Generali Investments Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Makes New $159,000 Investment in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)

Generali Investments Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych purchased a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 1,600 shares of the energy producer’s stock, valued at approximately $159,000.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Albion Financial Group UT boosted its position in ConocoPhillips by 876.9% during the 4th quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 254 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 228 shares during the period. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Global Wealth Strategies & Associates raised its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 80.5% in the 4th quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 343 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

ConocoPhillips Stock Performance

Shares of COP stock opened at $97.19 on Friday. ConocoPhillips has a 1-year low of $94.23 and a 1-year high of $135.18. 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 company has a market capitalization of $123.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.48, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.18. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $100.11 and its 200-day simple moving average is $105.16.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The energy producer reported $1.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that ConocoPhillips will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 17th will be given a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.21%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. ConocoPhillips’s payout ratio is currently 40.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on COP. UBS Group dropped their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $140.00 to $137.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. TD Cowen began coverage on ConocoPhillips in a research note on Friday, January 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $132.00 to $128.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $132.00 price objective on ConocoPhillips in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. 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 objective on the stock. Two 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target 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.