Smead Capital Management Inc. Acquires 164,060 Shares of ConocoPhillips $COP

Key Points

• Smead Capital Management increased its ConocoPhillips stake by 9.4% in the fourth quarter, buying 164,060 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 1,917,545 shares worth about $179.5 million.
• ConocoPhillips reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings, posting $1.89 EPS versus the $1.72 consensus estimate, while revenue also slightly beat forecasts at $15.76 billion.
• The company continues to support shareholders with a quarterly dividend of $0.84, equivalent to an annualized yield of 2.8%, even as insiders have recently sold shares and analysts remain broadly positive with a “Moderate Buy” rating.

Smead Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Free Report) by 9.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,917,545 shares of the energy producer's stock after purchasing an additional 164,060 shares during the period. ConocoPhillips makes up about 3.7% of Smead Capital Management Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Smead Capital Management Inc. owned about 0.16% of ConocoPhillips worth $179,501,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of COP. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Strive Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, BNP Paribas bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 82.36% of the company's stock.

ConocoPhillips Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:COP opened at $120.48 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. ConocoPhillips has a 12 month low of $84.28 and a 12 month high of $135.87. The stock has a market cap of $146.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.14. The company has a 50 day moving average of $123.68 and a 200 day moving average of $107.45.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The energy producer reported $1.89 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $15.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.09 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 9.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be paid a $0.84 dividend. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 11th. ConocoPhillips's payout ratio is currently 57.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other ConocoPhillips news, CEO Ryan Michael Lance sold 506,800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.26, for a total value of $64,495,368.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 6,835 shares of the company's stock, valued at $869,822.10. The trade was a 98.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Timothy A. Leach sold 40,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.79, for a total transaction of $4,751,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 411,211 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $48,847,754.69. This represents a 8.87% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 734,891 shares of company stock worth $93,345,692. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COP has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Truist Financial set a $128.00 price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research raised shares of ConocoPhillips from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $128.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $118.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $130.00 to $144.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $133.28.

ConocoPhillips News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ConocoPhillips and Glenfarne signed a 30-year natural gas supply agreement tied to Alaska LNG, a meaningful step that reduces project uncertainty and strengthens the case for long-term cash flow from the development. ConocoPhillips (COP) and Glenfarne’s Alaska LNG Sign 30-Year Natural Gas Supply Agreement
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target on ConocoPhillips to $153 from $149 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling continued Wall Street confidence in the company’s upside. Morgan Stanley adjusts ConocoPhillips price target to $153 from $149, maintains overweight rating
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs’ Conviction List inclusion and bullish commentary suggest COP is viewed as a resilient cash-flow name, with major projects potentially supporting results even if energy markets stay volatile. Why ConocoPhillips (COP) Is Still a Cash-Flow Bet Amid LNG Project Activity
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles frame ConocoPhillips as undervalued, including value-screen and Zacks coverage, which may support the stock but does not by itself change fundamentals. 5 Value Stocks Trading at Attractive Price-to-Sales Ratios
• Neutral Sentiment: ConocoPhillips is also being discussed for longer-term Lower 48 production growth, with higher 2026 spending aimed at boosting output, but this is more of a long-range operating update than an immediate stock catalyst. Can ConocoPhillips Sustain Long-Term Growth in the Lower 48?
• Negative Sentiment: There were no major negative company-specific headlines in the provided set; however, recent weakness in the shares suggests investors may still be cautious despite the positive LNG and analyst news.

ConocoPhillips 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.

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