Zacks Research Has Pessimistic Outlook of HP FY2026 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research cut Helmerich & Payne’s FY2026 EPS estimate to a loss of $0.46 from a projected loss of $0.27, well below the $0.18-loss consensus forecast.
• The company’s latest quarter fell short of expectations, reporting a $0.11 per-share loss versus the expected $0.09 profit, although revenue of $1.03 billion exceeded estimates.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $41; the stock recently traded at $42.51, while institutional investors own 96.05% of shares.

Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE:HP - Free Report) - Analysts at Zacks Research decreased their FY2026 earnings estimates for shares of Helmerich & Payne in a report issued on Thursday, August 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the oil and gas company will post earnings per share of ($0.46) for the year, down from their previous estimate of ($0.27). The consensus estimate for Helmerich & Payne's current full-year earnings is ($0.18) per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Helmerich & Payne's Q1 2027 earnings at $0.25 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.37 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at ($0.39) EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.42 EPS and Q3 2028 earnings at $1.13 EPS.

Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The oil and gas company reported ($0.11) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.09 by ($0.20). Helmerich & Payne had a negative return on equity of 2.35% and a negative net margin of 3.43%.The business had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $987.70 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.22 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Helmerich & Payne from $36.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Helmerich & Payne from $35.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Wall Street Zen raised Helmerich & Payne from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Helmerich & Payne from $41.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Susquehanna boosted their price objective on Helmerich & Payne from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $41.00.

Helmerich & Payne Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:HP opened at $42.51 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 1.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -30.15 and a beta of 0.61. Helmerich & Payne has a 1-year low of $19.50 and a 1-year high of $45.00. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $36.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $36.60.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Helmerich & Payne

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Aventail Capital Group LP purchased a new stake in Helmerich & Payne in the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,464,000. UBS Group AG boosted its stake in shares of Helmerich & Payne by 17.5% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,215,192 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $34,852,000 after buying an additional 180,638 shares during the period. Cadence Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Helmerich & Payne during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,416,000. Corigliano Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Helmerich & Payne during the 4th quarter valued at $8,573,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in shares of Helmerich & Payne in the second quarter worth $5,970,000. 96.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Helmerich & Payne

In other news, SVP Cara M. Hair sold 11,149 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.27, for a total value of $493,566.23. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 136,095 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,024,925.65. This trade represents a 7.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Sara Marie Momper sold 5,054 shares of Helmerich & Payne stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.28, for a total value of $223,791.12. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 16,958 shares in the company, valued at $750,900.24. This represents a 22.96% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 110,673 shares of company stock valued at $4,864,590 in the last three months. 4.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Helmerich & Payne Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 18th. Helmerich & Payne's payout ratio is -70.92%.

About Helmerich & Payne

Helmerich & Payne, Inc is a leading provider of contract drilling services to the oil and gas industry, specializing primarily in onshore drilling operations. The company designs, engineers and operates a fleet of advanced drilling rigs, including its proprietary FlexRigs, which are engineered for high efficiency, safety and rapid mobilization. Alongside core drilling services, Helmerich & Payne offers well intervention, workover and coiled tubing services, positioning itself as a comprehensive drilling solutions partner for exploration and production companies worldwide.

Founded in 1920 and headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Helmerich & Payne has grown through innovation and strategic expansion to serve diverse hydrocarbon basins.

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