Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. Purchases 1,011 Shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)

Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its position in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 4.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,601 shares of the energy producer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,011 shares during the quarter. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $2,341,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Albion Financial Group UT increased its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 876.9% during the fourth quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 254 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips during the third quarter valued at $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips during the third quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Marshall Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips during the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on COP shares. Truist Financial raised their target price on ConocoPhillips from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on ConocoPhillips from $132.00 to $128.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 10th. TD Cowen started coverage on ConocoPhillips in a research report on Friday, January 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Raymond James cut ConocoPhillips from a “strong-buy” rating to an “outperform” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $157.00 to $124.00 in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $137.00 to $135.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, ConocoPhillips currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $133.05.

ConocoPhillips Stock Performance

NYSE:COP opened at $101.33 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 1.14. ConocoPhillips has a 1 year low of $86.81 and a 1 year high of $135.18. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $99.19 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $103.54. The company has a market cap of $128.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.01, a PEG ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.12.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The energy producer reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.20. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 17.26% and a net margin of 16.23%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that ConocoPhillips will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th were paid a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.08%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. ConocoPhillips’s payout ratio is 40.05%.

Insider Activity

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. Corporate insiders own 0.34% 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.