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POWER POINTWhat I'm hearing from energy insiders

So… what now?

It seems to be the question many in the energy markets are asking. We are about to enter the ninth month of the Iran war. Or Iran "conflict." At this point, it's not very clear what to call it. The only thing right now that's "clear" is that very little is clear.

What we know… now.

Oil is moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Most Gulf nation export volumes are well up from their lows. Iran volumes are the exception. Those are down to the point of almost being nonexistent. From the little information that trickles out of the mostly closed country, it seems the Iranian economy is crumbling. Iran's currency is losing value, and people I speak with who have family there tell me they are increasingly worried about more economic pain ahead.

Iran has one main source of money: oil. Without oil, there is little money. Without money, there is little ability to buy the weapons, drones, and missiles that cause havoc and spread fear in the Gulf. Iran is going to grow more desperate, which makes Iran even more dangerous. In just the last week or so, multiple ships have been attacked. Iran's proxy gang - the Yemeni terror group known as the Houthis - has recently killed civilians in Saudi Arabia with attacks on the airport. They also blew up part of Aramco's headquarters.

The point is this is not just a grim recap of where we stand, but an attempt to understand where we're going. As I've said and written before… I have no idea. I'm not sure that anyone really does. The best we can do is gather as much information and intelligence as possible and make educated guesses. Sorry to say it, but right now, guessing is what many are doing. The markets remain one good or bad headline away from a $10 move in oil in either direction.

While we wait, oil markets stay elevated. The paper price of oil is around $100 per barrel. Most companies and countries don't use "paper" oil. As I wrote last week, the price of an actual physical barrel of oil is much, much higher than what you see on your screens. In some cases, it may be double.

Another of the few things we are clear on is that demand destruction is not here yet. All prices are up, and demand is staying relatively consistent. Sky-high diesel prices across Europe are going to hit demand, but they have not landed a knockout blow yet. $100 oil and $10 diesel are not what they used to be. Inflation has been a huge part of the global economic story since COVID and the lockdowns. Those were self-imposed, and I would argue that this is as well, because the attacks on Iran — whether you believe them to be just, given that regime's cruelty toward its own people — were a human decision. Humans got us into this, and humans are going to have to get us out.

It doesn't appear that we are any closer to a real resolution than we were a few months ago. Shipping costs continue to soar, and insurance is available but expensive.

So… what now?

What now is that we keep as calm as we can and carry on. Every week, I write Power Insider knowing tomorrow could be an entirely different headline. But like it or not, oil is the lifeblood of the global economy. And it will be for decades to come. So the oil must flow. And it is flowing. But at a cost.

Meantime, global markets wait for any scrap of clarity. What little we have will come from corporate earnings and any guidance management can provide. Energy services firm SLB (SLB) is first out of the gate with numbers on October 23. Baker Hughes (BKR) and natural gas exporter Cheniere Energy (LNG) are next. But the real focus comes on October 30, when both ExxonMobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) show off their earnings. It's not rocket science knowing those numbers will be big. Sales will rise with the price of oil. Refining earnings will be even bigger. The biggest piece of news, however, will be whatever glimmer of guidance these companies feel confident enough to provide. My spider sense tells me it won't be much. While mega oil and gas companies pay for some of the greatest intelligence in the world, even the world's greatest intelligence gatherers are subject to the whims of rogues with missile launchers.

That's what's now… sadly.

Thanks for reading—and watching—and be safe in these crazy and often scary times.

—Brian

THE ACTIONABLE INSIDERGlobal markets may be waiting for earnings, but Goldman Sachs isn't waiting to give clients advice on what to buy now. Neil Mehta and team are out with 10 energy stocks they love now, and I have thoughts.

Let's dig in.

Neil has loved the refining stocks for a while — a great call — but is now turning his focus to other names. He hasn't fallen out of love with the refiners; it's just that so much money has been made that he feels there are better opportunities elsewhere. Here are a few.

On the large-cap side, he loves two companies with new CEOs: ConocoPhillips (COP) and Occidental Petroleum (OXY).

Conoco's legendary boss, Ryan Lance, has made way for Andrew O'Brien. Neil doesn't see that as a problem, but is watching two things closely: COP's huge new Willow project in Alaska and the status of the damaged natural gas plant at QatarEnergy, in which ConocoPhillips is invested.

Occidental also has a new CEO, Richard Jackson, and Goldman recently upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral with a $69 target. More bullishly, Goldman chose to add OXY to its vaunted "America's Conviction List." The company has long been saddled with high debt, but it's pushing through a new plan to improve cash flow. Investors have been rewarded with a solid 53% gain over the last year, but Neil Mehta sees more to come.

My Take →  Energy investors are right to be nervous about oil and gas stocks. The group largely trades with the price of crude, so if we do get a meaningful peace with Iran — a big "if," I know — oil prices are likely to drop, perhaps meaningfully. I look forward to hopefully speaking soon with the CEOs of both ConocoPhillips and Occidental Petroleum about all of this and more.

Those two are the megacaps. I'd like to now hit on two of the smaller-cap, less-talked-about stocks on Goldman's golden list.

First, Permian Resources (PR). This is a name you may have heard mentioned a few times recently. Despite the name, Permian operates a big chunk of the Delaware Basin, which is in New Mexico, not Delaware. Get to know oil geography. And get to know free cash flow. Neil and his team see PR's free cash flow growing around 20% for the next couple of years, benefiting from the company's shift to more "oil-focused production." While the analyst team would like to get more "clarity on the company's outlook for organic oil production growth" and regional pricing, it believes that the current macro environment is a tailwind for Permian Resources.

Also on Goldman's love list is TC Energy (TRP). The Canadian pipeline company has seen a big pullback in its stock, and that's one reason Neil and his team like it. They see TRP announcing more U.S. projects and are "more comfortable" with the company's funding outlook. TC Energy CEO François Poirier has spoken with us on CNBC a few times and expressed frustration about what he calls America's "underinvestment" in certain energy infrastructure.

My Take →  More pipelines are bullish for TRP, but given the upcoming midterm elections in America and a good chance that both houses of Congress shift to Democratic control, the odds of more fossil fuel energy infrastructure being built are likely heading lower, not higher.

We always like to add value here on Power Insider, so here are nine of those ten stocks, ranked by possible upside versus the median Wall Street price target. TC Energy doesn't have an equivalent price target because it's listed in Canada.

