ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Shares Sold by Vista Investment Partners LLC

Vista Investment Partners LLC lessened its position in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 75.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,884 shares of the energy producer’s stock after selling 11,753 shares during the period. Vista Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $385,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COP. Albion Financial Group UT increased its position in ConocoPhillips by 876.9% during the 4th quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 254 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in ConocoPhillips in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Truvestments Capital LLC purchased a new position in ConocoPhillips in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Global Wealth Strategies & Associates lifted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 80.5% during the fourth quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 343 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. 82.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COP has been the subject of several recent research reports. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Friday, January 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Piper Sandler cut their price target on ConocoPhillips from $135.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Susquehanna increased their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $144.00 to $148.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Raymond James boosted their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $148.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $134.00 to $132.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.89.

Insider Buying and Selling at ConocoPhillips

In related news, Director Arjun N. Murti purchased 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 purchase, the director now owns 21,500 shares of the company’s stock, 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 SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director R A. Walker acquired 10,400 shares of ConocoPhillips stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 17th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $97.80 per share, with a total value of $1,017,120.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 38,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,716,400. This represents a 37.68 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

ConocoPhillips Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:COP opened at $101.88 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $102.98 and its two-hundred day moving average is $107.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $117.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.11, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. ConocoPhillips has a 52 week low of $94.23 and a 52 week high of $135.18.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The energy producer reported $1.78 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $13.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.97 billion. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 19.53% and a net margin of 17.29%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.16 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that ConocoPhillips will post 7.65 earnings per share for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th were given a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.06%. This is an increase from ConocoPhillips’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is 37.10%.

ConocoPhillips 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.