BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) Receives $41.43 Consensus Price Target from Analysts

Shares of BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-three research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and four have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $42.9750.

BP has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Argus upgraded shares of BP to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of BP from $39.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Melius Research lowered shares of BP from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $31.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of BP from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating on shares of BP in a report on Thursday, January 8th.

BP News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting BP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Oil-price rebound and bullish trade flows lifted integrated oil names including BP, supporting near-term sentiment for earnings and cash flow. BP and Shell lifted by oil prices rebound as Iran-US talks in jeaopardy
• Positive Sentiment: BNP Paribas Exane upgraded BP, giving investors an analyst-driven lift that can support buying interest. BP (NYSE:BP) Upgraded at BNP Paribas Exane
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets have been highlighting BP in bullish coverage (Bull of the Day), which can attract momentum-focused investors. Bull of the Day: BP (BP)
• Neutral Sentiment: BP signed a local power deal in Batam to supply a hyperscale data center — a small but strategic commercial win in renewables/energy services. BP Batam, PLN sign deal to power city’s second hyperscale data center
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst pieces on valuation and BP’s strong 1-year return are prompting debate over whether further upside is priced in — useful context for longer-term investors but not an immediate catalyst. Is It Too Late To Consider BP (LSE:BP.) After Its 59% One Year Surge?
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry note: majors are reallocating capital to distant basins to reduce geopolitical risk — a background trend that shapes BP’s long-term drilling choices. Big Oil Plows Billions Into Far-Flung Drilling Sites to Escape Iran Turmoil
• Negative Sentiment: Environmental groups filed suit seeking to block BP’s planned ultra-deepwater (Kaskida) drilling in the Gulf, raising regulatory, project-timing and reputational risk for a high-cost development. This is a direct legal threat to a major offshore program. Environmental Groups Sue to Block BP’s Plan to Drill in Deep Gulf Waters Lawsuit Targets Trump Administration Approval of BP’s Ultra-Deepwater Drilling in Gulf of Mexico
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen trimmed its price target on BP, which can cap upside from some investors and is a counter to bullish analyst calls. BP Price Target Lowered by $2 at TD Cowen
• Negative Sentiment: An apparent explosion/incident at the Cherry Point (Blaine) refinery injured workers and prompted a temporary operational disruption — a local operational and safety concern that can weigh on sentiment until details/inspections are clear. Update: 3 injured in apparent explosion at BP Cherry Point refinery near Ferndale

BP Stock Performance

NYSE:BP opened at $45.96 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $120.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4,591.31, a PEG ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 0.21. The company’s 50-day moving average is $42.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $38.07. BP has a 1-year low of $27.20 and a 1-year high of $48.27.

BP (NYSE:BP) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.03. The company 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%. BP’s revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.44 EPS. Analysts forecast that BP will post 4.59 EPS for the current year.

BP Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th were issued a $0.4992 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. BP’s dividend payout ratio is currently -19,800.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BP

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sound Shore Management Inc. CT purchased a new stake in shares of BP in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $67,890,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund purchased a new stake in shares of BP in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $17,768,000. Sagefield Capital LP increased its position in shares of BP by 125.2% in the 4th quarter. Sagefield Capital LP now owns 493,556 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $17,141,000 after purchasing an additional 274,381 shares during the last quarter. Milford Funds Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of BP in the 4th quarter valued at $8,335,000. Finally, Vestor Capital LLC grew its position in shares of BP by 3,119.8% in the 4th quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 66,553 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $2,311,000 after buying an additional 64,486 shares during the last quarter. 11.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.