Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP) Sets New 52-Week Low - Should You Sell?

Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE:HP - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $15.99 and last traded at $16.06, with a volume of 3182877 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $16.82.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on HP shares. Argus upgraded Helmerich & Payne to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Helmerich & Payne from $24.00 to $20.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on Helmerich & Payne from $28.00 to $26.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 9th. StockNews.com lowered Helmerich & Payne from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Susquehanna decreased their target price on Helmerich & Payne from $43.00 to $28.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $28.80.

Helmerich & Payne Stock Down 4.5%

The firm has a market cap of $1.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.28, a P/E/G ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 2.81 and a quick ratio of 2.52. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $21.19 and a 200-day moving average of $28.07.

Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The oil and gas company reported $0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.65 by ($0.63). The company had revenue of $1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $961.03 million. Helmerich & Payne had a return on equity of 11.31% and a net margin of 11.02%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 47.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.84 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Helmerich & Payne, Inc. will post 2.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Helmerich & Payne Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. Helmerich & Payne's dividend payout ratio is currently 45.66%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Helmerich & Payne

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in Helmerich & Payne by 320.2% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 198,415 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $6,035,000 after purchasing an additional 151,196 shares during the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC bought a new stake in Helmerich & Payne during the fourth quarter worth $209,000. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in Helmerich & Payne by 19.4% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 14,504 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $464,000 after purchasing an additional 2,357 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its stake in Helmerich & Payne by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 33,567 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $1,075,000 after purchasing an additional 1,764 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in Helmerich & Payne by 143.3% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,703 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $113,000 after purchasing an additional 2,181 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.05% of the company's stock.

Helmerich & Payne Company Profile

Founded in 1920, Helmerich & Payne, Inc (H&P) NYSE: HP is committed to delivering industry leading levels of drilling productivity and reliability. H&P operates with the highest level of integrity, safety and innovation to deliver superior results for its customers and returns for shareholders.

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