Chevron (NYSE:CVX) Hits New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $169.37 and last traded at $167.0720, with a volume of 12100785 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $163.87.

Key Headlines Impacting Chevron

Here are the key news stories impacting Chevron this week:

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. expected to grant Chevron an expanded Venezuela license that could allow increased production and access to larger reserves — a direct growth catalyst for CVX if clearance is finalized. Exclusive: Chevron expected to receive expanded Venezuela license from US this week, oil industry sources say
• Positive Sentiment: Financial press reports (FT/covered by Seeking Alpha/MSN) indicate Chevron is positioned to expand activity in Venezuela alongside service partners — corroborating the Reuters report and implying coordinated U.S. policy support for larger U.S. operator roles. SLB in talks with U.S. officials, Chevron to expand in Venezuela – FT
• Positive Sentiment: Prominent money manager Stephanie Link disclosed adding to her Chevron position on CNBC — a signal of institutional confidence and a potential positive for investor sentiment. Trade Tracker: Stephanie Link buys more Chevron
• Positive Sentiment: Recent oil-price strength (oil back above $60) is benefiting large integrated producers like Chevron through higher realized crude margins and refining tailwinds. Oil Is Surging Over $60 – Grab These Large Cap High-Yield Dividend Energy Giants Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector outlooks highlight energy (including oil and transition plays) as a top area to watch amid geopolitical shifts — supportive for CVX over the medium term but not an immediate company-specific driver. 2026 Market Outlook: 3 Top Sectors to Watch Amid Global Tensions
• Neutral Sentiment: CVX continues to appear on dividend/“value” and analyst watch lists, underscoring steady income appeal even as growth catalysts are debated. The Dogs of the Dow: 10 Downtrodden Dividends Paying Out Up to 6.8%
• Negative Sentiment: Reports on violent events and political turmoil in Venezuela highlight execution and security risks; any instability could delay projects, raise costs, or complicate repatriation of revenues. How Chevron played the long game for Venezuela’s oil reserves

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Freedom Capital lowered shares of Chevron from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Chevron from $183.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on Chevron from $170.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Chevron from $178.00 to $174.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Hsbc Global Res upgraded Chevron from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $168.14.

Chevron Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.15. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $152.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $153.82. The company has a market capitalization of $336.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.51, a P/E/G ratio of 10.20 and a beta of 0.70.

Chevron (NYSE:CVX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The oil and gas company reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $48.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $46.99 billion. Chevron had a return on equity of 8.74% and a net margin of 6.57%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.48 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Chevron Corporation will post 10.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chevron Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 18th were given a dividend of $1.71 per share. This represents a $6.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 18th. Chevron’s dividend payout ratio is presently 96.20%.

Insider Transactions at Chevron

In other Chevron news, CFO Eimear P. Bonner sold 28,334 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.05, for a total value of $4,676,526.70. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 4,366 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $720,608.30. This trade represents a 86.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Michael K. Wirth sold 320,700 shares of Chevron stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.99, for a total transaction of $52,270,893.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 14,450 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,355,205.50. This represents a 95.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 631,990 shares of company stock valued at $99,716,808 in the last 90 days. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chevron

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Chevron by 17.9% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 183,790,028 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $28,540,753,000 after purchasing an additional 27,961,463 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in Chevron by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 152,605,988 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $23,698,184,000 after buying an additional 12,789,399 shares during the last quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc raised its position in Chevron by 2.9% in the 2nd quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc now owns 122,064,792 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $17,478,458,000 after buying an additional 3,454,258 shares during the last quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC lifted its stake in Chevron by 652,139.5% during the 2nd quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC now owns 83,714,936 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $13,214,757,000 after acquiring an additional 83,702,101 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Chevron by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 34,772,753 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $4,979,255,000 after acquiring an additional 1,342,723 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.42% of the company’s stock.

About Chevron

Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is an American multinational energy company engaged in virtually all aspects of the oil and gas industry. As an integrated energy firm, Chevron’s core activities include upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production, midstream transportation and storage, downstream refining and marketing of fuels and lubricants, and petrochemical manufacturing through joint ventures and subsidiaries. The company markets fuels under brands such as Chevron, Texaco and Caltex and supplies a range of products and services to retail customers, industrial users and commercial fleets worldwide.

Chevron traces its corporate lineage to the early petroleum companies that eventually became Standard Oil of California and has evolved through significant mergers and restructurings, including the acquisitions of Gulf Oil and Texaco.