ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Shares Bought by Leavell Investment Management Inc.

Leavell Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 59.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 19,166 shares of the energy producer’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,174 shares during the period. Leavell Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $1,901,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of COP. AMF Tjanstepension AB increased its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 4.7% during the third quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB now owns 1,163,724 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $122,628,000 after purchasing an additional 52,334 shares during the period. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in ConocoPhillips during the third quarter worth about $73,000. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC grew its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 7.4% during the third quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 2,168 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $228,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. Creative Planning grew its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 1.7% during the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 248,439 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $26,156,000 after acquiring an additional 4,214 shares during the period. Finally, Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new position in ConocoPhillips during the third quarter worth about $376,000. 82.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group lowered their target price on ConocoPhillips from $140.00 to $137.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Susquehanna lifted their target price on ConocoPhillips from $144.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised ConocoPhillips from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $120.00 to $123.00 in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Barclays lowered their target price on ConocoPhillips from $137.00 to $135.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on ConocoPhillips in a research note on Monday, December 16th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $128.00 price target on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $133.56.

ConocoPhillips Trading Down 3.2 %

Shares of NYSE COP opened at $98.42 on Thursday. ConocoPhillips has a one year low of $94.23 and a one year high of $135.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $113.27 billion, a PE ratio of 12.63, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $100.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.97.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The energy producer reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.20. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 17.26% and a net margin of 16.23%. As a group, analysts predict that ConocoPhillips will post 8.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.17%. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is 40.05%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Arjun N. Murti purchased 2,500 shares of ConocoPhillips 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 acquisition, the director now directly owns 21,500 shares in the company, valued at $2,061,205. This represents a 13.16 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director R A. Walker purchased 10,400 shares of ConocoPhillips stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $97.80 per share, with a total value of $1,017,120.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 38,000 shares in the company, valued at $3,716,400. The trade was a 37.68 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.34% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.