The last name on that list - H.F. Sinclair - is one to focus on. It's the only one on the list trading at its median target, and maybe one reason Neil and his team are shifting their focus away from refiners. 'DINO' has had an epic run, but after a 138% gain in 12 months, it and other refiners may soon become extinct from new portfolios.

TAKE A LOOKTwo key interviews for you to watch this week. First, we spoke with energy legend Dan Yergin about the current state of the Middle East, Russia, diesel and fuel supplies.

watch now

Per The Actionable Insider above, here's our interview with Neil Mehta about his big oil stock call.

watch now

INSIDE LINEThis week's Inside Line is with Dan Pickering, founder and chief investment officer of Pickering Energy Partners. He has been a friend and great contact of mine for years and is a frequent face on CNBC.

RANDOM, BUT INTERESTINGThe U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve continues to fall, and it's now at its lowest level since being filled. The question now is how low it can go before it becomes more difficult — and slower — to remove the oil. Some have suggested to me that when the SPR falls below 300 million barrels, the physics of pulling out the oil changes.

RBI→  The "SPR" is not one facility. It is a collection of old caves around Texas and Louisiana.

THE GRID

Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC trimmed its position in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Free Report) by 96.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,250 shares of the energy producer’s stock after selling 65,653 shares during the period. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $282,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of COP. State Street Corp grew its position in ConocoPhillips by 73.2% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 118,591,447 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $12,328,767,000 after acquiring an additional 50,116,727 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 93,886,457 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $9,760,436,000 after acquiring an additional 2,712,703 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,072,154 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $1,566,901,000 after purchasing an additional 1,609,759 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,260,482,000. Finally, Primecap Management Co. CA purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,204,726,000. Institutional investors own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

ConocoPhillips Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:COP opened at $145.34 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $174.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $132.56 and a 200-day moving average price of $122.46. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. ConocoPhillips has a 12 month low of $85.57 and a 12 month high of $146.70.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The energy producer reported $3.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $0.34. The company had revenue of $19.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.79 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 14.22% and a return on equity of 14.72%. ConocoPhillips’s revenue for the quarter was up 32.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.42 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that ConocoPhillips will post 11.19 EPS for the current year. ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th were given a dividend of $0.84 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 17th. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is presently 44.44%.

Insiders Place Their Bets In other ConocoPhillips news, SVP Andrew Lundquist sold 9,487 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.15, for a total value of $1,282,168.05. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 9,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,296,493.95. This trade represents a 49.72% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Argus boosted their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $136.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Zacks Research upgraded ConocoPhillips from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. UBS Group boosted their target price on ConocoPhillips from $153.00 to $169.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on ConocoPhillips from $151.00 to $159.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Roth Capital upgraded ConocoPhillips from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the company from $124.00 to $130.00 in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $143.62.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on COP

ConocoPhillips Company Profile (Free Report)

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) is an independent exploration and production company engaged in finding, developing and producing oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Unlike integrated energy companies, it primarily focuses on upstream activities rather than operating large refining or retail fuel businesses.

The company’s portfolio includes conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas assets, liquefied natural gas-related interests, oil sands operations and other energy resources.

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AdvisorNet Financial Inc grew its holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Free Report) by 137.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 10,972 shares of the energy producer’s stock after buying an additional 6,358 shares during the quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $1,373,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp increased its position in ConocoPhillips by 73.2% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 118,591,447 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $12,328,767,000 after purchasing an additional 50,116,727 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in ConocoPhillips by 3.0% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 93,886,457 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $9,760,436,000 after acquiring an additional 2,712,703 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in ConocoPhillips by 12.0% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,072,154 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $1,566,901,000 after acquiring an additional 1,609,759 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in ConocoPhillips by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 13,413,036 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $1,255,594,000 after acquiring an additional 290,888 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the 2nd quarter worth $1,260,482,000. 82.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on COP shares. Argus increased their price target on ConocoPhillips from $136.00 to $153.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Barclays decreased their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Zacks Research upgraded ConocoPhillips from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. UBS Group upped their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $153.00 to $169.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $130.00 target price on ConocoPhillips in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $143.62.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on ConocoPhillips Insider Activity at ConocoPhillips In other news, SVP Andrew Lundquist sold 9,487 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.15, for a total value of $1,282,168.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 9,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,296,493.95. This represents a 49.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

ConocoPhillips Trading Up 3.3% Shares of NYSE:COP opened at $146.43 on Friday. ConocoPhillips has a 52-week low of $85.57 and a 52-week high of $146.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.54. The company has a market capitalization of $175.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $132.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $122.44.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The energy producer reported $3.24 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $19.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.79 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 14.22% and a return on equity of 14.72%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 32.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.42 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 11.19 earnings per share for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th were paid a dividend of $0.84 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 17th. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. ConocoPhillips’s payout ratio is presently 44.44%.

ConocoPhillips Company Profile (Free Report)

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) is an independent exploration and production company engaged in finding, developing and producing crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and liquefied natural gas. Unlike integrated energy companies, ConocoPhillips focuses primarily on upstream activities rather than refining and retail fuel operations.

The company has a diversified portfolio of assets in major producing regions, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway and Qatar. Its U.S. operations include oil and gas developments in Alaska and the Lower 48 states, while its international portfolio includes conventional and offshore projects.

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ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) appears an attractive pick given a noticeable improvement in the company's earnings outlook. The stock has been a strong performer lately, and the momentum might continue with analysts still raising their earnings estimates for the company.

Analysts' growing optimism on the earnings prospects of this energy company is driving estimates higher, which should get reflected in its stock price. After all, empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. This insight is at the core of our stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank.

The five-grade Zacks Rank system, which ranges from a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record of outperformance, with Zacks #1 Ranked stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 2008.

For ConocoPhillips, there has been strong agreement among the covering analysts in raising earnings estimates, which has helped push consensus estimates considerably higher for the next quarter and full year.

The chart below shows the evolution of forward 12-month Zacks Consensus EPS estimate:

12 Month EPS

Current-Quarter Estimate RevisionsThe company is expected to earn $2.86 per share for the current quarter, which represents a year-over-year change of +77.6%.

Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ConocoPhillips has increased 17.89% because four estimates have moved higher while one has gone lower.

Current-Year Estimate RevisionsFor the full year, the company is expected to earn $11.19 per share, representing a year-over-year change of +81.7%.

