Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 18,240 Shares of Chevron Corporation $CVX

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group trimmed its stake in Chevron by 0.6%, selling 18,240 shares and now holds 2,896,868 shares valued at about $441.5 million.
• Chevron beat Q1 EPS ($1.41 vs. $1.00) despite a revenue miss, and declared a quarterly dividend of $1.78 per share (annualized $7.12, ~3.7% yield).
• Significant insider selling has occurred—CEO Michael K. Wirth sold 272,624 shares and insiders sold 621,439 shares (~$118.3M) in the past three months—yet analysts have raised price targets and the stock holds a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target near $199.

Principal Financial Group Inc. lowered its stake in Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX - Free Report) by 0.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,896,868 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 18,240 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.14% of Chevron worth $441,512,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in CVX. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new position in Chevron in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Chevron in the 3rd quarter worth about $41,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Chevron by 306.1% in the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 268 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares during the period. Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new position in Chevron in the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Maseco LLP bought a new position in Chevron in the 4th quarter worth about $49,000. Institutional investors own 72.42% of the company's stock.

Chevron Price Performance

Shares of CVX opened at $192.41 on Tuesday. Chevron Corporation has a twelve month low of $133.77 and a twelve month high of $214.71. The stock's 50 day moving average is $193.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $171.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $383.34 billion, a PE ratio of 33.35, a P/E/G ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

Chevron (NYSE:CVX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The oil and gas company reported $1.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.41. The company had revenue of $48.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $51.86 billion. Chevron had a return on equity of 7.01% and a net margin of 5.79%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.18 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Chevron Corporation will post 14.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Chevron Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 19th will be paid a dividend of $1.78 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 19th. This represents a $7.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.7%. Chevron's payout ratio is 123.40%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chevron

In other news, insider Andrew Benjamin Walz sold 11,600 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.58, for a total transaction of $2,187,528.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Michael K. Wirth sold 272,624 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.35, for a total value of $51,621,354.40. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 31,266 shares in the company, valued at $5,920,217.10. This trade represents a 89.71% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 621,439 shares of company stock worth $118,307,800. Corporate insiders own 0.56% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CVX has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Bank of America raised their price target on Chevron from $188.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Mizuho raised their price target on Chevron from $206.00 to $217.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Chevron from $204.00 to $222.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. HSBC raised Chevron from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $215.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Argus set a $203.00 price target on Chevron in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $198.96.

Key Stories Impacting Chevron

Here are the key news stories impacting Chevron this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and bullish forward commentary — Chevron topped EPS expectations and management signaled production growth and resilient cash returns; UBS and other analysts see sequential earnings acceleration after Q1. Chevron's Q1 Results Set up 'Meaningful Acceleration' for Rest of the Year
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism — at least one analyst raised Chevron’s price target after the Q1 report, citing the company as “firing on all cylinders,” supporting near-term upside in the stock. Chevron is 'firing on all cylinders,' analyst raises price target after Q1
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term resource upside — Chevron is negotiating for a stake in a very large Iraqi oilfield, which could materially boost future reserves and production if the deal proceeds. Chevron Is Negotiating for a Stake in a Massive Oilfield in Iraq
• Neutral Sentiment: Margin and business-mix nuance — deeper analysis highlights margin compression in parts of the portfolio despite stable revenue and upstream growth; this tempers the Q1 enthusiasm. CVX Q1 Deep Dive: Margin Compression Amid Stable Revenue and Upstream Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor narrative remains supportive — media and pundits continue to frame big oil majors (including Chevron) as disciplined, shareholder-friendly cash generators, which underpins investor appetite over the medium term. Big Oil Has Transformed Into Shareholder-Friendly Cash Machines, Says CNBC’s Halftime Report
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical supply risk — CEO Mike Wirth warned that Strait of Hormuz disruptions are already tightening global supplies and that physical shortages could begin to appear, raising operational and commodity-price volatility risk for the company and markets. Chevron CEO says physical shortages in oil supply to begin appearing
• Negative Sentiment: Shipping safety and market shock — Wirth and other coverage flagged ship-safety concerns in the Strait of Hormuz and a volatile Brent spike to ~$126/barrel, signaling higher near-term risk and potential market dislocations. Chevron CEO voices concern over Strait of Hormuz ship safety
• Negative Sentiment: Macro risk spillover — regional attacks and broader market declines (Dow weakness after Iran/UAE-related attacks) raise the prospect of broader equity volatility that can weigh on CVX despite commodity tailwinds. Stock Market Today: Dow Dives As Trump Calls On Key Ally; Warren Buffett Gives This Warning (Live Coverage)

Chevron Company Profile

Chevron Corporation NYSE: CVX is an American multinational energy company engaged in virtually all aspects of the oil and gas industry. As an integrated energy firm, Chevron's core activities include upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production, midstream transportation and storage, downstream refining and marketing of fuels and lubricants, and petrochemical manufacturing through joint ventures and subsidiaries. The company markets fuels under brands such as Chevron, Texaco and Caltex and supplies a range of products and services to retail customers, industrial users and commercial fleets worldwide.

Chevron traces its corporate lineage to the early petroleum companies that eventually became Standard Oil of California and has evolved through significant mergers and restructurings, including the acquisitions of Gulf Oil and Texaco.

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