Van Strum & Towne Inc. Sells 1,300 Shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)

Van Strum & Towne Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 25.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,873 shares of the energy producer’s stock after selling 1,300 shares during the period. Van Strum & Towne Inc.’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $384,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of COP. Albion Financial Group UT boosted its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 876.9% during the fourth quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 254 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in ConocoPhillips in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new position in ConocoPhillips in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates boosted 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 valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. 82.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

ConocoPhillips Stock Performance

COP opened at $99.10 on Friday. ConocoPhillips has a 12-month low of $86.81 and a 12-month 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 firm has a market capitalization of $126.09 billion, a PE ratio of 12.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.12. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $99.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of $103.87.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The energy producer reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) 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, analysts anticipate that ConocoPhillips will post 8.16 EPS for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 17th were issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.15%. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COP has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on ConocoPhillips in a research report on Monday, December 16th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $128.00 price objective for the company. Barclays dropped their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $137.00 to $135.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $138.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $132.00 target price on ConocoPhillips in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $132.00 to $128.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $133.05.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Arjun N. Murti purchased 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 20th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $95.87 per share, for a total transaction of $239,675.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 21,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,061,205. This represents a 13.16 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director R A. Walker acquired 10,400 shares of the firm’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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 38,000 shares in the company, valued at $3,716,400. This trade represents a 37.68 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

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.