ConocoPhillips (COP)

I last covered ConocoPhillips (COP) in the early days of the second quarter. Suffice to say, the stock has not shifted much on the price front in the intervening period. Its shares traded for around $32.90 back then, while they currently change hands for around $32.35. That rather disappointing performance comes despite oil prices rallying from $25 per barrel to around $40 per barrel over…

From a long-term perspective, purer play oil & gas production companies make me a bit nervous. The reason for that is simple: they require constant vigilance in a way that other companies do not. Occidental Petroleum seems a good example of that in the current crisis. As a result of its ill-timed purchase of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, it enters this downturn holding north of $35,000m…