There has been an encouraging trend in estimate revisions for the current year as well. Over the past month, five estimates have moved up for ConocoPhillips versus no negative revisions. This has pushed the consensus estimate 6.14% higher.

Favorable Zacks RankThanks to promising estimate revisions, ConocoPhillips currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). The Zacks Rank is a tried-and-tested rating tool that helps investors effectively harness the power of earnings estimate revisions and make the right investment decision.

You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Our research shows that stocks with Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and 2 (Buy) significantly outperform the S&P 500.

Bottom LineInvestors have been betting on ConocoPhillips because of its solid estimate revisions, as evident from the stock's 6.4% gain over the past four weeks. As its earnings growth prospects might push the stock higher, you may consider adding it to your portfolio right away.

Krilogy Financial LLC lifted its position in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Free Report) by 39.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 18,310 shares of the energy producer’s stock after buying an additional 5,179 shares during the quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $2,291,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 151.0% in the first quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 241 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Ballast Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of ConocoPhillips in the first quarter worth about $36,000. Evergreen Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Allied Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the second quarter worth about $32,000. Institutional investors own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

Shares of COP stock opened at $142.34 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $171.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.16, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.24. ConocoPhillips has a 52 week low of $85.57 and a 52 week high of $142.55. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $131.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $122.22.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The energy producer reported $3.24 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.34. The business had revenue of $19.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.79 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 14.22% and a return on equity of 14.72%. The business’s revenue was up 32.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.42 EPS. Analysts predict that ConocoPhillips will post 10.84 EPS for the current fiscal year. ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 17th were given a $0.84 dividend. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 17th. ConocoPhillips’s payout ratio is currently 44.44%.

Insider Activity at ConocoPhillips In related news, SVP Andrew Lundquist sold 9,487 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.15, for a total transaction of $1,282,168.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 9,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,296,493.95. This represents a 49.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on ConocoPhillips from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on ConocoPhillips from $130.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Susquehanna upped their price target on ConocoPhillips from $155.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Thursday, September 10th. They set a “hold” rating and a $148.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, ConocoPhillips presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $143.29.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on ConocoPhillips

ConocoPhillips Company Profile (Free Report)

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) is an independent exploration and production company engaged in finding, developing and producing crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and liquefied natural gas. Unlike integrated energy companies, ConocoPhillips focuses primarily on upstream activities rather than refining and retail fuel operations.

The company has a diversified portfolio of assets in major producing regions, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway and Qatar. Its U.S. operations include oil and gas developments in Alaska and the Lower 48 states, while its international portfolio includes conventional and offshore projects.

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B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Free Report) by 255.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 34,802 shares of the energy producer’s stock after acquiring an additional 25,009 shares during the period. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc.’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $4,355,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 73.2% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 118,591,447 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $12,328,767,000 after purchasing an additional 50,116,727 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the second quarter worth approximately $1,260,482,000. Primecap Management Co. CA bought a new stake in ConocoPhillips during the second quarter worth approximately $1,204,726,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in ConocoPhillips during the second quarter valued at approximately $716,151,000. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in ConocoPhillips during the second quarter valued at approximately $427,954,000. 82.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about ConocoPhillips Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

Positive Sentiment: Energy stocks benefited from higher oil prices linked to geopolitical tensions, including the Iran conflict. That backdrop supported ConocoPhillips and helped the stock outperform the broader market. ConocoPhillips Ramping Free Cash Flow Profile Drives Investor Interest Positive Sentiment: Investors are showing interest in ConocoPhillips’ growing free-cash-flow profile, which can support shareholder returns, debt management and valuation. ConocoPhillips Ramping Free Cash Flow Profile Drives Investor Interest Positive Sentiment: ConocoPhillips was highlighted among energy companies with an A+ profitability grade, reinforcing the view that its operating performance compares favorably with industry peers. ConocoPhillips, Chevron Among Eight Energy Stocks With A+ Profitability Grades Positive Sentiment: Zacks commentary identified COP as attractive from both value and growth perspectives, potentially broadening its appeal beyond oil-focused investors. Separate analysis also pointed to the possibility of an earnings surprise. Why ConocoPhillips Is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage notes that COP has been trading within a range for several months. Options traders view that pattern as suitable for short-put or put-credit-spread strategies, but the setup does not provide a fundamental catalyst by itself. ConocoPhillips Stock Has Been in a Trading Range ConocoPhillips Stock Up 2.5% Shares of COP stock opened at $141.02 on Wednesday. ConocoPhillips has a 12 month low of $85.57 and a 12 month high of $141.62. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market cap of $169.42 billion, a PE ratio of 18.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.24. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $130.48 and a 200-day moving average of $122.15. ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The energy producer reported $3.24 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.34. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 14.22% and a return on equity of 14.72%. The firm had revenue of $19.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.79 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.42 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 32.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that ConocoPhillips will post 10.84 EPS for the current year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th were issued a dividend of $0.84 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 17th. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. ConocoPhillips’s payout ratio is presently 44.44%.

Insider Activity In related news, SVP Andrew Lundquist sold 9,487 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.15, for a total value of $1,282,168.05. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 9,593 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,296,493.95. This trade represents a 49.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $130.00 price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $148.00 target price on the stock. Roth Capital upgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $124.00 to $130.00 in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $144.00 to $138.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $143.29.

Get Our Latest Analysis on COP

ConocoPhillips Profile (Free Report)

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) is an independent exploration and production company engaged in finding, developing and producing crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and liquefied natural gas. Unlike integrated energy companies, ConocoPhillips focuses primarily on upstream activities rather than refining and retail fuel operations.

The company has a diversified portfolio of assets in major producing regions, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway and Qatar. Its U.S. operations include oil and gas developments in Alaska and the Lower 48 states, while its international portfolio includes conventional and offshore projects.

Read More Five stocks we like better than ConocoPhillips A Chinese Rival Just Spooked Memory Stocks—How Worried Should Micron Investors Be? Could T-Mobile’s Satellite Competition Fears Create a Buying Opportunity? Surgical Precision, Sustainable Returns: Johnson & Johnson Secures Its Cash Flow Runway Tesla’s Robotaxi Lands in Paris—But Europe’s Real Fight Is Over Cheap EVs

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NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC boosted its position in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Free Report) by 94.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 78,901 shares of the energy producer’s stock after purchasing an additional 38,329 shares during the quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $9,874,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of COP. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in ConocoPhillips by 151.0% during the 1st quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 241 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in ConocoPhillips in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Ballast Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Evergreen Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Allied Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in ConocoPhillips in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. 82.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

ConocoPhillips Price Performance ConocoPhillips stock opened at $137.41 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $130.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $122.07. ConocoPhillips has a 1 year low of $85.57 and a 1 year high of $141.62. The company has a market capitalization of $165.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.54.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The energy producer reported $3.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $0.34. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 14.22% and a return on equity of 14.72%. The firm had revenue of $19.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.79 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.42 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 32.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 10.84 earnings per share for the current year. ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th were given a $0.84 dividend. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 17th. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is currently 44.44%.

