12,144 Shares in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Acquired by GAMMA Investing LLC

GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 12,144 shares of the energy producer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,359,000.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the third quarter worth $27,000. West Branch Capital LLC increased its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 87.8% in the fourth quarter. West Branch Capital LLC now owns 231 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group increased its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 63.1% in the third quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group now owns 287 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Spartan Planning & Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the third quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the third quarter worth $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at ConocoPhillips

In other news, CEO Ryan Michael Lance sold 607,000 shares of ConocoPhillips stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.91, for a total value of $76,427,370.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 6,780 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $853,669.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, VP Christopher P. Delk sold 8,505 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.06, for a total transaction of $953,070.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Ryan Michael Lance sold 607,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.91, for a total transaction of $76,427,370.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 6,780 shares in the company, valued at $853,669.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 700,775 shares of company stock valued at $87,615,169 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on COP. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $158.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $123.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 28th. Mizuho reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $139.00 price target (up from $132.00) on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Friday, March 22nd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $138.00 to $143.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $143.24.

ConocoPhillips Price Performance

Shares of COP traded up $0.50 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $129.83. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,773,534 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,397,009. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $120.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $117.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $152.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.33, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.29. ConocoPhillips has a fifty-two week low of $95.70 and a fifty-two week high of $135.18.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The energy producer reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.32. The company had revenue of $15.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.47 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 18.71% and a return on equity of 22.08%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.71 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that ConocoPhillips will post 9.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 19th were paid a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 15th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.40%. This is a boost from ConocoPhillips’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. ConocoPhillips’s payout ratio is currently 25.61%.

ConocoPhillips Company 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.