BP p.l.c. (BP) – What Are Researchers Thinking About This Stock?

BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-seven ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have issued a hold recommendation, sixteen have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $48.44.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on BP shares. Citigroup began coverage on shares of BP in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of BP from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $48.00 to $57.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Freedom Capital raised BP from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Needham & Company LLC initiated coverage on shares of BP in a report on Thursday, October 1st. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Finally, HSBC upgraded shares of BP from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $46.00 to $51.30 in a research report on Friday, September 25th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BP

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in BP by 290.2% during the 2nd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,049,151 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $75,716,000 after buying an additional 1,524,048 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. boosted its stake in shares of BP by 48.8% during the 2nd quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 2,830,923 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $104,603,000 after buying an additional 928,617 shares during the last quarter. Kahn Brothers Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of BP during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $23,094,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in BP during the first quarter worth $28,136,000. Finally, Readystate Asset Management LP grew its holdings in BP by 322.4% during the second quarter. Readystate Asset Management LP now owns 619,670 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $22,897,000 after purchasing an additional 472,974 shares during the period. 11.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about BP

Here are the key news stories impacting BP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BP expects third-quarter net debt of $13.5 billion to $14.5 billion, down sharply from $22.3 billion at the end of the second quarter. The reduction means BP has reached its 2027 debt target early, aided by stronger oil prices, energy trading and refining results. BP Debt Shrinks With Boost From Oil and Gas Trading, Refining
• Positive Sentiment: BP forecast a significant increase in its third-quarter refining indicator margin, with reports describing a potential tripling from the prior quarter. Stronger refining profitability should support earnings and cash generation. BP expects net debt to fall sharply as refining margins strengthen
• Positive Sentiment: The company expects significantly higher third-quarter gas trading performance, adding another potential earnings catalyst alongside refining. BP expects significantly higher gas trading in third quarter
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also responding favorably to higher oil prices, BP’s improving momentum and its plans to use NVIDIA-powered artificial intelligence for geological analysis, drilling decisions and operating efficiency. 4 Oil & Gas Firms Betting on NVIDIA-Powered AI Technology
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity—27,036 calls purchased, 51% above the average daily volume—signals increased bullish speculation, but it does not guarantee future gains.
• Neutral Sentiment: BP plans to present an updated strategy in December, giving new CEO Meg O’Neill an opportunity to outline priorities for growth, capital allocation and the company’s energy transition. BP Plans Strategy Update as Balance Sheet Strengthens
• Negative Sentiment: BP expects up to $4.5 billion in third-quarter net impairment charges, primarily related to its gas and low-carbon businesses. These charges could offset part of the benefit from stronger refining and trading results, although they are generally noncash. BP Flags Up to $4.5 Billion in Impairments as Refining Margins Jump

BP Price Performance

Shares of BP opened at $48.50 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $127.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.52, a PEG ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. BP has a fifty-two week low of $32.72 and a fifty-two week high of $48.74. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $44.19 and its 200 day moving average price is $43.55.

BP (NYSE:BP) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The oil and gas exploration company reported $2.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.35. The firm had revenue of $69.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $57.89 billion. BP had a return on equity of 16.63% and a net margin of 2.49%. BP’s revenue was up 106.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.90 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that BP will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BP Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th were issued a $0.5196 dividend. This is a positive change from BP’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.4992. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.3%. BP’s payout ratio is currently 100.49%.

About BP

BP p.l.c. is a global integrated energy company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its operations span the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas, as well as the processing, refining, transportation and marketing of energy products.

Through its businesses, BP supplies fuels for road transportation, aviation and marine use, along with lubricants marketed under the Castrol brand. The company also operates retail fuel and convenience locations and provides energy products and services to commercial and industrial customers.

BP has expanded its activities beyond traditional hydrocarbons to include lower-carbon businesses such as renewable power, bioenergy, electric-vehicle charging and hydrogen.