ConocoPhillips $COP Stock: Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Decreases Position

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lessened its position in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,741,051 shares of the energy producer’s stock after selling 53,650 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $343,043,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of COP. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in ConocoPhillips in the third quarter valued at $205,858,000. Aviance Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Aviance Capital Partners LLC now owns 28,779 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $3,602,000 after buying an additional 1,146 shares during the last quarter. Northern Financial Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter worth about $213,000. Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 19.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 82,989 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $10,386,000 after acquiring an additional 13,525 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Grandfield & Dodd LLC boosted its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Grandfield & Dodd LLC now owns 39,113 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $4,895,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. 82.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ConocoPhillips Price Performance

Shares of COP opened at $154.10 on Friday. ConocoPhillips has a 1-year low of $85.57 and a 1-year high of $154.28. The stock has a market cap of $185.13 billion, a PE ratio of 20.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.39. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $136.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $121.05.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The energy producer reported $3.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.34. The company had revenue of $19.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.79 billion. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 14.72% and a net margin of 14.22%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 32.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.42 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that ConocoPhillips will post 11.41 EPS for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th were issued a $0.84 dividend. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 17th. ConocoPhillips’s payout ratio is presently 44.44%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Andrew Lundquist sold 9,487 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.15, for a total value of $1,282,168.05. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 9,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,296,493.95. This represents a 49.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

ConocoPhillips News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher oil prices—Brent crude was reported near $104 per barrel—are improving the earnings outlook for ConocoPhillips and other exploration and production companies. Analysts also see favorable indicators for a potential third-quarter earnings beat. ConocoPhillips to Report Q3 Earnings: What’s in the Cards?
• Positive Sentiment: ConocoPhillips is being highlighted as a relatively low-beta energy stock that may appeal to investors seeking resilience during market volatility. Its upstream portfolio, growth prospects and investment program are supporting the constructive view. Stay Ahead of Market Uncertainty With BP, XOM, COP and E
• Neutral Sentiment: Several valuation-focused reports describe COP as a strong value stock and emphasize its powerful multiyear performance, while noting that investors must determine whether current earnings can justify the elevated share price. ConocoPhillips Stock Stays Hard To Call On Strong Q2 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Piper Sandler initiated coverage on ConocoPhillips, potentially increasing analyst attention, although the available report does not provide a rating or price target. Piper Sandler Initiates Coverage on ConocoPhillips
• Negative Sentiment: Technical analysts warn that COP may be overbought after its strong gains, with a relative-strength reading above 70. That raises the risk of profit-taking or a pullback if oil prices or earnings disappoint. Top 3 Energy Stocks You May Want To Dump In Q4
• Negative Sentiment: Reported job cuts in Alberta add a near-term reputational and operational concern, while comparisons with Chevron and EOG Resources highlight uncertainty over how well ConocoPhillips’ dividend would hold up during a major oil-price downturn. ConocoPhillips Cuts Alberta Jobs

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COP has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded ConocoPhillips from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Barclays decreased their target price on ConocoPhillips from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Zacks Research upgraded ConocoPhillips from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Susquehanna upped their price target on ConocoPhillips from $161.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 20th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $150.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, ConocoPhillips has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $145.00.

ConocoPhillips Profile

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) is an independent exploration and production company engaged in finding, developing and producing oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Unlike integrated energy companies, it primarily focuses on upstream activities rather than operating large refining or retail fuel businesses.

The company’s portfolio includes conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas assets, liquefied natural gas-related interests, oil sands operations and other energy resources.