BP (NYSE:BP) Shares Gap Down – Here’s Why

Shares of BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) gapped down prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $39.22, but opened at $37.01. BP shares last traded at $36.5230, with a volume of 6,282,040 shares traded.

Key BP News

Here are the key news stories impacting BP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 operating beat — BP reported $0.60 EPS (vs. $0.58 consensus) and revenue of $47.38bn, topping expectations; underlying replacement-cost profit remained positive, supporting near-term cash generation. BP Earnings & Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Underlying profit roughly in line — BP’s adjusted underlying profit (~$1.54bn) was broadly in line with analysts’ expectations, tempering alarm from the headline accounting loss. Reuters: Q4 profits in line
• Neutral Sentiment: Asset-sale activity could free cash — Reports say BP is in talks to sell its Gelsenkirchen refinery, which could help raise cash and improve leverage if executed. Reuters: Gelsenkirchen refinery interest
• Negative Sentiment: Buyback suspended — BP said it will pause share buybacks and redirect “excess cash” to reduce debt and strengthen the balance sheet, removing a significant source of shareholder support and triggering a negative market reaction. MSN: BP suspends buyback
• Negative Sentiment: Large Q4 accounting hit — BP reported a $3.4bn headline loss for Q4 driven by inventory holding losses and ~ $4bn of post‑tax impairments tied to transition-related assets, increasing near-term volatility and raising questions over asset valuations. Proactive: Q4 loss and impairments
• Negative Sentiment: Sector and leadership context — Weaker oil prices and peer weakness are pressuring margins; commentary notes the buyback pause comes ahead of a new CEO arrival, adding near-term strategic uncertainty. Barron’s: Buybacks suspended & CEO context

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on BP. Santander raised BP to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of BP in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Bank of America cut shares of BP from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of BP in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $51.00 target price on shares of BP in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, BP currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $40.41.

BP Stock Performance

The business’s 50-day moving average is $35.77 and its 200 day moving average is $35.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.19. The company has a market cap of $96.14 billion, a PE ratio of 63.65, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.33.

BP (NYSE:BP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $47.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $42.19 billion. BP had a return on equity of 9.07% and a net margin of 0.79%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.44 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that BP p.l.c. will post 3.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BP. Strategic Advocates LLC purchased a new stake in BP during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of BP in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in BP during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. YANKCOM Partnership raised its position in BP by 1,068.3% during the 4th quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 958 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 876 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of BP in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $43,000. 11.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About BP

BP plc is a British multinational integrated energy company headquartered in London. Originating in the early 20th century as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, BP has grown into one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, operating across exploration and production, refining and marketing, trading, and a range of low-carbon businesses.

The company’s core activities include upstream exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, midstream and trading operations, and downstream refining, marketing and supply of fuels, lubricants and petrochemicals.