ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Short Interest Update

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 14,080,000 shares, an increase of 9.3% from the March 31st total of 12,880,000 shares. Currently, 1.2% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 5,370,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.6 days.

ConocoPhillips Price Performance

ConocoPhillips stock opened at $124.36 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $123.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $117.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $146.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.73, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. ConocoPhillips has a 52-week low of $95.70 and a 52-week high of $135.18.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The energy producer reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.47 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.71 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that ConocoPhillips will post 9.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 19th were given a dividend of $0.78 per share. This is a boost from ConocoPhillips’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.51%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 15th. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 25.61%.

Insider Activity at ConocoPhillips

In other ConocoPhillips news, VP Christopher P. Delk sold 8,505 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.06, for a total transaction of $953,070.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other ConocoPhillips news, VP Christopher P. Delk sold 8,505 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.06, for a total transaction of $953,070.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Nicholas G. Olds sold 12,150 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.44, for a total value 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 approximately $1,836,161.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 700,775 shares of company stock worth $87,615,169 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of ConocoPhillips

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in ConocoPhillips in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. West Branch Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 87.8% in the 4th quarter. West Branch Capital LLC now owns 231 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. Sachetta LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Cooksen Wealth LLC acquired a new position in ConocoPhillips during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Cape Investment Advisory Inc. grew its position in ConocoPhillips by 96.0% in the 4th quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 247 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th. Barclays started coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $158.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on ConocoPhillips from $141.00 to $149.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Truist Financial reduced their price target on ConocoPhillips from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $138.00 to $143.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, ConocoPhillips has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $142.65.

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.