Zacks Research Upgrades ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) to Strong-Buy

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) from a "hold" to a "strong-buy" in its latest note, signaling increased confidence from that shop.
• Several sell‑side firms have raised price targets (e.g., Morgan Stanley to $149, Capital One to $156) and macro tailwinds—higher oil forecasts and Middle East tensions—are cited as upside drivers; the consensus rating is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $132.44.
• Insider activity is notable and could concern investors: CEO Ryan Lance sold 506,800 shares (~$64.5M) and insiders have sold 734,891 shares this quarter while owning just 0.09% of the company, and upcoming Q1 results are a near‑term catalyst for volatility.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Monday, December 29th. Truist Financial initiated coverage on ConocoPhillips in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $124.00 price target on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on ConocoPhillips from $98.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on ConocoPhillips from $108.00 to $149.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Capital One Financial upped their price target on ConocoPhillips from $116.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $132.44.

ConocoPhillips Stock Performance

NYSE COP opened at $128.05 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The business's 50 day moving average is $121.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $104.07. ConocoPhillips has a 12-month low of $84.28 and a 12-month high of $135.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $156.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.20, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.19.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The energy producer reported $2,183.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $2,181.45. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 11.90% and a net margin of 12.98%. Research analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 7.97 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at ConocoPhillips

In other ConocoPhillips news, SVP Andrew D. Lundquist sold 34,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.68, for a total transaction of $4,128,960.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 17,469 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,090,689.92. This represents a 66.39% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Ryan Michael Lance sold 506,800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.26, for a total value of $64,495,368.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 6,835 shares in the company, valued at approximately $869,822.10. This represents a 98.67% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 734,891 shares of company stock worth $93,345,692. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. AXA S.A. raised its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 91.1% in the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 84,937 shares of the energy producer's stock worth $7,622,000 after buying an additional 40,499 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. raised its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 6.1% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 784,368 shares of the energy producer's stock worth $70,397,000 after buying an additional 44,852 shares during the period. BNP Paribas purchased a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 2nd quarter worth $151,000. Finally, Main Street Financial Solutions LLC raised its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 53.5% in the 2nd quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 4,806 shares of the energy producer's stock worth $431,000 after buying an additional 1,675 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.36% of the company's stock.

ConocoPhillips News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target on COP to $149 and kept an "overweight" rating, implying downside risk has fallen and suggesting ~17% upside from the prior reference price. MarketScreener
• Positive Sentiment: Crude-price strength tied to heightened Middle East tensions is raising the outlook for oil producers' revenues and cash flow — analysts say ConocoPhillips stands to benefit from the current elevation in crude. Is ConocoPhillips Set to Gain From Current Elevation in Crude Prices?
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its Brent forecast to $90/bbl for Q4 2026, supporting sector-level upside for upstream producers — a higher long-run oil forecast supports higher earnings multiples for COP. Goldman Just Raised Its Brent Forecast to $90
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank materially lifted its FY2026–FY2027 EPS forecasts for COP (now forecasting ~ $9.35 for FY2026 and $7.85 for FY2027), indicating some sell‑side optimism that higher oil and better operations will translate into stronger reported earnings. MarketBeat - Scotiabank estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: ConocoPhillips is set to report Q1 results tomorrow; previews and analyst notes outline key metrics to watch (realized prices, production, capex, and returns of capital). The earnings event is a catalyst that could add volatility in either direction. ConocoPhillips Reports Earnings Tomorrow: What To Expect
• Negative Sentiment: Some previews note Q1 consensus implies lower EPS and revenue vs. prior periods, so despite higher oil prices the quarter could show pressures (or beat/miss risk) that would drive short-term downside if results or guidance disappoint. COP Stock Looks Undervalued Ahead of Q1 Results

About ConocoPhillips

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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