Insider Transactions at ConocoPhillips In other ConocoPhillips news, SVP Andrew Lundquist sold 9,487 shares of ConocoPhillips stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.15, for a total value of $1,282,168.05. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 9,593 shares in the company, valued at $1,296,493.95. The trade was a 49.72% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades COP has been the topic of several research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 17th. Susquehanna increased their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $155.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $147.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $143.29.

View Our Latest Report on COP

ConocoPhillips Company Profile (Free Report)

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) is an independent exploration and production company engaged in finding, developing and producing crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and liquefied natural gas. Unlike integrated energy companies, ConocoPhillips focuses primarily on upstream activities rather than refining and retail fuel operations.

The company has a diversified portfolio of assets in major producing regions, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway and Qatar. Its U.S. operations include oil and gas developments in Alaska and the Lower 48 states, while its international portfolio includes conventional and offshore projects.

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In the latest trading session, ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) closed at $137.56, marking a +2.58% move from the previous day. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.06%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.38%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.44%.

Shares of the energy company witnessed a loss of 2.37% over the previous month, trailing the performance of the Oils-Energy sector with its gain of 1.73%, and the S&P 500's gain of 2.36%.

The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of ConocoPhillips in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is scheduled to release its earnings on November 5, 2026. The company is expected to report EPS of $2.69, up 67.08% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $17.47 billion, indicating a 12.52% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $10.84 per share and a revenue of $70.46 billion, indicating changes of +75.97% and +14.47%, respectively, from the former year.

Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for ConocoPhillips. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.

Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 2.76% higher. Right now, ConocoPhillips possesses a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

In terms of valuation, ConocoPhillips is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 12.38. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 19.39, which means ConocoPhillips is trading at a discount to the group.

Meanwhile, COP's PEG ratio is currently 1.38. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. The average PEG ratio for the Oil and Gas - Integrated - United States industry stood at 1.7 at the close of the market yesterday.

The Oil and Gas - Integrated - United States industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 102, putting it in the top 42% of all 250+ industries.

The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.

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What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.

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How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.86% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

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You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.

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Stock to Watch: ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) Headquartered in Houston, TX, ConocoPhillips is primarily involved in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Considering proved reserves and production, the company is among the largest explorers and producers in the world. The company has a strong presence across conventional and unconventional plays in 15 countries. ConocoPhillips’ low-risk and cost-effective operations are spread across North America, Asia, Australia and Europe.

COP is a #1 (Strong Buy) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. COP has a Growth Style Score of B, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 76% for the current fiscal year.

Six analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.79 to $10.84 per share. COP also boasts an average earnings surprise of +7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, COP should be on investors' short list.

Have you been searching for a stock that might be well-positioned to maintain its earnings-beat streak in its upcoming report? It is worth considering ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Oil and Gas - Integrated - United States industry.

This energy company has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was 9.35%.

For the most recent quarter, ConocoPhillips was expected to post earnings of $2.96 per share, but it reported $3.24 per share instead, representing a surprise of 9.46%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $1.73 per share, while it actually produced $1.89 per share, a surprise of 9.25%.

Price and EPS Surprise

Thanks in part to this history, there has been a favorable change in earnings estimates for ConocoPhillips lately. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the stock is positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.

Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

ConocoPhillips has an Earnings ESP of +17.36% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on November 5, 2026.

With the Earnings ESP metric, it's important to note that a negative value reduces its predictive power; however, a negative Earnings ESP does not indicate an earnings miss.

Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.

Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Investors interested in Oil and Gas - Integrated - United States stocks are likely familiar with ConocoPhillips (COP) and Cactus, Inc. (WHD). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors?

Key Takeaways ConocoPhillips is reviewing an unsolicited offer for its Norway business and Teesside terminal in the U.K.COP may unlock about $7 billion from a sale, with proceeds available for debt, returns or investments.ConocoPhillips will retain the assets if the offer fails to meet its valuation expectations. ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) is evaluating the potential sale of its Norway business and the Teesside terminal in the U.K. after receiving an unsolicited offer. According to Reuters, COP has not identified the bidder or disclosed financial terms, but said the review aligns with its portfolio optimization strategy and that it will retain the assets if the offer falls short of expectations.

Portfolio Optimization Takes Center StageConocoPhillips’ Norway operations include interests in multiple producing fields and licenses across the Norwegian continental shelf, while the Teesside terminal processes and exports crude oil and natural gas liquids delivered through the Norpipe system. A sale would reduce the company’s exposure to mature North Sea assets and provide additional flexibility to concentrate capital on higher-priority opportunities elsewhere in its portfolio.

Potential $7B Deal Adds Financial FlexibilityCapital One Securities estimates the combined value of the Norway business and Teesside terminal at about $7 billion, representing roughly 4% of ConocoPhillips’ $163-billion enterprise value. A transaction near that valuation would provide meaningful proceeds that COP can direct toward debt reduction, shareholder returns or investments in higher-return assets.

Valuation Discipline Remains ImportantThe unsolicited nature of the offer also places ConocoPhillips in a favorable negotiating position, as the company is not under pressure to sell. Management’s willingness to retain the assets if valuation expectations are not met highlights disciplined capital allocation.

What Investors Need to WatchFor investors, the key issue is whether any agreed sale price adequately reflects the assets’ cash-generating potential. A well-priced divestiture would strengthen COP’s business model and reinforce its focus on returns and capital efficiency.

COP’s Zacks Rank & Key PicksCOP currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the energy sector are BP p.l.c. (BP - Free Report) , Cenovus Energy (CVE - Free Report) ) and Valero Energy (VLO - Free Report) , each currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

BP has a diversified presence across oil and gas exploration and production, refining, marketing, trading and low-carbon businesses. The global integrated giant is pursuing an aggressive portfolio simplification strategy similar to ConocoPhillips. BP has completed or initiated sales involving its Gelsenkirchen refinery, North Sea business, Archaea Energy and other holdings, while directing proceeds toward debt reduction and higher-return opportunities.

