Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Hess Earnings

Hess Co. (NYSE:HES - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research cut their Q2 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Hess in a report issued on Thursday, May 22nd. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now forecasts that the oil and gas producer will post earnings per share of $1.27 for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $1.37. The consensus estimate for Hess' current full-year earnings is $8.08 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Hess' Q3 2025 earnings at $1.30 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $1.48 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $5.85 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $1.72 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.67 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.84 EPS and Q1 2027 earnings at $2.88 EPS.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on HES. UBS Group dropped their target price on Hess from $170.00 to $163.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Susquehanna dropped their target price on Hess from $160.00 to $136.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Wall Street Zen began coverage on Hess in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on Hess from $151.00 to $147.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their target price on Hess from $193.00 to $191.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Hess has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $162.16.

Hess Stock Performance

NYSE:HES traded up $1.22 on Monday, hitting $132.58. The stock had a trading volume of 3,171,103 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,797,613. The stock has a market cap of $41.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.73 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $137.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $141.04. Hess has a 52-week low of $123.79 and a 52-week high of $161.69.

Hess (NYSE:HES - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.81 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.95 by ($0.14). Hess had a net margin of 21.27% and a return on equity of 26.32%. The business had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.95 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.16 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was down 12.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Institutional Trading of Hess

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Hess by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 34,873,741 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $5,570,383,000 after buying an additional 1,732,497 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Hess by 16,134.6% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,546,506 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $2,470,230,000 after buying an additional 1,536,980 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen LLC bought a new stake in Hess during the first quarter valued at about $196,457,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in Hess by 94.4% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 2,043,488 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $326,408,000 after purchasing an additional 992,383 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in Hess by 46.3% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,930,509 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $389,787,000 after buying an additional 927,093 shares during the last quarter. 88.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO John B. Hess sold 175,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.30, for a total transaction of $27,877,500.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 2,384,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at $379,879,364.70. This represents a 6.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 9.10% of the company's stock.

Hess Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 16th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.51%. Hess's payout ratio is currently 27.66%.

Hess Company Profile

Hess Corporation, an exploration and production company, explores, develops, produces, purchases, transports, and sells crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Exploration and Production, and Midstream. It conducts production operations primarily in the United States, Guyana, the Malaysia/Thailand Joint Development Area, and Malaysia; and exploration activities principally offshore Guyana, the U.S.