ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Stock Rated “Neutral” in New Coverage at Piper Sandler

Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) in a research note released on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat reports. The firm issued a neutral rating and a $157.00 price objective on the energy producer’s stock.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Freedom Capital raised ConocoPhillips from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $168.00 price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $130.00 to $136.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Mizuho cut their target price on ConocoPhillips from $150.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised ConocoPhillips from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $145.00.

ConocoPhillips Stock Up 0.7%

ConocoPhillips stock opened at $150.04 on Tuesday. ConocoPhillips has a fifty-two week low of $85.57 and a fifty-two week high of $152.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.54. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $135.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $120.76. The company has a market capitalization of $180.25 billion, a PE ratio of 19.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.24.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 14.22% and a return on equity of 14.72%. The business had revenue of $19.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.79 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.42 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 32.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Andrew Lundquist sold 9,487 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.15, for a total transaction of $1,282,168.05. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 9,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,296,493.95. This represents a 49.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of ConocoPhillips

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Venture Visionary Partners LLC increased its position in ConocoPhillips by 263.6% during the 3rd quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC now owns 118,655 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $14,850,000 after purchasing an additional 86,019 shares during the period. Cooper Financial Group lifted its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 55.9% in the 3rd quarter. Cooper Financial Group now owns 11,635 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $1,456,000 after purchasing an additional 4,172 shares during the period. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,896,000. Qsemble Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips during the second quarter valued at approximately $3,645,000. Finally, Cetera Trust Company N.A bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips during the second quarter valued at approximately $870,000. 82.36% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ConocoPhillips News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher oil prices are supporting the outlook for ConocoPhillips. Brent crude is near $104 per barrel, and analysts expect strong year-over-year growth in third-quarter revenue and profit, with several indicators pointing to a potential earnings beat. ConocoPhillips to Report Q3 Earnings: What’s in the Cards?
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s strong second-quarter performance—earnings of $3.24 per share versus a $2.90 consensus estimate and revenue of $19.52 billion versus an $18.79 billion forecast—continues to support investor confidence in its upstream operations. ConocoPhillips Stock Stays Hard To Call On Strong Q2 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: COP recently reclaimed its 50-day moving average, a technical signal that suggests improving short-term momentum. The stock has also substantially outperformed over the past five years. ConocoPhillips Just Reclaimed the 50-Day Moving Average
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and valuation screens remain constructive, describing ConocoPhillips as a value stock with expected earnings growth. Piper Sandler has initiated coverage, while the reported average price target of $145 is below the current trading level, suggesting limited near-term upside from consensus targets. Piper Sandler Initiates Coverage on ConocoPhillips
• Negative Sentiment: Momentum indicators warn that COP, along with other major energy stocks, is overbought after its recent rally, raising the risk of profit-taking or a pullback. Top 3 Energy Stocks You May Want To Dump In Q4
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are questioning whether COP’s valuation and multiyear share-price gains are fully supported by sustainable earnings. Comparisons with Chevron and EOG Resources also highlight concerns about how ConocoPhillips’ dividend could perform if oil prices weaken. ConocoPhillips vs. EOG Resources
• Negative Sentiment: Reported job cuts in Alberta signal potential cost pressures and a softer operating environment in parts of the Canadian oil patch. Separately, rising interest rates could weigh on risk assets and compress valuations for cyclical energy producers.

About ConocoPhillips

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.