Calgary-based Cenovus Energy produces crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids, with operations spanning North America and international markets. CVE recently agreed to acquire Athabasca Oil Corporation for about C$5.7 billion, a deal expected to add roughly 45,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and strengthen its oil sands portfolio.

Valero operates 14 petroleum refineries across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with combined throughput capacity of roughly 3 million barrels per day. The company’s resilient refining footprint and strong profitability support disciplined shareholder returns, with VLO returning $2.6 billion to stockholders in the second quarter of 2026.

Park National Corp OH cut its holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Free Report) by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 119,061 shares of the energy producer’s stock after selling 4,231 shares during the quarter. Park National Corp OH’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $15,317,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of COP. State Street Corp boosted its stake in ConocoPhillips by 73.2% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 118,591,447 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $12,328,767,000 after acquiring an additional 50,116,727 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in shares of ConocoPhillips by 3.0% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 93,886,457 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $9,760,436,000 after purchasing an additional 2,712,703 shares during the period. Capital International Investors boosted its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 48,360,060 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $4,527,230,000 after purchasing an additional 2,714,663 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in ConocoPhillips by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,072,154 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $1,566,901,000 after buying an additional 1,609,759 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in ConocoPhillips by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 15,038,675 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $1,407,770,000 after buying an additional 648,432 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets In other ConocoPhillips news, SVP Andrew Lundquist sold 9,487 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.15, for a total transaction of $1,282,168.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 9,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,296,493.95. This represents a 49.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets COP has been the topic of a number of research reports. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $168.00 target price on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $147.00 to $151.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Freedom Capital raised ConocoPhillips from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Mizuho dropped their target price on ConocoPhillips from $150.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded ConocoPhillips from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.24. Get Our Latest Stock Report on ConocoPhillips

ConocoPhillips Stock Performance NYSE:COP traded up $1.44 during trading on Monday, reaching $128.19. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,104,363 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,155,921. ConocoPhillips has a 12 month low of $85.57 and a 12 month high of $141.62. The firm has a market cap of $154.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.24. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $128.29 and a 200-day moving average of $121.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.54.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The energy producer reported $3.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.34. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 14.22% and a return on equity of 14.72%. The company had revenue of $19.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.79 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.42 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 32.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 10.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th were paid a dividend of $0.84 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 17th. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.44%.

About ConocoPhillips (Free Report)

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) is an independent exploration and production company engaged in finding, developing and producing crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and liquefied natural gas. Unlike integrated energy companies, ConocoPhillips focuses primarily on upstream activities rather than refining and retail fuel operations.

The company has a diversified portfolio of assets in major producing regions, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway and Qatar. Its U.S. operations include oil and gas developments in Alaska and the Lower 48 states, while its international portfolio includes conventional and offshore projects.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than ConocoPhillips A Manufacturing Surprise Could Be a Big Win for These 2 Companies What a $1 Billion Chip Deal Says About Amazon’s AI Ambitions 3 Stocks Benefiting From AI Demand Just Announced Major Buybacks Insiders Are Selling These 3 Stocks, Should You? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Free Report).

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Key Takeaways COP will buy 1 million tons of LNG annually from Venture Global for 20 years starting in 2030.COP expects LNG demand to double by 2050 and is expanding its portfolio to meet growing global demand.COP targets a 10-15 MTPA LNG portfolio, which could provide a significant source of cash flow growth. ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) , a leading U.S.-based exploration and production company, recently announced a deal with Venture Global (VG - Free Report) to purchase 1 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year, under a long-term supply agreement. COP will start buying LNG under this agreement from 2030 for a duration of 20 years. VG has mentioned that it looks forward to supporting ConocoPhillips in expanding its global LNG portfolio.

In its latest earnings call, ConocoPhillips has maintained a constructive view of LNG fundamentals in the coming years. In fact, the company expects LNG demand to double by 2050. As such, COP is expanding its LNG offtake portfolio to meet the growing demand. In the second quarter, the company’s Qatar LNG operations were affected due to the conflict in the Middle East. The Ras Laffan plant was largely shut down, affecting production volumes. However, COP affirmed that the NFE and NFS projects in Qatar were progressing well despite the conflict.

The company plans to build its LNG portfolio toward a targeted 10-15 million tons per annum (MTPA). The growing LNG exposure should enable COP to capitalize on rising global demand for the commodity. Its LNG operations could also provide a significant source of long-term cash flow growth.

Zacks Rank & Key PicksCOP currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), while VG sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). 

Some better-ranked stocks from the energy sector are Valero Energy (VLO - Free Report) and Galp Energia SGPS SA (GLPEY - Free Report) . While Valero sports a Zacks Rank #1, Galp Energia carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 stocks here.

Valero Energy is a leading refining player with a robust network of 14 refineries and a combined high-complexity throughput capacity of 3 million barrels per day, which distinguishes it from other independent refiners. VLO’s refineries have a combined Nelson Complexity Index of 11.5, which implies that the refineries can process a wide variety of feedstocks, convert them into higher-value products and shift product yields according to market conditions.

Galp Energia is a Portuguese energy company engaged in exploration and production activities. The company’s oil exploration efforts have yielded positive results, particularly with the Mopane discovery in the Orange Basin, offshore Namibia. This discovery allows Galp to diversify its global presence with the potential to become a significant oil producer in the region. It refines and markets oil products and gas, as well as engages in marketing and sales activities.

In mid- to late-2025, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) was quite bearish on oil, forecasting that a barrel of Brent crude would hit $50 by early 2026.

Not only did that not come to fruition, as we all know, but oil may not get that low for a very long time, if ever, according to ConocoPhillips (COP +1.26%) Chairman Ryan Lance.

At a forum in London, Lance said he sees the floor on oil prices at around $70, according to Reuters. He also expects the mid-cycle price to be around $65-$70 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil, the benchmark for U.S. oil.

Here's what this means for oil stocks.

Image source: Getty Images.

It will take time for the oil supply chain and demand to normalizeLance said that while the Iran war certainly pressured the global oil system, it didn't break it. However, it could take until 2028 or 2029 for global demand to rebound.

"The real ​strategic question ⁠for companies like mine is where is the conventional (production) going ​to come from to satisfy that ​growing ⁠demand," Lance said, according to Reuters.

