Moody Aldrich Partners LLC Lowers Position in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)

Moody Aldrich Partners LLC decreased its position in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 5.7% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 14,950 shares of the energy producer’s stock after selling 906 shares during the quarter. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $1,483,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Values First Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Albion Financial Group UT boosted its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 876.9% during the fourth quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 254 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. Reston Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Truvestments Capital LLC purchased a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on COP shares. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Monday, December 16th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $128.00 price objective on the stock. Scotiabank decreased their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $135.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Friday, January 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $134.00 to $132.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.89.

ConocoPhillips Stock Performance

Shares of COP stock opened at $101.46 on Wednesday. ConocoPhillips has a one year low of $94.23 and a one year high of $135.18. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $102.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $106.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $116.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.30.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The energy producer reported $1.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.10. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 17.29% and a return on equity of 19.53%. The company had revenue of $13.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.16 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that ConocoPhillips will post 7.65 EPS for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th were given a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.07%. This is a positive change from ConocoPhillips’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.10%.

Insider Transactions at ConocoPhillips

In other news, Director Arjun N. Murti bought 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 20th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $95.87 per share, for a total transaction of $239,675.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 21,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,061,205. This trade represents a 13.16 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director R A. Walker bought 10,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $97.80 per share, with a total value of $1,017,120.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 38,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,716,400. This trade represents a 37.68 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

ConocoPhillips Company Profile

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.