US allows oil majors to resume Venezuela operations, broadly okays new energy investments | ReutersSkip to main content[Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionalsLearn more aboutRefinitiv]Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and U.S. Charge d'Affaires for Venezuela Laura Dogu visit oil production facilities at the joint venture... [Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab] Read more- Companies[Bp Plc]Follow[Chevron Corp]Follow[Conocophi ...

Company Impact - A fire at Valero's Ardmore oil refinery in Oklahoma resulted in one death from injuries sustained during the incident [1] - Valero Energy Corp has not yet provided a comment regarding the situation [1] Industry Context - The incident highlights ongoing safety concerns within the oil refining industry, which may impact operational protocols and regulatory scrutiny [1]

Core Viewpoint - ConocoPhillips and its partners are set to invest approximately $2.11 billion to restart production in the Greater Ekofisk area by the end of 2028, focusing on extracting hydrocarbons from previously shut fields [1] Investment Details - The investment will target three fields: Albuskjell, Vest Ekofisk, and Tommeliten Gamma, which were shut down in 2019 [1] - The project, named Previously Produced Fields (PPF), aims to recover an estimated 90 million to 120 million barrels of oil equivalent in natural gas and condensate from these fields [1] Stakeholder Information - ConocoPhillips holds a 35.1% stake in both Albuskjell and Vest Ekofisk, and a 28.3% stake in Tommeliten Gamma [1] - Other partners include Vaar Energi with a 52.3% stake in Albuskjell and Vest Ekofisk, Orlen Upstream with 7.6%, and state-owned Petoro with 5% [1] - In Tommeliten Gamma, Orlen holds a 62.6% stake while Vaar Energi has 9.1% [1] Production Timeline - The first gas production from the project is anticipated to commence in the final quarter of 2028 [1]

Chevron is up big in 2026 as part of a rip-roaring rally in energy stocks.In December, I said that Chevron (CVX +1.94%) stood out as a top high-yield dividend stock to buy before 2026 -- even better than what I consider to be the best U.S. energy exploration and production company, ConocoPhillips.Both stocks have done phenomenally well year to date, with Chevron up 18.7% and ConocoPhillips rising 15% compared to just a 1.3% gain in the S&P 500.With Chevron hovering around an all-time high, some investors ma ...

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP).And retail traders should know.We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with COP, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.So how do we know what these investors just did? Today, Benzinga's options scanner spott ...

Core Insights - ConocoPhillips (COP) shares have increased by 13.7% over the past six months, which is lower than the energy sector's average gain of 21% and significantly less than Exxon Mobil Corporation's 42.9% increase [1][9] Company Overview - ConocoPhillips is a key player in the exploration and production sector, with a strong asset base in major U.S. shale basins such as the Delaware Basin, Midland Basin, Eagle Ford, and Bakken shale [2] - The company has a durable and diverse portfolio that is expected to support production growth for decades, although it remains vulnerable to crude price volatility due to its upstream focus [2] Crude Price Vulnerability - In its latest earnings call, ConocoPhillips indicated that 2026 could be a challenging year for commodity prices, which are crucial for its earnings and cash flows [4] - The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude will average $53.42 per barrel in 2026, down from $65.40 per barrel in 2025, which could negatively impact ConocoPhillips [5] Capital Expenditures and Financial Flexibility - ConocoPhillips has reduced capital spending compared to 2025 but still faces significant pre-productive capital expenditures for its Willow project, which is currently 50% complete and expected to start production in 2029 [10] - The ongoing capital commitments for the Willow project may limit the company's financial flexibility, especially in a low crude price environment [11] Market Valuation - The current valuation of ConocoPhillips suggests that the stock may be slightly overvalued, with a trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio of 5.85X, compared to the industry average of 5.77X [13]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the reliability of brokerage recommendations, particularly focusing on ConocoPhillips (COP), and highlights the potential misalignment of interests between brokerage analysts and retail investors [1][5]. Group 1: Brokerage Recommendations for ConocoPhillips - ConocoPhillips has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.66, indicating a position between Strong Buy and Buy, based on recommendations from 28 brokerage firms [2]. - Out of the 28 recommendations, 17 are classified as Strong Buy, while 4 are classified as Buy, representing 60.7% and 14.3% of total recommendations respectively [2]. Group 2: Limitations of Brokerage Recommendations - Solely relying on brokerage recommendations for investment decisions may not be advisable, as studies suggest they often fail to guide investors towards stocks with significant price appreciation potential [5]. - Brokerage analysts tend to exhibit a strong positive bias in their ratings due to vested interests, with a ratio of five "Strong Buy" recommendations for every "Strong Sell" [6][11]. Group 3: Zacks Rank as an Alternative - The Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock rating tool, categorizes stocks from Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank 5 (Strong Sell) and is considered an effective indicator of near-term stock price performance [8]. - The Zacks Rank is based on earnings estimate revisions, which have shown a strong correlation with stock price movements, unlike the ABR which may not be timely [12][13]. Group 4: Current Earnings Estimates for ConocoPhillips - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ConocoPhillips has decreased by 14.9% over the past month to $4.55, indicating growing pessimism among analysts regarding the company's earnings prospects [14]. - This decline in earnings estimates has resulted in a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) for ConocoPhillips, suggesting caution despite the Buy-equivalent ABR [15].

ConocoPhillips rallied as oil prices rose due to geopolitical turmoil in Venezuela and Iran.Shares of oil and gas major ConocoPhillips (COP +1.00%) rallied 11.3% in January, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.Conoco didn't report fourth-quarter earnings until last week, on Feb. 5. Still, January was filled with news for the oil and gas industry generally, and for Conoco specifically, as two significant geopolitical events sent most oil and gas names higher. NYSE : COPConocoPhillipsToday's ...

The playbook is simple — collect first, consider production later.Cash Before CrudeOn the fourth quarter earnings call, CEO Ryan Lance cut through the geopolitics with one line that matters more than any production forecast:"Our focus remains on trying to get the recovery that has owed us from the two judgments that we have in place."Translation for investors: Conoco's Venezuelan upside is legal, not operational. Years after its assets were expropriated, the company is pursuing cash through courts, settleme ...

The playbook is simple — collect first, consider production later.Cash Before CrudeOn the fourth quarter earnings call, CEO Ryan Lance cut through the geopolitics with one line that matters more than any production forecast:"Our focus remains on trying to get the recovery that has owed us from the two judgments that we have in place."Translation for investors: Conoco's Venezuelan upside is legal, not operational. Years after its assets were expropriated, the company is pursuing cash through courts, settleme ...