Founders Financial Securities LLC Invests $1.18 Million in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)

Founders Financial Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 9,302 shares of the energy producer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,184,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COP. Cardinal Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the fourth quarter worth approximately $13,468,000. Columbia Trust Co 01012016 boosted its position in ConocoPhillips by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Columbia Trust Co 01012016 now owns 9,463 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $1,098,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates boosted its position in ConocoPhillips by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 1,563,044 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $181,422,000 after acquiring an additional 23,572 shares during the period. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in ConocoPhillips by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 9,697 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $1,234,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the period. Finally, Quotient Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the 4th quarter valued at about $5,594,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

ConocoPhillips Stock Performance

COP traded up $0.41 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $114.38. 7,191,846 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,011,207. The stock has a market capitalization of $133.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $118.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $117.58. ConocoPhillips has a 52-week low of $99.35 and a 52-week high of $135.18.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The energy producer reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.04. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 18.40% and a return on equity of 20.85%. The business had revenue of $14.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.72 billion. On average, sell-side analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 8.89 EPS for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 13th were paid a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 10th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.73%. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on COP shares. StockNews.com upgraded ConocoPhillips from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Raymond James restated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $159.00 price objective (up from $155.00) on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Argus upgraded ConocoPhillips to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 7th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $142.00 to $132.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $149.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, ConocoPhillips has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $144.18.

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.