Additionally, Lance said ConocoPhillips is currently more focused on upstream exploration than ⁠on midstream oil investments.

Upstream involves finding and producing oil, while midstream transports and stores it, connecting upstream producers to downstream companies, which refine crude oil into products like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

While the Iran war may not have broken the global oil system -- at least not yet -- it has left it vulnerable.

For instance, in the U.S., where oil tends to be cheaper than in Europe, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell below 284 million barrels for the week ending Sept. 25, according to the EIA.

That's near the lowest levels seen since the SPR began in the early 1980s. The SPR requires 250-300 million barrels of oil to function properly.

Saudi Aramco's CEO, Amin Nasser, also said at the same forum where Lance spoke that it will likely take up to two years to rebuild global oil inventories.

He noted that global oil inventories were at about 10 billion barrels heading into the conflict. Roughly 3 billion barrels of supply were lost, roughly half of what would normally have moved through the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began.

The short answer is that it's good news for most, if not all, major oil stocks, because higher oil prices mean they can sell oil at higher prices and make more money.

ConocoPhillips reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share up 128% year over year. ExxonMobil tells a similar tale, with adjusted earnings per share up more than double year over year.

COP data by YCharts

These companies are also significantly increasing free cash flow, which gives them more money to pay down debt, strengthen their balance sheets, and return capital to shareholders, making their stocks more attractive. So, higher oil prices are a big positive.

However, one thing investors should keep their eye on is how the world continues to view oil from a geopolitical perspective following this conflict.

Given that Iran has been able to leverage the Strait of Hormuz as a major strategic advantage in the war, many experts say it makes sense for the U.S. to build new oil routes and focus on domestically produced renewable energy, due to national security concerns.

Long term, that could lead to lower oil prices, although given the demand for power right now, whether due to the rise of artificial intelligence or other factors, I think it's likely the world will need as much power as it can get from many different energy sources, including oil and renewables.

Still, it's something for oil investors to monitor.

LNG tankers are slipping through the Strait of Hormuz again, but winter is arriving fast, Iran is watching, and the math on global energy supplies still looks brutal.

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Ship trackers counted 19 liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes leaving the Strait of Hormuz in September, according to S&P Global Energy. Kpler counted 21. By S&P’s count, 13 came from Qatar and 6 from the United Arab Emirates. That makes September the busiest month since the US-Israeli war on Iran began in February, Reuters reports. Even so, most of the world’s biggest LNG chokepoint is still shut.

S&P Global Energy analyst Eric Yep estimates that if September’s faster pace holds through October, transits would recover to only about 25% of prewar levels. Roughly 85 ships exited in February, then traffic dropped to near zero in March. Since then, monthly exits have ranged between roughly 2 and 15, leaving volumes about 80% lower than prewar.

Winter Puts a Deadline on Hormuz The timing matters because the Northern Hemisphere heating season is weeks away. Qatar extended its LNG force majeure as the disruptions continued. Washington and Tehran have moved further from a deal, and Iran has publicly promoted its Hormuz attacks even as flows rise.

Whether transits last through winter depends on two factors: whether Iran escalates in response to higher exports, and whether US naval-escorted convoys continue despite high operating costs. Many tankers switch off their Automatic Identification System transponders to cross undetected, so even better counts are uncertain.

Cheap Gas at Home, Expensive Fuel at the Pump For American households, domestic natural gas prices are calm. The Henry Hub benchmark closed at $3.18 per million BTU on September 29. The Energy Information Administration estimated US storage would finish the injection season 7% above the five-year average.

Oil trades globally, telling a different story. Brent settled at $113.96 on September 29 after reaching $130.80 on September 15. West Texas Intermediate closed at $96.16, a $17.80 gap reflecting the war premium on overseas crude. Regular gasoline averaged $4.46 a gallon in the week of September 28, up $0.38 in a month and well above $2.78 in January. Global oil reserves have fallen by 400 million barrels this year.

Buyers Are Signing Long-Term US Contracts Buyers are acting as if Hormuz will stay unreliable. ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP | COP Price Prediction) signed a 20-year LNG deal with Venture Global (NYSE:VG) this week. The EIA forecasts US LNG exports averaging 17.0 billion cubic feet per day this year, helped by Golden Pass LNG, which shipped its first cargo on April 22.

The more gas America exports, the more closely US prices follow world prices. Henry Hub hit $25.01 on January 26, a reminder of how fast a winter squeeze can arrive. The VIX volatility index stood at 16.39 on October 1, compared with 31.05 in March.

What to Watch in October The key number is October’s cargo count from S&P and Kpler. If it matches or beats September, Yep’s path to 25% recovery stays intact. If it falls, or if Iran hits an escorted convoy, Europe and Asia will head into winter competing for US cargoes, and gasoline prices are likely to stay high.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Venture Global and ConocoPhillips Announce 20-Year LNG Sales and Purchase Agreement.

ConocoPhillips (COP.N) is evaluating a potential sale ​of its Norway business ‌and Teesside asset in the UK after receiving ​an unsolicited offer, ​the company said on Thursday.

The ⁠company did not ​disclose the identity of ​the potential buyer or provide financial details of the offer.

The ​US oil and ​gas producer said the evaluation ‌aligns ⁠with its strategy of optimizing its portfolio and that it would ​retain the ​assets ⁠if the offer did not ​meet its value expectations.

The ​company ⁠said it has informed employees, partners and ⁠regulators ​of the ​review.

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Stock to Watch: ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) Headquartered in Houston, TX, ConocoPhillips is primarily involved in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Considering proved reserves and production, the company is among the largest explorers and producers in the world. The company, founded in 1875, has a strong presence across conventional and unconventional plays in 15 countries. ConocoPhillips’ low-risk and cost-effective operations are spread across North America, Asia, Australia and Europe.

COP is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. COP has a Growth Style Score of A, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 71.1% for the current fiscal year.

Seven analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $1.34 to $10.54 per share. COP boasts an average earnings surprise of +7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, COP should be on investors' short list.

Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its position in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Free Report) by 40.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 187,217 shares of the energy producer’s stock after purchasing an additional 54,340 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc.’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $19,463,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 73.2% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 118,591,447 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $12,328,767,000 after acquiring an additional 50,116,727 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in ConocoPhillips in the 2nd quarter worth $1,260,482,000. Primecap Management Co. CA bought a new position in ConocoPhillips in the 2nd quarter worth $1,204,726,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in ConocoPhillips during the second quarter valued at $716,151,000. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new position in ConocoPhillips during the second quarter valued at $427,954,000. 82.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group upped their price target on ConocoPhillips from $153.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Raymond James Financial restated an “underperform” rating and set a $168.00 target price on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Roth Capital raised shares of ConocoPhillips from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $124.00 to $130.00 in a report on Monday, June 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.24.

