Ariston Services Group Sells 158 Shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)

Ariston Services Group lessened its holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 3.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,569 shares of the energy producer’s stock after selling 158 shares during the quarter. ConocoPhillips accounts for 0.4% of Ariston Services Group’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Ariston Services Group’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $453,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Cypress Capital Group lifted its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 0.5% during the third quarter. Cypress Capital Group now owns 18,790 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $1,978,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Orrstown Financial Services Inc. raised its position in ConocoPhillips by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Orrstown Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,342 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $331,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Smithfield Trust Co lifted its stake in ConocoPhillips by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 3,132 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $332,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Principle Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Principle Wealth Partners LLC now owns 37,255 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $3,695,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Verus Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 2.0% in the third quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,137 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $541,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. 82.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at ConocoPhillips

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

ConocoPhillips Price Performance

NYSE:COP opened at $92.52 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $100.12 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $104.90. ConocoPhillips has a 52 week low of $91.56 and a 52 week high of $135.18. The stock has a market cap of $117.72 billion, a PE ratio of 11.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 8.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, February 17th were paid a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.37%. ConocoPhillips’s payout ratio is 40.05%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho upgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $132.00 to $134.00 in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on ConocoPhillips from $135.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised ConocoPhillips from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $120.00 to $123.00 in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Raymond James downgraded ConocoPhillips from a “strong-buy” rating to an “outperform” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $157.00 to $124.00 in a report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, TD Cowen began coverage on ConocoPhillips in a research note on Friday, January 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $133.47.

ConocoPhillips 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.