ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Rating Lowered to "Hold" at Freedom Capital

Key Points

• Freedom Capital downgraded ConocoPhillips from a "strong‑buy" to a "hold" in a research note, marking a notable analyst pullback on the stock.
• Despite that downgrade, analyst consensus remains a Moderate Buy with a $133.04 average target as several firms raised price targets (e.g., Citigroup to $150, Wolfe to $144), and COP beat Q1 estimates (EPS $1.89 vs. $1.72; revenue $15.76B vs. $15.62B).
• Near‑term pressure stems from management lowering 2026 guidance due to Qatar downtime and higher Surmont royalties, alongside significant insider selling (734,891 shares worth about $93.3M in the last three months).

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) was downgraded by Freedom Capital from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

COP has been the subject of a number of other reports. Wolfe Research lifted their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $138.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Barclays boosted their target price on ConocoPhillips from $128.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Susquehanna boosted their target price on ConocoPhillips from $149.00 to $152.00 in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on ConocoPhillips from $132.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $133.04.

ConocoPhillips Price Performance

Shares of COP stock opened at $114.85 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $122.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $105.12. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market cap of $139.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.50, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.14. ConocoPhillips has a 12 month low of $84.28 and a 12 month high of $135.87.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The energy producer reported $1.89 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.72 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $15.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.62 billion. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 11.39% and a net margin of 12.10%.The company's revenue was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.09 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 9.5 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at ConocoPhillips

In other ConocoPhillips news, SVP Andrew D. Lundquist sold 34,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.68, for a total value of $4,128,960.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 17,469 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,090,689.92. The trade was a 66.39% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Heather G. Hrap sold 2,654 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.68, for a total value of $317,630.72. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 5,663 shares in the company, valued at $677,747.84. The trade was a 31.91% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 734,891 shares of company stock worth $93,345,692. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ConocoPhillips

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of COP. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Institutional investors own 82.36% of the company's stock.

ConocoPhillips News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Norway approves ConocoPhillips’ development and operating plans for Greater Ekofisk, expected to increase gas deliveries to Europe and support medium‑term production and cash flow. ConocoPhillips gets Norway's nod to restart fields, boost Europe gas supply
• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital has issued a Buy on COP, adding institutional backing that can help underpin the stock during near‑term volatility. Conocophillips (COP) Receives a Buy from RBC Capital
• Positive Sentiment: ConocoPhillips beat Q1 EPS and revenue estimates, highlights include drilling efficiency, strong WTI realizations and announced cost savings — factors that support earnings and cash returns. ConocoPhillips After Q1 Earnings: Is the Oil Giant Still a Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst consensus sits around a “Moderate Buy,” signalling broad institutional confidence despite recent headwinds. ConocoPhillips Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy"
• Neutral Sentiment: Several analyst pieces and screening interest (Zacks trending/growth writeups) have put COP in focus; this drives volume and short‑term attention but doesn’t change fundamentals immediately. Here is What to Know Beyond Why ConocoPhillips (COP) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/geopolitical stories (analysis of Iran‑related oil spike scenarios) keep crude volatility on investors’ radars; these can swing sentiment but are uncertain. Trump Admits “I Expected Oil to Hit $200” Over Iran— Here's How Close Investors Came to Disaster
• Negative Sentiment: Management updated 2026 guidance to reflect Qatar downtime and higher Surmont royalties; lower near‑term production and guidance revisions are pressuring the stock and prompted today’s pullback. Earnings Beat And Qatar Downtime Guidance Might Change The Case For Investing In ConocoPhillips (COP)

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.

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