BP’s (BP) Buy Rating Reaffirmed at Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group reissued their buy rating on shares of BP (LON:BP) in a report issued on Monday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a GBX 540 ($6.85) target price on the oil and gas exploration company’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on BP. Berenberg Bank decreased their price objective on BP from GBX 470 ($5.96) to GBX 440 ($5.58) and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an “underweight” rating on shares of BP in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and set a GBX 500 ($6.34) price target on shares of BP in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of GBX 605 ($7.68).

BP Price Performance

Shares of BP opened at GBX 385.10 ($4.89) on Monday. The firm has a market cap of £61.04 billion, a PE ratio of 1,199.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.49. BP has a 52-week low of GBX 379.70 ($4.82) and a 52-week high of GBX 562.30 ($7.13). The business’s 50 day moving average price is GBX 390.05 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 423.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 79.91, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.24.

BP Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 7th. This represents a yield of 1.54%. BP’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6,969.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other BP news, insider Murray Auchincloss bought 95 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 394 ($5.00) per share, for a total transaction of £374.30 ($474.88). In the last quarter, insiders have purchased 200 shares of company stock valued at $76,760. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

About BP

BP p.l.c. provides carbon products and services. The company operates through Gas & Low Carbon Energy, Oil Production & Operations, and Customers & Products segments. It engages in the production of natural gas, and integrated gas and power; trading of gas; operation of onshore and offshore wind power, as well as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage facilities; trading and marketing of renewable and non-renewable power; and production of crude oil.