Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Purchases 6,755 Shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 1.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 357,411 shares of the energy producer’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,755 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $41,485,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. West Branch Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 87.8% in the fourth quarter. West Branch Capital LLC now owns 231 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group increased its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 63.1% in the third quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group now owns 287 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the period. Spartan Planning & Wealth Management bought a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, Milestone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter valued at $46,000. 82.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ConocoPhillips Stock Down 0.0 %

COP stock traded down $0.02 during trading on Friday, hitting $122.23. 5,020,657 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,434,834. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.29. The stock has a market cap of $143.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.25. ConocoPhillips has a 1 year low of $95.81 and a 1 year high of $135.18. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $123.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $117.75.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The energy producer reported $2.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.32. The company had revenue of $15.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.47 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 18.40% and a return on equity of 20.85%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.71 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that ConocoPhillips will post 9.11 EPS for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, May 13th will be given a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 10th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.55%. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.27%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Barclays started coverage on ConocoPhillips in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $158.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $149.00 to $151.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Mizuho reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $139.00 target price (up from $132.00) on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Friday, March 22nd. Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $133.00 to $154.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $123.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 28th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $142.76.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Ryan Michael Lance sold 607,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.91, for a total transaction of $76,427,370.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 6,780 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $853,669.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, SVP Heather G. Hrap sold 4,548 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.55, for a total value of $502,781.40. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,654 shares in the company, valued at approximately $293,399.70. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Ryan Michael Lance sold 607,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.91, for a total transaction of $76,427,370.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 6,780 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $853,669.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 700,775 shares of company stock worth $87,615,169. 0.34% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About ConocoPhillips

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.