Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC Sells 31,522 Shares of ConocoPhillips $COP

Key Points

• Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC sold 31,522 shares of ConocoPhillips, cutting its stake by 68.3% to 14,607 shares valued at $1,367,000 per its most recent SEC filing.
• There has been heavy insider selling—734,891 shares worth about $93.35 million in the last 90 days—while major institutions like Vanguard and Capital International increased holdings, leaving institutional ownership at 82.36%.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a $132.44 target, and several firms (e.g., Jefferies to $160, Morgan Stanley to $149) raising price targets amid a stronger oil outlook.

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC lessened its holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Free Report) by 68.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 14,607 shares of the energy producer's stock after selling 31,522 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC's holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $1,367,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Trending Headlines about ConocoPhillips

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target on COP to $149 and kept an "overweight" rating, implying downside risk has fallen and suggesting ~17% upside from the prior reference price. MarketScreener
• Positive Sentiment: Crude-price strength tied to heightened Middle East tensions is raising the outlook for oil producers' revenues and cash flow — analysts say ConocoPhillips stands to benefit from the current elevation in crude. Is ConocoPhillips Set to Gain From Current Elevation in Crude Prices?
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its Brent forecast to $90/bbl for Q4 2026, supporting sector-level upside for upstream producers — a higher long-run oil forecast supports higher earnings multiples for COP. Goldman Just Raised Its Brent Forecast to $90
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank materially lifted its FY2026–FY2027 EPS forecasts for COP (now forecasting ~ $9.35 for FY2026 and $7.85 for FY2027), indicating some sell‑side optimism that higher oil and better operations will translate into stronger reported earnings. MarketBeat - Scotiabank estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: ConocoPhillips is set to report Q1 results tomorrow; previews and analyst notes outline key metrics to watch (realized prices, production, capex, and returns of capital). The earnings event is a catalyst that could add volatility in either direction. ConocoPhillips Reports Earnings Tomorrow: What To Expect
• Negative Sentiment: Some previews note Q1 consensus implies lower EPS and revenue vs. prior periods, so despite higher oil prices the quarter could show pressures (or beat/miss risk) that would drive short-term downside if results or guidance disappoint. COP Stock Looks Undervalued Ahead of Q1 Results

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Andrew D. Lundquist sold 34,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.68, for a total transaction of $4,128,960.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 17,469 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,090,689.92. This trade represents a 66.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Nicholas G. Olds sold 14,522 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.36, for a total value of $1,733,345.92. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 12,389 shares in the company, valued at $1,478,751.04. This trade represents a 53.96% 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 valued at $93,345,692. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Mizuho increased their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $121.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded ConocoPhillips from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on ConocoPhillips from $129.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Bank of America restated an "underperform" rating and set a $102.00 price target on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Roth Mkm downgraded ConocoPhillips from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $112.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, ConocoPhillips currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $132.44.

ConocoPhillips Trading Up 3.0%

NYSE COP opened at $128.05 on Thursday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $121.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $104.07. ConocoPhillips has a twelve month low of $84.28 and a twelve month high of $135.87. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company has a market capitalization of $156.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.20, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.19.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The energy producer reported $1.02 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.23 by ($0.21). ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 12.98% and a return on equity of 11.90%. The firm had revenue of $13.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.98 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 7.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th were paid a dividend of $0.84 per share. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 18th. ConocoPhillips's dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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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