12,081 Shares in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Purchased by LVZ Inc.

LVZ Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 12,081 shares of the energy producer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,198,000.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 19.2% in the third quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 6,090 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $636,000 after buying an additional 980 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its stake in ConocoPhillips by 2.0% in the third quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 297,777 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $31,350,000 after purchasing an additional 5,783 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 18.1% during the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 1,648 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $174,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Intact Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the third quarter valued at $5,259,000. Finally, Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. grew its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 14.2% in the third quarter. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. now owns 1,283 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $135,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. 82.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

ConocoPhillips Trading Down 2.2 %

NYSE:COP opened at $90.62 on Wednesday. ConocoPhillips has a 12-month low of $88.47 and a 12-month high of $135.18. The firm has a market cap of $115.31 billion, a PE ratio of 11.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $99.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $104.75.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The energy producer reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.20. ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 17.26% and a net margin of 16.23%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that ConocoPhillips will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th were given a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.05%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Arjun N. Murti bought 2,500 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the director now directly owns 21,500 shares in the company, valued at $2,061,205. This trade represents a 13.16 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director R A. Walker bought 10,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 17th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $97.80 per share, with a total value of $1,017,120.00. Following 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.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. 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. Raymond James downgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “strong-buy” rating to an “outperform” rating and cut their target price for the company from $157.00 to $124.00 in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Mizuho raised shares of ConocoPhillips from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $132.00 to $134.00 in a research report on Monday, December 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of ConocoPhillips from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $120.00 to $123.00 in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on ConocoPhillips in a research report on Monday, December 16th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $128.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $133.47.

About ConocoPhillips

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.