Baker Hughes (NASDAQ:BKR) Reaches New 1-Year High After Strong Earnings

Key Points

• Baker Hughes stock hit a new 52‑week high (intraday high $68.36) after reporting Q1 EPS of $0.58 versus a $0.49 consensus, while revenue was $6.59B (+2.5% YoY) and slightly below estimates.
• The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share (ex‑div May 5, payable May 15) for a ~1.4% yield, and several analysts raised targets with the consensus rating at a Moderate Buy.
• Sentiment is tempered by sizable insider selling (including the CEO) and third‑party summaries noting weaker operating cash flow and increased liabilities despite the earnings beat.

Baker Hughes Company (NASDAQ:BKR - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $68.36 and last traded at $67.5640, with a volume of 4134842 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $64.49.

The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $6.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.71 billion. Baker Hughes had a net margin of 9.33% and a return on equity of 14.26%. The firm's revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.51 earnings per share.

Baker Hughes Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 5th will be paid a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 5th. Baker Hughes's dividend payout ratio is currently 35.38%.

More Baker Hughes News

Here are the key news stories impacting Baker Hughes this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat consensus — Baker Hughes reported quarterly EPS above Street expectations ($0.58 vs. ~$0.49 consensus), a sign of operating resilience that likely lifted the stock. Zacks: Q1 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Stronger third‑party report highlighted bigger upside — a Quiver summary shows a larger revenue/EPS beat (revenue ~$7.39B, EPS ~$0.88) and a sharp YoY net‑income rebound; if confirmed, that reinforces the bullish reaction. (Third‑party data flagged in the source.) Quiver: Q1 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — Board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.23/share (ex‑div May 5, payable May 15), which supports income investors and signals confidence in cash generation. GlobeNewswire: Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance updated but not clearly directional — Baker Hughes issued Q2 and FY‑2026 revenue ranges roughly overlapping consensus (Q2 ~ $6.3–$6.8B; FY ~$26.2–$28.3B). The ranges leave room for interpretation, so the market reaction depends on how investors parse midpoint vs. expectations.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst backdrop mixed-to-positive — several firms maintain buy/overweight ratings and median price targets near the current level (~$65), which may cap upside unless guidance or cash flow surprises further.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and institutional reductions — recent filings show sizeable insider sales (including senior executives) and large institutional position trims by some big holders, which can weigh on sentiment despite the beat. Quiver: Insider/Institutional Activity
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed cash‑flow and balance‑sheet signals — reported operating cash flow declined and total liabilities increased in third‑party summaries, offsetting some of the earnings strength and giving investors pause on sustainability. Quiver: Cash Flow & Balance Sheet

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Baker Hughes from $61.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Baker Hughes from $64.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. iA Financial set a $60.00 target price on shares of Baker Hughes in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Baker Hughes from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Johnson Rice began coverage on shares of Baker Hughes in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $68.00 target price for the company. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Baker Hughes currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $61.86.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Rebecca L. Charlton sold 843 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.34, for a total transaction of $47,494.62. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 14,019 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $789,830.46. This represents a 5.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Lorenzo Simonelli sold 272,594 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.79, for a total transaction of $16,025,801.26. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 866,444 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $50,938,242.76. This represents a 23.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 590,251 shares of company stock valued at $35,311,023 in the last quarter. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Baker Hughes

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Activest Wealth Management raised its stake in Baker Hughes by 1,242.5% during the 3rd quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 537 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 497 shares during the last quarter. EFG International AG acquired a new position in Baker Hughes during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. raised its stake in Baker Hughes by 344.1% during the 4th quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 604 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Baker Hughes by 104.0% during the 3rd quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 661 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 337 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new position in Baker Hughes during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. 92.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Baker Hughes Trading Up 4.9%

The company's 50 day moving average is $61.18 and its 200 day moving average is $53.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $66.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.98, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.36.

Baker Hughes Company Profile

Baker Hughes is an energy technology company that provides a broad portfolio of products, services and digital solutions for the oil and gas and industrial markets. Its offerings span oilfield services and equipment — including drilling, evaluation, completion and production technologies — as well as turbomachinery, compressors and related process equipment used in midstream and downstream operations. The company also supplies aftermarket services, field support and integrated solutions designed to improve asset performance and uptime across the energy value chain.

The firm's roots trace back to the merger of Baker International and Hughes Tool Company, and more recently it combined with GE's oil and gas business in 2017 to form Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE); subsequent changes in ownership restored Baker Hughes as an independent publicly traded company.

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