View Our Latest Stock Report on ConocoPhillips ConocoPhillips Trading Up 2.2% Shares of COP opened at $128.00 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.39. ConocoPhillips has a 1 year low of $85.57 and a 1 year high of $141.62. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $126.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $121.40. The firm has a market cap of $153.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.13.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The energy producer reported $3.24 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $19.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.79 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 14.22% and a return on equity of 14.72%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 32.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.42 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 10.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th were issued a dividend of $0.84 per share. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 17th. ConocoPhillips’s dividend payout ratio is 44.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling at ConocoPhillips In other news, SVP Andrew Lundquist sold 9,487 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.15, for a total transaction of $1,282,168.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 9,593 shares in the company, valued at $1,296,493.95. This trade represents a 49.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

ConocoPhillips Company Profile (Free Report)

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) is an independent exploration and production company engaged primarily in finding, developing and producing crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The company sells its production to refiners, utilities, industrial customers and other energy market participants.

Its portfolio includes conventional and unconventional assets, with operations and development activities in the United States, including Alaska and the Lower 48, as well as Canada, Australia, Norway, Qatar and other international locations.

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For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.

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Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

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The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFor value investors, it's all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

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VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.8% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

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Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) Headquartered in Houston, TX, ConocoPhillips is primarily involved in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Considering proved reserves and production, the company is among the largest explorers and producers in the world. The company, founded in 1875, has a strong presence across conventional and unconventional plays in 15 countries. ConocoPhillips’ low-risk and cost-effective operations are spread across North America, Asia, Australia and Europe.

COP is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 12.1; value investors should take notice.

Seven analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $1.34 to $10.54 per share. COP also boasts an average earnings surprise of +7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, COP should be on investors' short list.

It's common for major oil companies to allocate a large portion of their free cash flow to "return of capital" activities such as dividends and share repurchases. Take, for example, ExxonMobil (XOM -0.03%) and ConocoPhillips (COP +0.49%).

Both have committed to stock buyback plans. But given the difference in size between the two companies, looking only at the raw dollar figures fails to capture the true game-changer potential of each company's plan.

By examining both buyback plans and other possible catalysts, we can more accurately determine which of these two oil dividend stocks has the greatest chance of "moving the needle."

Image source: Getty Images

ExxonMobil and its $20 billion in annual buybacks In January, ExxonMobil management committed to around $20 billion in share repurchases for 2026. Based on its $5.1 billion in stock buybacks last quarter, the integrated oil and natural gas giant appears on track to meet its goal. But will buybacks on that scale really move the needle for ExxonMobil investors?

Premium Feature

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Relative to its market cap of around $672 billion, $20 billion represents just under 3% of outstanding shares. Coupled with the stock's 2.5% dividend, these return-of-capital efforts provide investors with an effective yield of 5.5%, if you consider that typically, share repurchases proportionally increase the value of the remaining shares outstanding.

However, while these efforts can provide a steady baseline of long-term total returns for the stock, look to other catalysts that potentially have a needle-moving impact on ExxonMobil stock's long-term upside. Namely, efforts like the company's 2030 plan, which involves steep cost reductions and a pivot toward new business lines such as carbon capture. By 2030, management expects to increase the company's earnings and cash flow by $25 billion and $35 billion, respectively, compared to 2024 levels.

ConocoPhillips and its more vague (but potentially more impactful) catalysts ConocoPhillips' current target is to dedicate 45% of its operating cash flow to its capital return efforts. It has no specific dollar target for its stock buybacks. This makes sense, given that it's involved only in exploration and production. This makes its earnings more variable than those of an integrated major such as ExxonMobil.

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We do, however, have some numbers to work with. In 2025, it bought back $5 billion worth of shares. During the first half of 2026, ConocoPhillips' share buybacks totaled $3 billion. As oil prices remain high, the company could continue buybacks at a similar pace, which would result in $6 billion in shares repurchased for the year. That may sound like pocket change compared to $20 billion, but ConocoPhillips has a market cap of just $159 billion, about a fifth of ExxonMobil's.

As such, $6 billion in buybacks would reduce its outstanding share count by around 3.8%. Add in this stock's dividend, which at current share prices has a forward yield of 2.5%, and this results in an effective total yield of 6.3% on its return-of-capital efforts.

ConocoPhillips' other catalysts are more vague, yet they may offer the potential for greater upside. Management anticipates that three major projects, including its Willow project in Alaska, will drive a "$7 billion free cash flow inflection by 2029."

Yes, ConocoPhillips carries greater execution risk than ExxonMobil. However, $7 billion of incremental free cash will have a greater relative impact on it than the 2030 strategic plan will have on ExxonMobil. Considering this, ConocoPhillips has the greater needle-mover potential of these two energy stocks.

ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $132.54, demonstrating a -6.15% change from the preceding day's closing price. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.45%. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 1.21%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.01%.

The energy company's shares have seen an increase of 8.87% over the last month, surpassing the Oils-Energy sector's gain of 3.72% and the S&P 500's loss of 2.43%.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of ConocoPhillips in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $2.58, reflecting a 60.25% increase from the same quarter last year. Simultaneously, our latest consensus estimate expects the revenue to be $17.3 billion, showing a 11.47% escalation compared to the year-ago quarter.

For the annual period, the Zacks Consensus Estimates anticipate earnings of $10.54 per share and a revenue of $70.12 billion, signifying shifts of +71.1% and +13.93%, respectively, from the last year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for ConocoPhillips. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-term stock moves. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.

The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 4.95% upward. ConocoPhillips is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Digging into valuation, ConocoPhillips currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 13.39. This signifies a discount in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 21.02 for its industry.

We can also see that COP currently has a PEG ratio of 1.49. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. COP's industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.82 as of yesterday's close.

The Oil and Gas - Integrated - United States industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 178, placing it within the bottom 28% of over 250 industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.

