American National Bank & Trust Increases Stock Holdings in ConocoPhillips $COP

American National Bank & Trust raised its position in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 37.1% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 19,080 shares of the energy producer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,159 shares during the quarter. American National Bank & Trust’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $2,594,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of COP. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 151.0% in the 1st quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 241 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Ballast Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Evergreen Advisors LLC bought a new position in ConocoPhillips in the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Allied Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in ConocoPhillips during the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. Institutional investors own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

ConocoPhillips Stock Performance

Shares of COP traded down $0.39 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $128.96. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,713,881 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,128,951. The company has a market cap of $154.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.04, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.39. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $128.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $121.88. ConocoPhillips has a 52-week low of $85.57 and a 52-week high of $141.62.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The energy producer reported $3.24 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $0.34. The company had revenue of $19.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.79 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 14.22% and a return on equity of 14.72%. ConocoPhillips’s revenue was up 32.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.42 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 10.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th were given a dividend of $0.84 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 17th. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is currently 44.44%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COP has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded ConocoPhillips from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Thursday, September 10th. They set a “hold” rating and a $148.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $147.00 to $151.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $144.00 to $138.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $130.00 price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Monday, June 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $143.29.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Andrew Lundquist sold 9,487 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.15, for a total value of $1,282,168.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 9,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,296,493.95. This trade represents a 49.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting ConocoPhillips

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ConocoPhillips signed a 20-year agreement to purchase 1 million metric tons of LNG annually from Venture Global beginning in 2030. The deal expands COP’s long-term gas exposure and could support future cash flow, contributing to an estimate that the shares may be undervalued. ConocoPhillips Could Be 11% Undervalued Following New 20 Year LNG Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Management is reportedly reviewing the sale of its Norway business and UK Teesside assets, potentially valued at approximately $7 billion. A transaction could simplify the portfolio, increase capital flexibility and provide funds for shareholder returns or higher-return investments. ConocoPhillips Reviews Norway Business and UK Teesside Asset Divestment
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho analyst Nitin Kumar reiterated a Buy rating and a $146 NAV-based price target, citing near-term earnings strength and longer-term LNG-driven cash-flow potential. Analyst Reiterates Buy on ConocoPhillips
• Neutral Sentiment: ConocoPhillips’ chairman said the long-term floor for oil prices could rise toward $70 per barrel. That would support producer cash flows, although the comment is an outlook rather than a new company-specific financial forecast. ConocoPhillips Chairman Sees Oil Price Floor Rising Toward $70
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent valuation articles compare COP with Cactus (WHD), while another compares COP’s performance with Calumet (CLMT) and the broader oil-and-energy group. These are relative-investment analyses and do not introduce a new operating catalyst. COP or WHD: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: The recent monthly share-price decline indicates near-term momentum has weakened after a strong year-to-date advance. In addition, potential asset sales remain under review, and management’s comments that Venezuela and Russia need greater stability and fair fiscal terms highlight geopolitical and investment uncertainties. ConocoPhillips Discusses Conditions for Investors to Return

ConocoPhillips Company Profile

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) is an independent exploration and production company engaged in finding, developing and producing crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and liquefied natural gas. Unlike integrated energy companies, ConocoPhillips focuses primarily on upstream activities rather than refining and retail fuel operations.

The company has a diversified portfolio of assets in major producing regions, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway and Qatar. Its U.S. operations include oil and gas developments in Alaska and the Lower 48 states, while its international portfolio includes conventional and offshore projects.