ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Shares Acquired by Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC.

Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. boosted its holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 4.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,507 shares of the energy producer’s stock after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the period. Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC.’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $263,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Financial Management Professionals Inc. increased its position in ConocoPhillips by 8.7% during the 4th quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 6,380 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $633,000 after purchasing an additional 509 shares in the last quarter. TCP Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in ConocoPhillips during the fourth quarter worth approximately $243,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 126.4% in the fourth quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 15,354 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $1,523,000 after acquiring an additional 8,572 shares during the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 39,113 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $3,878,000 after purchasing an additional 3,379 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Value Holdings Management CO. LLC purchased a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the fourth quarter worth approximately $5,108,000. 82.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on ConocoPhillips from $134.00 to $132.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded ConocoPhillips from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the company from $120.00 to $123.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research note on Monday, December 16th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $128.00 price objective on the stock. Mizuho raised shares of ConocoPhillips from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $132.00 to $134.00 in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Evercore ISI reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $165.00 price target on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Friday, December 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $136.00.

ConocoPhillips Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE COP opened at $105.76 on Friday. ConocoPhillips has a 12-month low of $94.23 and a 12-month high of $135.18. The company has a market cap of $121.72 billion, a PE ratio of 12.58, a P/E/G ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.19. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $103.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $107.47. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 return on equity of 19.53% and a net margin of 17.29%. The company had revenue of $13.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.16 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 7.7 EPS for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th were paid a dividend of $0.78 per share. This is a boost from ConocoPhillips’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.95%. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.10%.

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.