

Here are the key news stories impacting Phillips 66 this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Western Gateway pipeline deal supports the rally. The reported transaction is expected to expand Phillips 66’s midstream footprint, potentially improving cash flow and giving its refining and marketing operations greater supply and distribution flexibility. Phillips 66 stock hits 52-week high as pipeline deal adds to rally Will Western Gateway Enhance PSX’s Midstream & Refining Cash Flow?
• Positive Sentiment: Record diesel prices could lift refining margins. Diesel strength is diverging from crude-oil trends, creating favorable economics for refiners such as Phillips 66 and potentially supporting near-term profits and cash generation. Diesel Prices Are Breaking Records
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity signals aggressive bullish positioning. Traders purchased 52,191 PSX call options, versus an average of 2,983, indicating elevated expectations for additional upside. Options flow can amplify momentum, although it is not a guarantee of future performance. Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Phillips 66 Call Options
• Neutral Sentiment: A fire at a major fuel depot on a key pipeline system could disrupt refined-product supplies. The resulting supply tightness may support diesel prices and refining margins, but potential logistics or operational disruptions create uncertainty for Phillips 66. Lightning Sparks Fire at Massive US Fuel Depot
• Negative Sentiment: An executive sold more than 52,000 Phillips 66 shares after exercising options, locking in substantial gains following the stock’s strong run. The sale may weigh modestly on sentiment, though it appears related to profit-taking rather than a disclosed change in business prospects. Executive Dumps Over 52,000 Shares of Iconic Energy Stock
• Negative Sentiment: A feedstock-agreement dispute with XCF Global could expose Phillips 66 to legal or commercial uncertainty, although the available report does not indicate a material financial impact on PSX. XCF Global dispute with Phillips 66

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on PSX. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Phillips 66 from $191.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Phillips 66 from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 26th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Phillips 66 in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Argus boosted their price objective on Phillips 66 from $185.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Phillips 66 from $188.00 to $202.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $206.56.

Phillips 66 Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PSX opened at $243.26 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $97.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.86, a PEG ratio of 0.17 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Phillips 66 has a 12 month low of $121.24 and a 12 month high of $243.60. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $195.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $177.62.

Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The oil and gas company reported $9.41 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.50 by $1.91. Phillips 66 had a return on equity of 19.93% and a net margin of 4.54%.The company had revenue of $52.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $43.60 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.38 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Phillips 66 will post 24.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Phillips 66 Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 18th will be given a dividend of $1.27 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 18th. This represents a $5.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Phillips 66’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.95%.

Phillips 66 declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Friday, July 31st that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the oil and gas company to purchase up to 11.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Phillips 66

In other Phillips 66 news, EVP Richard G. Harbison sold 52,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.76, for a total value of $11,657,896.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 39,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,747,673.44. This represents a 57.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Vanessa Allen Sutherland sold 3,523 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $211.05, for a total value of $743,529.15. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 27,537 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,811,683.85. This represents a 11.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 100,507 shares of company stock worth $21,770,810. Company insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

About Phillips 66

Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) is an independent energy manufacturing and logistics company engaged primarily in refining, midstream transportation, marketing and chemicals. The company processes crude oil into transportation fuels, lubricants and other petroleum products, operates pipeline and storage infrastructure, and participates in petrochemical production through strategic investments. Phillips 66 serves commercial, industrial and retail customers and positions its operations across the value chain of the downstream energy sector.

The company’s principal activities include refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and feedstocks for petrochemical production; operating midstream assets such as pipelines, terminals and fractionators that move and store crude oil and natural gas liquids; and marketing and distributing fuels and lubricants through wholesale and retail channels.