Kosmos Energy (NYSE:KOS) Shares Down 12.1% on Insider Selling

Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:KOS) shares were down 12.1% during trading on Thursday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $1.32 and last traded at $1.3450. Approximately 5,376,554 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 72% from the average daily volume of 19,411,645 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.53.

Specifically, CEO Andrew G. Inglis sold 44,628 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.42, for a total transaction of $63,371.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 4,227,017 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,002,364.14. This represents a 1.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Andrew G. Inglis sold 103,554 shares of Kosmos Energy stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.37, for a total transaction of $141,868.98. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 4,271,645 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,852,153.65. This represents a 2.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In other Kosmos Energy news, CFO Nealesh D. Shah sold 24,690 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.42, for a total value of $35,059.80. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 1,705,167 shares in the company, valued at $2,421,337.14. The trade was a 1.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KOS has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Kosmos Energy in a research report on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Kosmos Energy from $1.75 to $2.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Johnson Rice cut Kosmos Energy from a “buy” rating to an “accumulate” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $4.50 to $3.50 in a report on Friday, December 5th. Clarkson Capital began coverage on Kosmos Energy in a research report on Friday, October 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $4.00 target price for the company. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on shares of Kosmos Energy from $1.70 to $0.80 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $2.08.

Kosmos Energy News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kosmos Energy this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Independent coverage: Seeking Alpha published a feature framing KOS as a “high‑stakes bet” on an oil rebound — a deep-dive that can attract retail and momentum traders but does not represent a company catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership: Several large funds (American Century, Patient Capital, Equinox, Vanguard, Geode) hold substantial positions; institutional ownership is reported at ~95% — high institutional stakes can limit float and amplify price moves on limited volume.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst mix: Recent notes are mixed — Goldman Sachs raised its target modestly to $2.00 (neutral); other firms have cut targets (Sanford Bernstein cut to $0.80). Consensus remains around a “Hold” with a ~ $2.08 average target, giving limited near‑term analyst upside.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — CEO: Andrew G. Inglis sold ~148,182 shares across Feb. 3–4 (average ~$1.37–$1.42), reducing his stake by a couple percent; filings: Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — CFO and other senior execs: CFO Nealesh D. Shah sold ~79,124 shares (filing: Read More.); SVP Josh Marion and CAO Ronald W. Glass also sold meaningful stakes across Feb. 3–4 (filings: Read More., Read More.). These coordinated sales by several insiders are a negative governance/sentiment signal.

Kosmos Energy Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $705.54 million, a P/E ratio of -2.17 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.04, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.29. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $1.12 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1.48.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Blueshift Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Kosmos Energy during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Old Port Advisors purchased a new stake in Kosmos Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Ellevest Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Kosmos Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Kosmos Energy in the second quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Kosmos Energy by 41.0% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 24,634 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 7,169 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.33% of the company’s stock.

About Kosmos Energy

Kosmos Energy Ltd. is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Since its founding in 2003, the company has focused on identifying and developing hydrocarbon reserves in frontier and emerging basins around the world. Kosmos combines geological and geophysical expertise with a disciplined approach to acreage acquisition and partner selection to pursue high‐impact offshore exploration opportunities.

The company’s portfolio is anchored by assets in West Africa and the Gulf of Mexico.