Michael McCaul, the U.S. representative for Texas’s 10th congressional district since 2005, has been earning huge profits in his latest trades (buy and sell). As per his latest regulatory disclosure on Capitol Trades, the Republican politician bought shares of three companies in mid-February: ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP), Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET), and PayPal Holdings (NASDAQ:PYPL).
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Using TipRanks’ data, let’s find out what’s on the horizon for COP, ANET, and PYPL stocks, along with how the stocks have performed since McCaul bought them.
Is COP Stock a Buy?
ConocoPhillips is an American oil and gas company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration and production. Year to date, COP stock is down 14.4%. The recent turmoil in the banking sector is keeping oil prices low. McCaul bought COP stock on February 13 in the range of $100-$250K. Since that day, COP stock has lost over 14%.
Based on 12 Buys and four Hold ratings, COP stock has a Strong Buy consensus rating on TipRanks. Also, the average ConocoPhillips price forecast of $139.20 implies 44.4% upside potential from current levels.
Top insiders also have a Positive signal on COP stock as three corporate insiders bought COP stock worth $1.2 million in the past three months.
Having said that, hedge funds are shunning the stock as excess inventory and fears of a looming recession weigh upon the oil and gas sector’s outlook. During the last quarter, 23 hedge funds sold 7.2 million shares of ConocoPhillips, giving it a Very Negative signal on TipRanks. Nevertheless, COP stock has an Outperform Smart Score of eight, boosted by increasing buys from retail investors and overall Bullish Blogger opinions.
What is the Future of ANET Stock?
Arista Networks is an American computer networking company. ANET stock has zoomed 40% so far in 2023, thanks to better-than-expected Q4FY22 results and solid revenue forecasts posted on February 13.
McCaul bought ANET stock on February 10, just before its earnings, in the size range of $50-$100K. Since that day, ANET stock has gained over 24%. On TipRanks, ANET stock has an Outperform Smart Score of Nine.
Retail investors are highly optimistic about ANET stock since they increased their holdings by 6.8% in the last 30 days. Plus, Wall Street analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on Arista Networks based on 12 Buys and four Hold ratings. The average arista Networks price target of $170.67 implies that shares are almost fully valued at current levels.
Is PYPL Stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell?
PayPal is an American fintech company that operates an online payment system. Year to date, PYPL stock has lost 2.7% owing to the banking crisis and contagion fears. McCaul bought PayPal shares in the range of $50-$100K on February 14, after the company posted solid Q4FY22 results. PYPL stock has been down over 6% since then.
Corporate insiders are Positive about PayPal’s potential as they bought PYPL shares worth $2 million in the last three months. However, both retail investors and hedge funds are dumping the stock. TipRanks stock investors have reduced exposure to PYPL stock by 1.9% in the last 30 days. Also, 51 hedge funds have sold 16.2 million shares of PayPal in the last quarter.
Meanwhile, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on PayPal based on 17 Buys, eight Holds, and One Sell rating. The average PayPal Holdings price target of $111.29 implies 53.4% upside potential. A combination of these factors gives PayPal Holdings a Neutral Smart Score of Seven.
Ending Thoughts
Congressman McCaul has been widely followed for his stock trades, as the politician is known for his knack of invariably pulling a profit on them. Investors may choose to follow McCaul’s stock picks to make informed investment decisions. At the same time, one can use TipRanks’ Experts Center tool to form investment decisions with ease.
