Zacks Research Cuts Earnings Estimates for Helmerich & Payne

Key Points

• Zacks Research cut its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for Helmerich & Payne to ($0.08) (from ($0.06)) and sharply lowered Q1 2028 to ($0.01) while raising its FY2028 forecast to $2.01, leaving a mixed multi‑quarter view that remains below the broader street consensus (~$2.93).
• Helmerich & Payne recently reported an EPS miss of ($0.15) versus $0.12 expected, but revenue of $1.02 billion beat estimates and rose 50.2% year‑over‑year, reflecting strong top‑line growth with pressured near‑term profitability.
• The stock holds a consensus "Hold" rating with a $37.80 target; the company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.25 (annual $1.00, 2.9% yield) and insiders have recently reduced their holdings via share sales.

Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE:HP - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research dropped their Q2 2026 earnings estimates for Helmerich & Payne in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, April 15th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the oil and gas company will post earnings of ($0.08) per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of ($0.06). The consensus estimate for Helmerich & Payne's current full-year earnings is $2.93 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Helmerich & Payne's Q4 2026 earnings at $0.12 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.18 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.09 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at ($0.01) EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.27 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.01 EPS.

Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The oil and gas company reported ($0.15) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.12 by ($0.27). The company had revenue of $1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $990.16 million. Helmerich & Payne had a positive return on equity of 0.28% and a negative net margin of 7.71%.The business's revenue was up 50.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.71 earnings per share.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on HP. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Helmerich & Payne from $40.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Susquehanna lifted their target price on shares of Helmerich & Payne from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Evercore upgraded shares of Helmerich & Payne from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $43.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $32.00 price target on shares of Helmerich & Payne in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Helmerich & Payne in a report on Friday, March 27th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $37.80.

Helmerich & Payne Stock Performance

Shares of HP stock opened at $34.96 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.96 and a beta of 0.55. Helmerich & Payne has a 1-year low of $14.65 and a 1-year high of $37.87. The company has a current ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $35.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $30.51.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Helmerich & Payne

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HP. Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its holdings in shares of Helmerich & Payne by 234.7% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 383,437 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $8,470,000 after purchasing an additional 268,882 shares during the last quarter. Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. Can lifted its holdings in Helmerich & Payne by 20.5% during the 3rd quarter. Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. Can now owns 1,174,105 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $25,948,000 after purchasing an additional 200,000 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Helmerich & Payne by 61.5% in the third quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 117,958 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $2,606,000 after buying an additional 44,906 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp grew its stake in Helmerich & Payne by 398.3% during the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 47,073 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $1,040,000 after buying an additional 37,626 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. bought a new stake in Helmerich & Payne during the fourth quarter worth about $23,120,000. 96.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Helmerich & Payne

In related news, SVP Cara M. Hair sold 58,771 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.62, for a total transaction of $2,152,194.02. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 175,589 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,430,069.18. The trade was a 25.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 4.40% of the company's stock.

Helmerich & Payne Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Helmerich & Payne's payout ratio is presently -31.35%.

More Helmerich & Payne News

Here are the key news stories impacting Helmerich & Payne this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2028 EPS forecast to $2.01 from $1.51, a material bump to the firm's longer‑term view that suggests improving fundamentals or margin expectations into 2028. Zacks estimate changes
• Positive Sentiment: Q2 2028 EPS was increased to $0.27 from $0.24, supporting a stronger outlook for that quarter. Zacks estimate changes
• Positive Sentiment: Minor upward revisions: Q2 2027 to $0.09 (from $0.08) and Q4 2026 to $0.12 (from $0.11), indicating small improvements in mid‑term cadence. Zacks estimate changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite Zacks' FY2028 raise, the broader consensus cited in the report remains higher (~$2.93), leaving some divergence between Zacks' estimates and the street. That keeps analyst visibility mixed. Zacks estimate changes
• Negative Sentiment: Significant cut to Q1 2028: Zacks lowered the quarterly EPS forecast to ($0.01) from $0.17, pointing to near‑term softness or seasonality concerns that could pressure short‑term results. Zacks estimate changes
• Negative Sentiment: Earlier‑horizon downgrades include Q2 2026 to ($0.08) (from ($0.06)), Q1 2027 to $0.18 (from $0.20), Q3 2027 to $0.02 (from $0.03) and a slight FY2027 trim to $0.55 (from $0.56) — signaling uneven near‑term demand/earnings assumptions. Zacks estimate changes

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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