BP (NYSE:BP) Raised to Strong-Buy at BNP Paribas Exane

BP (NYSE:BP) was upgraded by equities research analysts at BNP Paribas Exane from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on BP. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of BP from $39.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of BP from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Freedom Capital downgraded shares of BP from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Scotiabank upgraded shares of BP to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of BP from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, BP currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $42.98.

BP Price Performance

NYSE:BP opened at $44.61 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $116.96 billion, a PE ratio of -4,456.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 0.21. BP has a 52 week low of $27.20 and a 52 week high of $48.27. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $42.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $37.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74.

BP (NYSE:BP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $47.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $42.19 billion. BP had a net margin of 0.03% and a return on equity of 9.68%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.44 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that BP will post 3.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. ORG Partners LLC increased its holdings in BP by 16.2% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 2,038 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $71,000 after buying an additional 284 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp increased its holdings in BP by 8.1% in the fourth quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 3,933 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $137,000 after buying an additional 296 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in BP by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,597 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $229,000 after buying an additional 324 shares in the last quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. increased its holdings in BP by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. now owns 36,721 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $1,275,000 after buying an additional 330 shares in the last quarter. Finally, United Community Bank increased its stake in shares of BP by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. United Community Bank now owns 29,456 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $1,023,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. 11.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting BP

Here are the key news stories impacting BP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BP flagged “exceptional” oil trading results for Q1 2026, citing heightened price volatility and dislocations between marker and realized prices tied to Middle East conflict — trading gains BP says are separate from production guidance. This suggests a near-term cash/earnings boost that can support the share price. BP Flags Exceptional Q1 2026 Trading As Valuation Questions Linger
• Positive Sentiment: UBS upgraded BP from Neutral to Buy and raised its price target to 700p, citing leadership change (new CEO Meg O’Neill) and an opportunity to improve returns — a credible bank upgrade that can attract investors and support upside momentum. Investment bank upgrades BP with 700p price target as new CEO takes helm
• Positive Sentiment: Industry commentary and roundup pieces (Zacks) continue to spotlight BP among energy stocks benefiting from geopolitics, capital discipline and tight supply — a supportive thematic backdrop for flow into majors. 4 Energy Stocks to Buy as Geopolitics Reshapes Global Markets
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets note BP is a “trending” stock and publish earnings-estimate pieces; useful for retail interest but not new fundamental catalysts. BP p.l.c. (BP) Is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-blog coverage (Zacks/others) highlights sector tailwinds for integrated majors — supportive context but not company-specific new data. The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Exxon Mobil, Chevron and BP
• Negative Sentiment: Kenyan courts have allowed a lawsuit against BP over alleged toxic waste from 1980s exploration to proceed — a legal development that creates reputational risk and potential material liabilities if damages are pursued or broader claims emerge. BP sued in Kenya over alleged toxic waste from 1980s oil exploration
• Negative Sentiment: A separate report frames the Kenyan case as alleging more than 500 deaths tied to toxic waste — if damages and punitive claims escalate, this could weigh on investor sentiment and valuation. BP sued over 500 deaths in Kenya

About BP

BP plc is a British multinational integrated energy company headquartered in London. Originating in the early 20th century as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, BP has grown into one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, operating across exploration and production, refining and marketing, trading, and a range of low-carbon businesses.

The company’s core activities include upstream exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, midstream and trading operations, and downstream refining, marketing and supply of fuels, lubricants and petrochemicals.