ConocoPhillips Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:COP)

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) was the target of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Stock investors bought 257,631 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 1,152% compared to the typical volume of 20,581 call options.

Insider Activity at ConocoPhillips

In related news, CEO Ryan Michael Lance sold 500,708 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.50, for a total transaction of $46,315,490.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 325,972 shares in the company, valued at $30,152,410. This trade represents a 60.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the second quarter worth $25,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its position in ConocoPhillips by 136.8% during the second quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 315 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. 82.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ConocoPhillips Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of ConocoPhillips stock opened at $110.55 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $136.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.44 and a beta of 0.32. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $99.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $94.53. ConocoPhillips has a 1 year low of $79.88 and a 1 year high of $112.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.14.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The energy producer reported $1.02 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.23 by ($0.21). ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 11.90% and a net margin of 12.98%.The business had revenue of $13.86 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.98 earnings per share. ConocoPhillips’s revenue was down 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 8.16 EPS for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 18th will be given a dividend of $0.84 per share. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 18th. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is currently 53.00%.

More ConocoPhillips News

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Energy-sector strength and investor interest in large-cap oil names are supporting COP; analysts and market commentary note the sector is the top YTD performer, which bodes well for ConocoPhillips relative performance. Chevron vs ConocoPhillips
• Positive Sentiment: Management says the recent Alaska rig collapse will not affect ConocoPhillips’ Alaska drilling plans, removing a near-term operational overhang and reducing an execution risk that could have damped production outlook. ConocoPhillips sees no effect on Alaska drilling plans after rig collapse
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity — traders bought roughly 257,631 call contracts (a >1,100% jump vs. average) — signals short-term bullish positioning/hedging that can amplify upside into option expiries. (Market data item)
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed institutional moves and analyst targets create a two-way dynamic: while some funds trimmed positions heavily in recent quarters, the median analyst target sits near the stock’s recent highs, leaving valuation and upside expectations balanced. ConocoPhillips (COP) Stock Falls on Q4 2025 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: A Roth Capital downgrade reduces near-term analyst support and may prompt some passive or model-driven selling; the note lowers conviction amid concerns about oil-price direction. Roth Capital downgrades ConocoPhillips (COP)
• Negative Sentiment: Another downgrade theme: analysts flag that oil prices may be near a short-term peak, which reduces revenue/earnings visibility and supports lower near-term estimates for COP. ConocoPhillips downgraded as oil prices may be near a short-term peak
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 2025 results showed declines in revenue, profit and EPS year-over-year; weaker operating metrics and a sizable CEO share sale noted in filings increase near-term caution among fundamental investors. ConocoPhillips (COP) Stock Falls on Q4 2025 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary notes ConocoPhillips is relatively richly valued among oil peers, which makes it more sensitive to oil-price weakness and could magnify downside if commodity momentum reverses. Why ConocoPhillips Stock Dropped on Tuesday

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Roth Mkm lowered shares of ConocoPhillips from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $112.00 price target for the company. in a report on Tuesday. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on ConocoPhillips from $116.00 to $98.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Capital One Financial increased their price target on ConocoPhillips from $111.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $108.00 to $111.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $102.00 price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Friday, January 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $115.54.

ConocoPhillips Company Profile

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is a Houston-based international energy company focused on exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Formed in 2002 through the merger of Conoco Inc and Phillips Petroleum Company, the firm operates as an independent upstream company that explores for, develops and produces crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids across a portfolio of global assets.

The company’s activities span conventional and unconventional resources and include onshore and offshore operations in multiple regions around the world.