HP (NYSE:HPQ) Sets New 52-Week High Following Analyst Upgrade

HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday after Zacks Research upgraded the stock from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating. The company traded as high as $32.78 and last traded at $32.0380, with a volume of 13292535 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $32.64.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on HPQ. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of HP from $20.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating and set a $32.00 price objective on shares of HP in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on HP from $22.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of HP from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Finally, Bank of America reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of HP in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $25.17.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other HP news, insider David McQuarrie sold 21,048 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.98, for a total value of $631,019.04. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 39,580 shares in the company, valued at $1,186,608.40. This represents a 34.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 52,620 shares of company stock worth $1,478,622 in the last three months. 0.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting HP

Here are the key news stories impacting HP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Enterprise AI partnership: HP is collaborating with Red Hat and NVIDIA on an enterprise AI platform designed to run production inference closer to users, applications, machines and data. The planned solution combines HP ZGX Fury systems, NVIDIA’s GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Desktop Superchip and Red Hat AI Factory, potentially expanding HP’s role in high-performance computing and edge AI. HP Extends Data-Center AI Architecture to the Edge
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Zacks Research upgraded HP from “hold” to “strong buy,” reinforcing the improving investment case and likely supporting investor confidence.
• Positive Sentiment: Industry demand: Zacks identified HP as a stock to buy within the computer and microcomputer industry, citing resilient demand for enterprise devices despite global macroeconomic challenges. HP was also included in Zacks’ list of broker-favored stocks and its Rank #1 income-stock selections. 2 Stocks to Buy Right Now From the Prospering Computer Industry
• Positive Sentiment: Options-market optimism: Traders purchased 110,665 HP call options, roughly 234% above typical volume, signaling unusually bullish short-term positioning, although options activity can be speculative.
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend and investor communication: Recent coverage examined HP’s dividend and the company presented at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference. These items may support income-oriented and long-term investor interest, but no major new financial guidance was highlighted. HP Inc’s Dividend Analysis

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HP

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of HP during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Union Savings Bank purchased a new stake in shares of HP during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in HP during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. MCF Advisors LLC boosted its position in HP by 149.0% during the 2nd quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 1,337 shares of the computer maker’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DV Equities LLC purchased a new stake in HP in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. 77.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

HP Trading Up 4.2%

The company has a market capitalization of $29.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.18. The company’s 50 day moving average is $27.80 and its 200-day moving average is $23.50.

HP (NYSE:HPQ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The computer maker reported $0.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.17. HP had a net margin of 4.14% and a negative return on equity of 947.78%. The business had revenue of $15.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.44 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.75 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. HP has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.190-3.290 EPS and its Q4 2026 guidance at 0.690-0.790 EPS. Analysts predict that HP Inc. will post 3.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HP Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 9th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 9th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. HP’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.80%.

About HP

HP Inc is a global technology company that develops and sells personal computing and printing products and related services. Its Personal Systems business offers laptops, desktop computers, workstations, gaming PCs, monitors, peripherals and accessories for consumers, businesses and public-sector organizations.

Through its Printing business, HP provides home and office printers, commercial printing systems, supplies such as ink and toner, and managed print services. The company also offers software and solutions designed to support device management, security, productivity and digital workflows.

HP serves customers in markets around the world through direct sales, online channels, retailers, distributors and business partners.