I was looking at a 20yr chart of COP (I like the dividend) and when I scrolled back to '92 the range was below 0, with a low quoted (or displayed) as -5.46. Would this be due to stock splits (or maybe reverse splits) over time?

My first guess would be data corruption, but I don't know.

Probably so. It looks like it dips under the zero line from around '96 on back. Weird. This is on TOS if anyone wants to check it out.

Call tech support and let them know. That's your best bet.

A truly great stock IMHO, my favorite large oil co, and "I" own an appreciable slug of it.

It recently spun off its refining ops into PSX which pays about half the divvy of COP. If you owned X shs COP pre-spinoff you now own X shs COP and 1/2X shs PSX.

The market thus values the combo at 55.8 for COP plus 1/2 (35.42) = 17.7 for PSX = total 73.5 a nominal price (maybe a little higher than avg) for what COP was selling for pre-spinoff.

I am biased, but I think it is a great company, not quite as dynamic as some of the smaller ones, but they seem to execute very well. The div is very attractive. At this lower price, you are getting the sweet part of the ops, everyone despises refining as the worst industry anyone could ever be involved in (I happen to like refineries and the technology & find the process chemistry fascinating though sometimes they smell bad) I have seen COP trade into the 80's and 90's.

And I think but am not sure that it split in the mid-90's. I didn't own it back then.

I like the divvy as well and have been looking to cycle into companies that have real profits as longer-term investments for retirement accounts (recently set myself up with brokerage ability for IRA and 401k). I've been frustrated the last few years because I want to be an investor and not a trader (by inclination and ability) but it just hasn't seemed like an investor's market. Tired of sitting on the sidelines and I want to put some retirement money into solid companies that pay a nice dividend.

Any other dividend plays that people like out there? I've been looking for downloadable data on stocks where I could set criteria on dividends but haven't had much luck.

FYI, I was playing around on the stock screener on my Fidelity account and was able to finally download some data. Pretty clunky, though..

The big pharmas generally all have respectable divvys, but I only point this out to point it out without expressing an opinion. My Dad was a research chemist and his portfolio was loaded up with MRK, BMY, LLY, BDX (not as good div) and the like. He bot what he knew. He was in fact way too concentrated in that sector but GEEEZ 47 years of DRIP investing in BMY has produced a towering ****load of shares. Thus my semi-familiarity w/the sector.

And of course you should not overlook the div champs, the Canroys. They can be a pain in the ass as far as recordkeeping because the divs are treated in some proportion as return of capital and I am told they are not AMT-friendly (but I don't know, that has not so far affected me)

My dad did something similar with AT&T. Started buying in 1960 and now has a ton of stock..

Not too familiar with the Canroys but they sound intriguing. Here's a link if anyone's interested: http://www.ehow.com/how_5617499_invest-c....

COP down big today, went through the 50 and the 200. Not sure why, haven't seen any news. I sold some Sept 55s so kind of hoping it stays right around here for a couple of weeks so I get assigned..