Why Smart Money Is Piling Into COP After Earnings Miss: The Marathon Deal Just Changed Everything

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By Joel South Published
Why Smart Money Is Piling Into COP After Earnings Miss: The Marathon Deal Just Changed Everything

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ConocoPhillips reported disappointing fourth-quarter results on February 5, 2026, missing both earnings and revenue estimates as lower oil prices overshadowed production gains from the Marathon Oil acquisition. The Houston-based energy producer posted adjusted EPS of $1.02, falling short of the $1.12 consensus estimate by 9%. Revenue of $14.19 billion also missed expectations of $14.34 billion.

Commodity Prices Drive Earnings Decline

Net income tumbled to $1.44 billion from $2.30 billion in the year-ago quarter, a 37.3% decline driven primarily by weaker commodity prices. The company’s realized price per barrel of oil equivalent fell 19% year-over-year to $42.46, reflecting broader market pressures. WTI crude averaged $61.60 per barrel as of early February, down 13.7% year-over-year.

Production reached 2,320 MBOED, up 137 MBOED year-over-year, thanks to the Marathon acquisition, though underlying production declined 2.6% when adjusted for the merger impact.

Marathon Synergies Exceed Targets

CEO Ryan Lance highlighted operational achievements despite the earnings miss, stating: “We outperformed our initial production, capital and cost guidance; successfully integrated Marathon Oil, doubling our synergy capture.” The company achieved over $1 billion in run-rate synergies from the Marathon deal, double the initial target.

2026 Outlook and Shareholder Returns

ConocoPhillips issued 2026 guidance targeting production of 2.33-2.36 MMBOED with capital expenditures of approximately $12 billion. The company plans to reduce costs by $1 billion and expects $7 billion in incremental free cash flow by 2029.

The board declared a $0.84 per share quarterly dividend payable March 2, 2026. For full-year 2025, ConocoPhillips returned $9.0 billion to shareholders, including $5.0 billion in buybacks and $4.0 billion in dividends, representing 45% of cash from operations.

Shares rose 14.93% year-to-date through February 4, closing at $107.59.

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About the Author Joel South →

Joel South covers large-cap stocks, dividend investing, and major market trends, with a focus on earnings analysis, valuation, and turning complex data into actionable insights for investors.

He brings more than 15 years of experience as an investor and financial journalist, including 12 years at The Motley Fool, where he served as an investment analyst, Bureau Chief, and later led the Fool.com investing news desk. He has also co-hosted an investing podcast and appeared across TV and radio discussing market trends.

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