ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Stock Bumped Down to Hold by Sanford C. Bernstein

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Zacks reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on COP. Freedom Broker downgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and upped their price target for the company from $122.00 to $138.00 in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of ConocoPhillips from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $170.00 price target on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Monday, November 2nd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of ConocoPhillips from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Mizuho set a $149.00 target price on ConocoPhillips in a report on Thursday, November 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $144.69.

ConocoPhillips Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of ConocoPhillips stock opened at $137.75 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $137.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of $122.68. ConocoPhillips has a fifty-two week low of $85.70 and a fifty-two week high of $154.28. The firm has a market cap of $162.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.16. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The energy producer reported $3.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.05 by $0.22. The firm had revenue of $19.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.59 billion. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 16.55%. ConocoPhillips's revenue was up 29.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.61 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 12.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other ConocoPhillips news, SVP Andrew Lundquist sold 9,487 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.15, for a total value of $1,282,168.05. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 9,593 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,296,493.95. This represents a 49.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ConocoPhillips

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Venture Visionary Partners LLC increased its position in ConocoPhillips by 263.6% during the third quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC now owns 118,655 shares of the energy producer's stock worth $14,850,000 after buying an additional 86,019 shares during the last quarter. Cooper Financial Group lifted its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 55.9% in the third quarter. Cooper Financial Group now owns 11,635 shares of the energy producer's stock worth $1,456,000 after buying an additional 4,172 shares during the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the 2nd quarter worth about $6,896,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 22.7% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 243,708 shares of the energy producer's stock worth $25,336,000 after acquiring an additional 45,088 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Qsemble Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the 2nd quarter worth about $3,645,000. 82.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ConocoPhillips News Summary

Investors following COP have been watching these news items:

• Positive Sentiment: ConocoPhillips raised its quarterly dividend by 10.7%, adding to shareholder returns. The increase is encouraging, though investors will weigh whether free cash flow can sustain the payout. Article: ConocoPhillips Just Raised Its Dividend 10.7%. Does Its Free Cash Flow Cover the 2.5% Yield?
• Positive Sentiment: Q3 2026 revenue and adjusted profit exceeded analyst expectations, with sales up 29.2% year over year. The results provide a solid near-term earnings backdrop. Article: COP Q3 2026 deep dive
• Negative Sentiment: Freedom Broker lowered its rating from “buy” to “hold.” Although it raised its price target to $138 from $122, that target implies little upside from the cited $137.75 share price, signaling limited near-term valuation potential. Article: Freedom Broker rating information

About ConocoPhillips

ConocoPhillips is an independent exploration and production company focused on finding, developing and producing oil and natural gas. Its products include crude oil, natural gas, liquefied natural gas and natural gas liquids. The company operates in several regions, including North America, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Asia-Pacific. Its activities span exploration, development and production, with a portfolio that includes both conventional and unconventional resources. ConocoPhillips was formed in 2002 through the merger of Conoco and Phillips Petroleum.

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