ConocoPhillips $COP Shares Sold by Hamlin Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Hamlin Capital Management reduced its ConocoPhillips position by 0.6%, selling 9,413 shares and retaining 1.44 million shares valued at approximately $180.5 million. COP remains the fund’s eighth-largest holding.
• ConocoPhillips shares rose 3.4% to $134.27, while the company reported quarterly EPS and revenue above analyst expectations, with revenue up 32.4% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with the stock carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and a $143.29 price target; ConocoPhillips also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.84 per share, yielding about 2.5%.

Hamlin Capital Management LLC cut its position in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Free Report) by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,441,909 shares of the energy producer's stock after selling 9,413 shares during the quarter. ConocoPhillips accounts for about 4.4% of Hamlin Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Hamlin Capital Management LLC owned about 0.12% of ConocoPhillips worth $180,455,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in COP. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 73.2% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 118,591,447 shares of the energy producer's stock valued at $12,328,767,000 after buying an additional 50,116,727 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,260,482,000. Primecap Management Co. CA bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the second quarter worth $1,204,726,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in ConocoPhillips during the 2nd quarter worth about $716,151,000. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 2nd quarter valued at about $427,954,000. 82.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ConocoPhillips Trading Up 3.4%

COP stock traded up $4.43 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $134.27. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,917,950 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,117,771. ConocoPhillips has a 12 month low of $85.57 and a 12 month high of $141.62. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The business's 50 day moving average price is $129.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $121.91. The company has a market cap of $161.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.24.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The energy producer reported $3.24 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.34. The company had revenue of $19.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.79 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 14.22% and a return on equity of 14.72%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 32.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.42 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that ConocoPhillips will post 10.62 EPS for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 17th were paid a dividend of $0.84 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 17th. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. ConocoPhillips's dividend payout ratio is currently 44.44%.

Key Headlines Impacting ConocoPhillips

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher oil prices are the primary catalyst. ConocoPhillips is particularly sensitive to commodity prices because stronger realized prices can increase upstream revenue, operating cash flow and shareholder returns. ConocoPhillips gains as oil prices jump on supply fears
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded COP from “Hold” to “Strong Buy.” The upgrade adds to the stock’s favorable analyst backdrop; recent ratings include Buy and Overweight recommendations, while the median reported price target is $143.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent company fundamentals remain supportive. ConocoPhillips previously reaffirmed full-year guidance, reported strong operating cash flow and doubled second-quarter share repurchases. Its latest quarterly results also exceeded analyst expectations, with revenue up 32.4% year over year.
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term gas exposure and portfolio optimization provide additional support. The company’s 20-year agreement to purchase LNG from Venture Global beginning in 2030 could expand its gas presence, while a potential sale of Norway and U.K. Teesside assets—reportedly valued near $7 billion—could increase capital flexibility.
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning is mixed. Major investors including JPMorgan, Sixth Street Partners, BlackRock and T. Rowe Price added shares in the latest quarter, but other institutions reduced holdings. This suggests continued investor interest without a uniform market view.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity has consisted entirely of sales. Three insiders sold shares during the past six months, with no reported purchases. These transactions may modestly temper sentiment, although they do not necessarily indicate a change in the company’s outlook.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on COP shares. Argus raised their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $136.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Truist Financial upped their target price on ConocoPhillips from $130.00 to $136.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $130.00 price target on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Seaport Research Partners assumed coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, ConocoPhillips currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $143.29.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other ConocoPhillips news, SVP Andrew Lundquist sold 9,487 shares of ConocoPhillips stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.15, for a total value of $1,282,168.05. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 9,593 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,296,493.95. The trade was a 49.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

About ConocoPhillips

ConocoPhillips NYSE: COP is an independent exploration and production company engaged in finding, developing and producing crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and liquefied natural gas. Unlike integrated energy companies, ConocoPhillips focuses primarily on upstream activities rather than refining and retail fuel operations.

The company has a diversified portfolio of assets in major producing regions, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway and Qatar. Its U.S. operations include oil and gas developments in Alaska and the Lower 48 states, while its international portfolio includes conventional and offshore projects.

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