ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) Upgraded by Freedom Capital to Strong-Buy Rating

Posted by Brian Himes on Aug 12th, 2026

ConocoPhillips logo ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Freedom Capital from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Raymond James Financial reduced their target price on ConocoPhillips from $145.00 to $142.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 1st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on ConocoPhillips from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $150.00 to $146.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Argus boosted their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $128.00 to $136.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, ConocoPhillips currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $137.28.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on ConocoPhillips

ConocoPhillips Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of NYSE:COP opened at $125.89 on Monday. ConocoPhillips has a 52 week low of $85.57 and a 52 week high of $135.87. 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 $151.24 billion, a PE ratio of 16.65, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.11. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $113.41 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $116.13.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $19.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.79 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.42 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 32.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 9.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in COP. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of ConocoPhillips by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 120,251,183 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $11,256,713,000 after buying an additional 408,304 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew 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 valued at $9,760,436,000 after acquiring an additional 2,712,703 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 5.9% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 48,360,060 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $4,527,230,000 after acquiring an additional 2,714,663 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 41,450,162 shares of the energy producer’s stock valued at $3,880,151,000 after acquiring an additional 2,350,645 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 15,038,675 shares of the energy producer’s stock worth $1,407,770,000 after acquiring an additional 648,432 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.36% of the company’s stock.

Key ConocoPhillips News

Here are the key news stories impacting ConocoPhillips this week:

Positive Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target to $161 from $155 and upgraded COP to “positive,” implying significant upside from the referenced share price. The upgrade adds to a generally constructive analyst view of the stock. Benzinga analyst note
Positive Sentiment: ConocoPhillips exceeded second-quarter expectations, reporting adjusted earnings of $3.24 per share versus the $2.90 consensus and revenue of $19.52 billion, up 32.4% year over year. Cash from operations reached $7.2 billion. COP Q2 Deep Dive
Positive Sentiment: Capital returns increased: COP doubled second-quarter share repurchases and raised total shareholder distributions to $3 billion, while maintaining its plan to return 45% of 2026 cash from operations. Management also reaffirmed full-year guidance. ConocoPhillips stock analysis
Positive Sentiment: Growth prospects remain supportive, including expected third-quarter production of 2.29 million–2.32 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, new LNG offtake agreements and potential benefits from portfolio changes and Alaska development.
Neutral Sentiment: Truist raised its target to $130 from $115 but retained a “hold” rating, signaling improved valuation support without a strong conviction to buy. Truist analyst note
Neutral Sentiment: CEO Ryan Lance will retire on September 1, with CFO Andy O’Brien succeeding him. The transition brings continuity but leaves O’Brien responsible for delivering a targeted $7 billion in free cash flow by 2029 and managing major Alaska project costs. Reuters CEO transition report
Negative Sentiment: Insider and institutional trading data are mixed to bearish: insiders reported sales but no purchases over the past six months, while several large investors reduced their positions. These signals may temper enthusiasm despite the strong operating results.
Negative Sentiment: Political pressure could create a risk to future cash returns. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has called on oil companies including COP to return alleged windfall profits to consumers amid geopolitical fuel-price concerns. Political pressure on oil companies

About ConocoPhillips

(Get Free Report)

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is a Houston-based international energy company focused on exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Formed in 2002 through the merger of Conoco Inc and Phillips Petroleum Company, the firm operates as an independent upstream company that explores for, develops and produces crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids across a portfolio of global assets.

The company’s activities span conventional and unconventional resources and include onshore and offshore operations in multiple regions around the world.