Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Has $735,000 Holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has drastically reduced its stake in ConocoPhillips by 94.3%, selling 116,570 shares and leaving it with only 6,996 shares valued at approximately $735,000.
• Analysts have varied opinions on ConocoPhillips, with target prices ranging from $100.00 to $140.00, and a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy."
• ConocoPhillips reported a quarterly earnings per share of $2.09, surpassing analyst estimates, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.78 per share, reflecting a yield of 3.3%.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lessened its holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Free Report) by 94.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,996 shares of the energy producer's stock after selling 116,570 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $735,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COP. 10Elms LLP bought a new stake in ConocoPhillips in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Garde Capital Inc. bought a new position in ConocoPhillips during the 1st quarter worth $35,000. IMA Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in ConocoPhillips during the 1st quarter worth $37,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC bought a new position in ConocoPhillips during the 4th quarter worth $39,000. Finally, MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in ConocoPhillips during the 1st quarter worth $42,000. Institutional investors own 82.36% of the company's stock.

ConocoPhillips Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of COP traded up $1.31 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $93.91. 8,585,247 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,188,008. ConocoPhillips has a 52 week low of $79.88 and a 52 week high of $116.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $118.72 billion, a PE ratio of 11.93, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.67. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $92.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $93.80.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The energy producer reported $1.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.36 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $14.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.39 billion. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 16.54% and a net margin of 16.02%. The firm's revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.98 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that ConocoPhillips will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 18th will be issued a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 18th. ConocoPhillips's payout ratio is presently 39.64%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other ConocoPhillips news, EVP Kirk L. Johnson bought 5,300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 16th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $94.24 per share, for a total transaction of $499,472.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 14,527 shares in the company, valued at $1,369,024.48. This trade represents a 57.44% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.24% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on COP shares. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $109.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Barclays decreased their price target on ConocoPhillips from $135.00 to $120.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $117.00 price target (up previously from $113.00) on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Thursday, June 26th. Scotiabank raised their price target on ConocoPhillips from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $107.00 to $106.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, ConocoPhillips currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $120.63.

About ConocoPhillips

ConocoPhillips explores for, produces, transports, and markets crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and natural gas liquids in the United States, Canada, China, Libya, Malaysia, Norway, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company's portfolio includes unconventional plays in North America; conventional assets in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia; global LNG developments; oil sands assets in Canada; and an inventory of global exploration prospects.