ConocoPhillips $COP Shares Bought by HighTower Advisors LLC

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors LLC increased its ConocoPhillips stake by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 685,135 shares valued at about $64.1 million.
• Other institutional investors also adjusted positions, and 82.36% of COP shares are held by institutional investors and hedge funds, underscoring strong Wall Street ownership in the stock.
• Insiders have been selling: CEO Ryan Michael Lance sold 113,221 shares in late March, while total insider sales over the last 90 days reached 734,891 shares worth about $93.3 million.

HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Free Report) by 2.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 685,135 shares of the energy producer's stock after buying an additional 16,144 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC owned 0.06% of ConocoPhillips worth $64,135,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. AXA S.A. increased its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 91.1% in the second 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 in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 6.1% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 784,368 shares of the energy producer's stock valued at $70,397,000 after buying an additional 44,852 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas purchased a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips in the second quarter valued at $33,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips in the second quarter valued at $151,000. Finally, Main Street Financial Solutions LLC increased its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 53.5% in the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 4,806 shares of the energy producer's stock valued at $431,000 after buying an additional 1,675 shares in the last quarter. 82.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at ConocoPhillips

In other news, CEO Ryan Michael Lance sold 113,221 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.71, for a total transaction of $15,025,558.91. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 350,000 shares in the company, valued at $46,448,500. This trade represents a 24.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Andrew D. Lundquist sold 34,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 $2,090,689.92. This trade represents a 66.39% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 734,891 shares of company stock valued at $93,345,692. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about ConocoPhillips

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ConocoPhillips signed a 30-year gas sales agreement tied to the Alaska LNG project, giving the company long-duration visibility on gas volumes and strengthening the investment case for its Alaska assets. ConocoPhillips Alaska LNG Deal Extends Gas Visibility And Valuation Debate
• Positive Sentiment: Reuters reported that delays in ConocoPhillips’ Qatar gas joint ventures are expected to be measured in months rather than years, which reduces concern around the timing of future LNG growth. ConocoPhillips expects Qatar gas JVs delays of months, not years
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and screeners highlighted COP as a high-ROE name, a momentum stock, and a company with rising earnings estimates, all of which can support investor demand for the shares. 5 Stocks With High ROE to Profit as Markets Skid on Tech Slump Earnings Estimates Rising for ConocoPhillips (COP): Will It Gain?
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies reportedly set a new $161 price target for COP, reinforcing a constructive Wall Street view on the stock. ConocoPhillips Given New $161.00 Price Target at Jefferies Financial Group
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles were more about COP’s standing versus peers or general broker sentiment, offering context but little immediate new catalyst. ConocoPhillips (COP) Is Considered a Good Investment by Brokers: Is That True? Occidental Petroleum Stock Is Up 45% This Year...
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the positive longer-term narrative, COP also tracked a broader market pullback and energy volatility, which may have contributed to the stock’s softer tone in the latest trading session. 5 Stocks With High ROE to Profit as Markets Skid on Tech Slump

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COP has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on ConocoPhillips from $98.00 to $121.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded ConocoPhillips from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $160.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday. UBS Group lifted their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $130.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $149.00 to $152.00 in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, ConocoPhillips has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $133.12.

ConocoPhillips Price Performance

NYSE:COP opened at $122.33 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $149.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The company's 50-day moving average is $123.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $107.14. ConocoPhillips has a 12-month low of $84.28 and a 12-month high of $135.87.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The energy producer reported $1.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.72 by $0.17. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 12.10% and a return on equity of 11.39%. The company had revenue of $15.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.09 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 9.63 EPS for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.84 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. ConocoPhillips's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 57.05%.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.