HP (NYSE:HPQ) Reaches New 1-Year Low on Analyst Downgrade

HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday after The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on the stock from $21.00 to $16.00. The Goldman Sachs Group currently has a sell rating on the stock. HP traded as low as $18.00 and last traded at $18.1480, with a volume of 26952482 shares. The stock had previously closed at $18.35.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on HPQ. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on HP from $25.00 to $18.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Research downgraded shares of HP from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Argus upgraded shares of HP to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Barclays cut their target price on HP from $18.00 to $16.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Evercore set a $22.00 price target on HP in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $22.23.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other HP news, insider Anneliese Olson sold 16,726 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.83, for a total transaction of $415,306.58. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 169 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,196.27. This represents a 99.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ketan M. Patel sold 33,321 shares of HP stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.19, for a total transaction of $772,713.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 34,572 shares in the company, valued at approximately $801,724.68. This trade represents a 49.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 91,969 shares of company stock worth $2,277,993 in the last three months. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

HP News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting HP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: EPS and revenue beat expectations; management highlighted strong AI‑enabled PC shipments even as printing lags — this underpins the operational recovery narrative and helped lift the stock. HP Beats Expectations As AI PCs Grow And Cost Pressures Mount
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity: large volume of call purchases indicates some traders are positioning for additional upside into the near term. Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of HP Call Options
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market dynamics (S&P 500 futures and intraday sentiment) are supporting a bounce in tech names including HP, which may amplify short‑term moves independent of company fundamentals. HP Moves Higher with S&P 500 Futures Market Sentiment
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple analyst downgrades and price‑target cuts (Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Wells Fargo) have turned consensus guidance toward “reduce”/“underweight” and lowered targets into the mid‑teens — increasing selling pressure. HP Given Average Recommendation of “Reduce” by Brokerages Morgan Stanley Has Lowered Expectations for HP The Goldman Sachs Group Has Lowered Expectations for HP
• Negative Sentiment: Management warned memory (DRAM/NAND) costs are rising and could persist, squeezing margins; HP flagged cautious guidance and a $1B cost‑save plan — a message that triggered intraday weakness and a fresh 52‑week low in some coverage. HP reckons memory chip crunch will linger next year, warns of PC sales slump HP Hits 52-Week Low After CFO’s Warning Wipes Out Earnings Win

Institutional Trading of HP

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Richardson Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of HP by 14.9% during the third quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,827 shares of the computer maker’s stock valued at $77,000 after buying an additional 367 shares in the last quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC boosted its position in HP by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC now owns 9,261 shares of the computer maker’s stock worth $252,000 after acquiring an additional 391 shares during the period. IHT Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in HP by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,470 shares of the computer maker’s stock valued at $305,000 after acquiring an additional 398 shares in the last quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc increased its holdings in shares of HP by 42.9% in the 3rd quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 1,349 shares of the computer maker’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 405 shares during the period. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its position in shares of HP by 6.4% in the second quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 6,799 shares of the computer maker’s stock worth $173,000 after purchasing an additional 410 shares in the last quarter. 77.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

HP Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $17.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.13, a PEG ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.21. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $20.39 and its 200 day moving average is $24.42.

HP (NYSE:HPQ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The computer maker reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.77 by $0.04. HP had a net margin of 4.46% and a negative return on equity of 367.41%. The company had revenue of $14.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.87 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.74 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. HP has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.700-0.760 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that HP Inc. will post 3.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HP Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th will be given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 11th. HP’s dividend payout ratio is presently 45.45%.

About HP

HP Inc is an American multinational information technology company that designs, manufactures and sells personal computing devices, printers and related supplies and services. Its product portfolio spans consumer and commercial notebooks and desktops, workstations, displays and accessories, as well as an extensive line of printing hardware that includes home, office and production printers. HP also provides consumables such as ink and toner, managed print services, device deployment and lifecycle support, and software for device and print management.

Founded from the original Hewlett‑Packard Company, HP Inc became a separately traded public company in 2015 following a corporate split that created Hewlett Packard Enterprise to focus on enterprise hardware and services.