ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Mizuho Analyst Says

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Free Report) had its price target upped by Mizuho from $129.00 to $132.00 in a research report report published on Friday, Benzinga reports. Mizuho currently has a neutral rating on the energy producer's stock.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on COP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "neutral" rating and set a $126.00 price target (down from $139.00) on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Friday, October 11th. UBS Group cut their target price on ConocoPhillips from $153.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research note on Friday, September 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $147.00 to $132.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $137.47.

ConocoPhillips Stock Performance

NYSE COP traded down $1.70 on Friday, hitting $107.84. The stock had a trading volume of 7,416,939 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,908,149. The company's 50-day moving average is $107.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.02. The stock has a market cap of $125.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.02, a P/E/G ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. ConocoPhillips has a one year low of $101.29 and a one year high of $135.18.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The energy producer reported $1.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.10. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 20.81% and a net margin of 18.18%. The firm had revenue of $13.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.97 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.16 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 7.76 earnings per share for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. This is an increase from ConocoPhillips's previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.89%. ConocoPhillips's payout ratio is currently 25.86%.

Insider Activity at ConocoPhillips

In other ConocoPhillips news, Director Timothy A. Leach sold 55,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.11, for a total transaction of $6,000,105.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 455,909 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,288,321.99. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ConocoPhillips

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Values First Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Stephens Consulting LLC increased its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 69.3% during the 2nd quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 254 shares of the energy producer's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 150.0% in the 1st quarter. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. now owns 250 shares of the energy producer's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Y.D. More Investments Ltd bought a new stake in ConocoPhillips in the second quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.36% of the company's stock.

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.