ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The energy producer reported $1.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.20, Zacks reports. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 17.26% and a net margin of 16.23%.

ConocoPhillips Price Performance

Shares of COP traded up $1.03 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $99.39. 10,337,350 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,286,713. The company has a market cap of $114.39 billion, a PE ratio of 12.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.18. ConocoPhillips has a 52-week low of $94.23 and a 52-week high of $135.18. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $101.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $106.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.29.

ConocoPhillips Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.14%. ConocoPhillips's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.05%.

Insider Transactions at ConocoPhillips

In related news, Director Arjun N. Murti bought 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 20th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $95.87 per share, with a total value of $239,675.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 21,500 shares in the company, valued at $2,061,205. This trade represents a 13.16 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director R A. Walker bought 10,400 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 17th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $97.80 per share, for a total transaction of $1,017,120.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 38,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,716,400. The trade was a 37.68 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COP has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. TD Cowen initiated coverage on ConocoPhillips in a research report on Friday, January 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. Raymond James cut ConocoPhillips from a "strong-buy" rating to an "outperform" rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $157.00 to $124.00 in a research report on Monday. Mizuho raised ConocoPhillips from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $132.00 to $134.00 in a research report on Monday, December 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised ConocoPhillips from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $120.00 to $123.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on ConocoPhillips from $137.00 to $135.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $133.72.

About ConocoPhillips

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.