Smead Capital Management Inc. Increases Stake in ConocoPhillips $COP

Smead Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 9.4% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 1,917,545 shares of the energy producer’s stock after acquiring an additional 164,060 shares during the period. ConocoPhillips makes up approximately 3.7% of Smead Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Smead Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $179,501,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 120,251,183 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $11,256,713,000 after purchasing an additional 408,304 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 18.2% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 45,645,397 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $4,318,239,000 after purchasing an additional 7,037,873 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 14,653,966 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $1,386,119,000 after purchasing an additional 260,091 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 20.6% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 12,994,674 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $1,228,886,000 after purchasing an additional 2,216,010 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Primecap Management Co. CA boosted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 31.3% in the 3rd quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 10,351,010 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $979,102,000 after purchasing an additional 2,467,555 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

ConocoPhillips Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE COP opened at $120.48 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. ConocoPhillips has a 12 month low of $84.28 and a 12 month high of $135.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $146.78 billion, a PE ratio of 20.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.14. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $123.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $107.45.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The energy producer reported $1.89 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.72 by $0.17. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 12.10% and a return on equity of 11.39%. The business had revenue of $15.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.09 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 9.92 earnings per share for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be issued a $0.84 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is 57.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other ConocoPhillips news, Director Timothy A. Leach sold 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.79, for a total value of $4,751,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 411,211 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,847,754.69. This represents a 8.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Ryan Michael Lance sold 506,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.26, for a total transaction of $64,495,368.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 6,835 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $869,822.10. This trade represents a 98.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 734,891 shares of company stock worth $93,345,692. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on COP shares. Zacks Research raised shares of ConocoPhillips from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Roth Mkm cut shares of ConocoPhillips from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $112.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Wolfe Research upped their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $138.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $128.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Capital One Financial lowered their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $156.00 to $154.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, ConocoPhillips has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $133.28.

ConocoPhillips News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ConocoPhillips and Glenfarne signed a 30-year natural gas supply agreement tied to Alaska LNG, a meaningful step that reduces project uncertainty and strengthens the case for long-term cash flow from the development. ConocoPhillips (COP) and Glenfarne’s Alaska LNG Sign 30-Year Natural Gas Supply Agreement
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target on ConocoPhillips to $153 from $149 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling continued Wall Street confidence in the company’s upside. Morgan Stanley adjusts ConocoPhillips price target to $153 from $149, maintains overweight rating
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs’ Conviction List inclusion and bullish commentary suggest COP is viewed as a resilient cash-flow name, with major projects potentially supporting results even if energy markets stay volatile. Why ConocoPhillips (COP) Is Still a Cash-Flow Bet Amid LNG Project Activity
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles frame ConocoPhillips as undervalued, including value-screen and Zacks coverage, which may support the stock but does not by itself change fundamentals. 5 Value Stocks Trading at Attractive Price-to-Sales Ratios
• Neutral Sentiment: ConocoPhillips is also being discussed for longer-term Lower 48 production growth, with higher 2026 spending aimed at boosting output, but this is more of a long-range operating update than an immediate stock catalyst. Can ConocoPhillips Sustain Long-Term Growth in the Lower 48?
• Negative Sentiment: There were no major negative company-specific headlines in the provided set; however, recent weakness in the shares suggests investors may still be cautious despite the positive LNG and analyst news.

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.