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Válka mezi Spojenými státy, Izraelem a Íránem má vedle geopolitických dopadů a razantního zvýšení cen energetických komodit také významný (pozitivní) efekt na investiční portfolio amerického prezidenta Donalda Trumpa. Analýza CNBC, jež zkoumala veřejně dostupná finanční přiznání a firemní reporty, naznačuje, že hodnota Trumpových největších investic do ropného a plynárenského sektoru během prvních šesti měsíců konfliktu výrazně vzrostla.

Podle výpočtů se tržní hodnota devíti největších energetických pozic v Trumpově portfoliu mezi 27. únorem a 31. srpnem zvýšila přibližně o 1,5 až 4,4 milionu dolarů. Prezident v té době držel podíly ve společnostech Chevron, Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips, Occidental Petroleum, Marathon Petroleum, Phillips 66, Valero Energy, Kinder Morgan a Williams Companies.

Trumpovy účty uváděly nákupy a nejméně 23 prodejů, jež se týkaly zmíněných devíti společností, do 29. června, což je nejnovější datum, kdy Trump zveřejnil jakékoliv transakce. Jelikož ovšem podání neukazují přesné počty akcií, realizační ceny ani to, které akcie byly prodány, tak přesný rozsah zisků nelze určit, upozorňuje server CNBC.

Bílý dům jakékoliv spekulace o možném střetu zájmů odmítá. Podle jeho vyjádření nemá prezident ani členové jeho rodiny možnost ovlivňovat investiční rozhodnutí týkající se jejich portfolia. Veškeré transakce mají být prováděny nezávislými správci aktiv bez zásahů klienta.

To ale podle kritiků nestačí. „Když prezident dokáže pohnout trhem prostřednictvím oficiálních rozhodnutí a osobně z toho těžit, tak veřejnost zůstává v nejistotě, kde končí národní politika a kde začíná soukromý finanční zájem," řekl CNBC Donald Sherman, prezident a generální ředitel organizace Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, liberálně orientované organizace pro vládní etiku.

Navzdory Trumpovým výrokům, že jeho účty mají externí manažery, odborníci na etiku tvrdí, že outsourcing denního obchodování neodstraní elementární střet zájmů. „Diskreční účet je jen zástěrka, nikoliv slepý trust," řekl Scott Greytak, zástupce výkonného ředitele Transparency International U.S., nestranné, neziskové organizace bojující proti korupci.

„Někdo jiný možná provádí obchody, ale (Trump) stále ví, že je silně investováno do energií. Trump pravděpodobně ví, kde má uložené peníze a vidí růst, když kroky jeho administrativy posunou (energetické) akcie nahoru,“ dodal Greytak.

Načasované transakce

Akcie energetického sektoru reagovaly na jednotlivé fáze konfliktu velmi citlivě. Prudké růsty cen ropy střídaly výrazné poklesy pokaždé, když se objevily náznaky eskalace nebo naopak možnost dosažení mírové dohody.

První obchodní den po zahájení společné americko-izraelské operace proti Íránu (2. března) provedly Trumpovy účty podle zveřejněných záznamů nákupy akcií osmi hlavních ropných a plynárenských společností, včetně akcií Exxonu v hodnotě mezi 100 001 a 250 000 USD. Tato společnost přitom představovala jednu z největších prezidentových energetických investic už tehdy. Akcie Exxonu následně během války výrazně posílily.

Tři týdny po nákupech z 2. března, tedy 23. března před otevřením trhu Trump odložil hrozby útoků na íránskou energetickou infrastrukturu. Cena ropy Brent klesla díky vyhlídce na deeskalaci až o 11 procent. V ten den Trumpovy účty uváděly 16 nákupů akcií v oblasti ropného a plynárenského průmyslu a žádné prodeje, v celkové hodnotě přibližně 163 000 až 570 000 dolarů.

„Trumpova práce na dosažení příměří přímo ovlivnila investiční rozhodnutí, která jeho účty prosazovaly a která prezidentovi přinášela prospěch,“ řekl Greytak CNBC.

Pozornost vyvolaly také jiné „šikovně“ načasované transakce. Například začátkem dubna jeden z investičních účtů prodal balík akcií Exxonu v hodnotě až jednoho milionu dolarů. O několik hodin později prezident oznámil dvoutýdenní příměří s Íránem, po němž akcie Exxonu oslabily o více než šest procent.

Na Trumpovy obchody upozorňují také demokraté, kteří ve své srpnové zprávě uvedli, že prezidentovo portfolio zaměřené na ropu a plyn nabobtnalo o desítky milionů dolarů. „Donald Trump držel na konci roku 2025 miliony akcií ropných a plynárenských společností. Dnes mají tyto akcie hodnotu až o 15,5 milionu dolarů vyšší. Co se stalo? Letos zahájil válku s Íránem a vystřelil akcie ropných společností vzhůru,“ napsala na sociální síti X senátorka Elizabeth Warrenová, demokratka z Massachusetts.

Rekordní zisky firem

Devět hlavních energetických společností zastoupených v Trumpově portfoliu vykázalo za letošní druhé čtvrtletí souhrnný čistý zisk ve výši téměř 48 miliard dolarů. O rok dříve přitom vydělaly přibližně „jen“ 16 miliard dolarů. Výsledky táhly vzhůru především vyšší ceny ropy a mimořádně silné rafinerské marže.

Největší podíl na ziscích připadl dvojici Exxon Mobil a Chevron. Výrazně profitovaly ale i rafinerské společnosti Marathon Petroleum, Phillips 66 a Valero Energy.

Manažeři energetických firem navíc investorům signalizovali, že napjatá situace na trhu nemusí rychle skončit ani v případě politického urovnání konfliktu. Podle nich zůstává globální rafinerská kapacita vzhledem k poptávce velmi omezená, což vytváří tlak na udržení vysokých cen pohonných hmot.

To je zároveň jeden z důvodů rostoucí nespokojenosti amerických domácností. Benzin v průběhu války výrazně zdražil, přičemž průměrná národní cena za galon se vyšplhala nad čtyři dolary a o víkendu předcházejícím Svátku práce (letos 7. září) byla podle dat organizace AAA dokonce nejvyšší v historii.

Náklady na dopravu se tak pochopitelně staly jedním z nejcitlivějších ekonomických témat před listopadovými volbami. Podle průzkumu agentur Reuters a Ipsos ze začátku srpna představují životní náklady nejdůležitější volební téma pro 48 procent Američanů. Hned 70 procent respondentů přitom vyjádřilo nespokojenost s tím, jak administrativa zvládá otázku cenové dostupnosti.