ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. Buys 573 Shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)

ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. increased its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 9.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,805 shares of the energy producer’s stock after acquiring an additional 573 shares during the quarter. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $675,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of COP. Values First Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Reston Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new position in ConocoPhillips during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in ConocoPhillips in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Global Wealth Strategies & Associates grew its position 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 during the last quarter. 82.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on ConocoPhillips from $123.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 4th. Mizuho upgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $132.00 to $134.00 in a report on Monday, December 16th. Susquehanna lifted their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $144.00 to $148.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $120.00 to $123.00 in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Two 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $136.00.

ConocoPhillips Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:COP opened at $105.76 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $121.72 billion, a PE ratio of 12.58, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.19. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $103.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $107.37. ConocoPhillips has a 1-year low of $94.23 and a 1-year high of $135.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.16.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The energy producer reported $1.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $13.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.97 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 17.29% and a return on equity of 19.53%. ConocoPhillips’s revenue was down 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.16 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 7.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, November 11th were given a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This is a boost from ConocoPhillips’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.95%. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is 37.10%.

Insider Activity at ConocoPhillips

In related news, Director R A. Walker purchased 10,400 shares of the company’s 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 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Arjun N. Murti acquired 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 20th. The shares were bought 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $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. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.