HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Reduce” by Brokerages

Shares of HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) have been given an average recommendation of “Reduce” by the eighteen analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have issued a hold recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $22.2308.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on HPQ. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of HP from $22.00 to $20.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on HP from $21.00 to $16.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Argus upgraded HP to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on HP from $30.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of HP from $26.00 to $20.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 19th.

HP Price Performance

HP stock opened at $18.83 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.13, a P/E/G ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.21. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $20.39 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $24.42. HP has a 52-week low of $17.56 and a 52-week high of $33.90.

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

HP Dividend Announcement

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

Key Stories Impacting HP

Here are the key news stories impacting HP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — HP reported stronger-than-expected revenue and EPS (non‑GAAP EPS $0.81 vs. $0.77 est.), driven by Personal Systems strength, which underpins near‑term earnings momentum. HP Q1 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Broad market sentiment boosted demand — S&P 500 futures and general risk‑on tone helped lift HP alongside peers, supporting the intraday rebound from post‑earnings weakness. HP Moves Higher with S&P 500 Futures Market Sentiment
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option activity signals speculative / institutional bullish positioning — heavy call buying suggests some traders are betting on a rebound or greater volatility to the upside.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor commentary frames current weakness as a short‑term opportunity — several analysts and market commentators say the market is over‑reacting to near‑term headwinds, highlighting potential longer‑term value if cost pressures ease. Seeking Alpha: Short‑Term Focus Presents Opportunity
• Negative Sentiment: Management warned memory‑chip cost pressures will persist and signaled softer PC demand ahead — the CFO’s caution knocked momentum off the earnings beat and prompted investor concern about margin compression. HP Warns Memory Crunch Will Linger
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cut targets and downgraded the stock — multiple firms trimmed price targets (Goldman, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Barclays) and moved to underweight/sell, increasing selling pressure and lowering near‑term upside expectations. Wells Fargo Cuts Target Barclays Lowers Target
• Negative Sentiment: Margin squeeze from surging memory costs is a near‑term earnings risk — coverage pieces and analysts highlight that higher memory costs materially pressure gross margins even as revenue grows. Benzinga: Margin Squeeze Deepens

Insider Activity

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HP

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. DNB Asset Management AS boosted its position in shares of HP by 242.2% in the 4th quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 10,594,630 shares of the computer maker’s stock worth $236,048,000 after purchasing an additional 7,498,202 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in HP in the fourth quarter valued at about $149,309,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in HP by 186.1% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 8,378,723 shares of the computer maker’s stock worth $228,153,000 after buying an additional 5,449,691 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in HP by 143.4% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 9,039,803 shares of the computer maker’s stock worth $244,527,000 after buying an additional 5,325,260 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in shares of HP by 626.6% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 4,948,700 shares of the computer maker’s stock worth $110,257,000 after buying an additional 4,267,600 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 77.53% of the company’s stock.

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.