BP (NYSE:BP) Stock Sees Heavy Call Option Buying

Posted by George Bondi on Oct 13th, 2026

BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP – Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Traders acquired 27,036 call options on the company. This is an increase of 51% compared to the typical daily volume of 17,937 call options.

BP Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BP traded up $1.68 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $48.41. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 7,057,823 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,807,616. BP has a 12-month low of $32.72 and a 12-month high of $48.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $126.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.61, a PEG ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 0.20. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $44.07 and a 200-day moving average price of $43.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 0.95.

BP (NYSE:BP – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The oil and gas exploration company reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.35. BP had a return on equity of 16.63% and a net margin of 2.49%. The company had revenue of $69.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $57.89 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.90 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 106.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that BP will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current year.

BP Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 18th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th were paid a dividend of $0.5196 per share. This is an increase from BP’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.4992. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. BP’s dividend payout ratio is presently 100.49%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of BP from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, July 18th. BTIG Research lowered BP to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of BP in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Weiss Ratings upgraded BP from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price objective on BP from $53.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, BP has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $48.44.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on BP

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BP. Dupree Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of BP by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Dupree Financial Group LLC now owns 161,280 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $7,095,000 after acquiring an additional 4,557 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new position in shares of BP during the third quarter worth about $215,000. Riversedge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of BP during the third quarter worth about $256,000. Wedmont Private Capital increased its position in shares of BP by 4.5% in the third quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 7,478 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $347,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hummer Financial Advisory Services Inc purchased a new position in BP in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $205,000. 11.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

BP News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting BP this week:

Positive Sentiment: BP expects third-quarter net debt of approximately $13.5 billion-$14.5 billion, down from $22.3 billion at the end of the second quarter. The reduction reportedly brings forward the company’s 2027 debt target and reflects stronger cash generation from oil and gas trading and refining. BP Debt Shrinks With Boost From Oil and Gas Trading, Refining
Positive Sentiment: BP forecasts a significant improvement in its third-quarter refining indicator margin, with reports describing a potential tripling from the prior quarter. Higher refining margins and stronger gas trading are expected to support earnings. BP expects significantly higher gas trading in third quarter
Positive Sentiment: Rising crude prices have helped BP’s shares recover from their July low, improving the earnings backdrop for the company’s upstream operations. Investors are also viewing the stronger balance sheet as giving management greater flexibility ahead of the December strategy presentation. BP Share price breaks key level as oil surges, and Meg O’Neill plans new strategy
Positive Sentiment: BP is among the oil and gas companies using NVIDIA-powered computing for geological analysis, drilling decisions and operational efficiency. The initiative could provide longer-term productivity benefits, although it is not an immediate earnings catalyst. 4 Oil & Gas Firms Betting on NVIDIA-Powered AI Technology
Neutral Sentiment: BP is expected to outline a new corporate strategy in December under CEO Meg O’Neill. The update could clarify capital allocation, portfolio priorities and the company’s approach to oil, gas and low-carbon assets. BP Plans Strategy Update as Balance Sheet Strengthens
Negative Sentiment: BP expects up to $4.5 billion of third-quarter net impairment charges, primarily tied to gas and low-carbon assets. These noncash charges could weigh on reported earnings and highlight risks in parts of the company’s portfolio, partially offsetting the debt and refining improvements. BP Flags Up to $4.5 Billion in Impairments as Refining Margins Jump

BP Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

BP p.l.c. is a global integrated energy company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its operations span the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas, as well as the processing, refining, transportation and marketing of energy products.

Through its businesses, BP supplies fuels for road transportation, aviation and marine use, along with lubricants marketed under the Castrol brand. The company also operates retail fuel and convenience locations and provides energy products and services to commercial and industrial customers.

BP has expanded its activities beyond traditional hydrocarbons to include lower-carbon businesses such as renewable power, bioenergy, electric-vehicle charging and hydrogen.