ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Moderate Buy consensus: 27 analysts rate ConocoPhillips a "Moderate Buy" (16 buys, 1 strong buy, 9 holds, 1 sell) with an average 12‑month target of $127.08.
• Positive catalysts include expansion of its LNG footprint (Qatar and Port Arthur) and upgraded price targets from brokers like Citigroup ($150) and Mizuho ($136), supporting long‑term cash‑flow and buyback/dividend potential.
• Near‑term risks: the company recently missed quarterly estimates (Q4 EPS $1.02 vs. $1.23), analysts expect a double‑digit profit decline next quarter, and substantial insider selling (about 734,891 shares worth ~$93M over three months) may weigh on sentiment.

Shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-seven analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have given a hold recommendation, sixteen have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $127.08.

COP has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup increased their target price on ConocoPhillips from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $121.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $132.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $115.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Roth Mkm downgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $112.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th.

Key Headlines Impacting ConocoPhillips

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Expanding LNG footprint — COP is advancing major LNG-linked projects (Qatar and Port Arthur) and securing long‑term offtake contracts, positioning the company to benefit from structurally higher global LNG demand and cleaner‑fuel trends. Is ConocoPhillips Positioned to Capitalize on Rising LNG Demand?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness and momentum thesis — BMO and Zacks-style coverage highlight COP as a top momentum / long‑term idea, citing strong cash flows, buyback/dividend capacity and favorable portfolio mix. These narratives support upside sentiment among institutional investors. BMO Capital Markets Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for ConocoPhillips Why ConocoPhillips (COP) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Exploratory work in Venezuela — COP has sent an evaluation team to Venezuela to assess oil & gas opportunities. This could open reserves exposure but carries execution and geopolitical/regulatory uncertainty that makes near‑term impact unclear. ConocoPhillips visits Venezuela to evaluate oil opportunities
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/sector tone — broader energy ETFs and stocks were leaning lower in premarket action, which can pressure COP despite company‑specific catalysts. Sector Update: Energy Stocks Lean Lower Premarket Friday
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term earnings concern — coverage ahead of the next report flags an expected double‑digit profit decline for the quarter and some analysts highlight recent quarterly misses and revenue softness, creating downside risk to sentiment if results disappoint. ConocoPhillips goes to Venezuela to evaluate oil opportunities Here's What to Expect From ConocoPhillips's Next Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Recent price volatility and profit‑taking — after strong 1‑year gains, some investors appear to be trimming positions amid short‑term market weakness and mixed headlines, contributing to share‑price pressure. Is It Too Late To Consider ConocoPhillips (COP) After 41.5% One-Year Gain?

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Kelly Brunetti Rose sold 7,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.03, for a total value of $1,001,231.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 25,284 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,287,678.52. This represents a 23.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Nicholas G. Olds sold 6,994 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.06, for a total value of $888,657.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,395 shares in the company, valued at $685,488.70. This represents a 56.45% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 734,891 shares of company stock worth $93,345,692. Company insiders own 0.24% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ConocoPhillips

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of COP. AXA S.A. increased its stake in ConocoPhillips by 91.1% in the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 84,937 shares of the energy producer's stock valued at $7,622,000 after buying an additional 40,499 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 6.1% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 784,368 shares of the energy producer's stock worth $70,397,000 after buying an additional 44,852 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. grew its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 0.9% in the second quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 12,154 shares of the energy producer's stock valued at $1,091,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 2.2% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 2,238,137 shares of the energy producer's stock valued at $200,850,000 after acquiring an additional 47,976 shares during the last quarter. 82.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ConocoPhillips Stock Down 0.8%

COP stock opened at $122.42 on Friday. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $118.47 and its 200 day simple moving average is $101.56. The company has a market cap of $149.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.30. ConocoPhillips has a fifty-two week low of $82.46 and a fifty-two week high of $135.87.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The energy producer reported $1.02 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.23 by ($0.21). The firm had revenue of $13.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.35 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 12.98% and a return on equity of 11.90%. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.98 EPS. The company's revenue was down 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th were paid a dividend of $0.84 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 18th. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. ConocoPhillips's payout ratio is 53.00%.

About ConocoPhillips

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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