Barclays Cuts HP (NYSE:HPQ) Price Target to $16.00

HP (NYSE:HPQ) had its price target trimmed by Barclays from $18.00 to $16.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an underweight rating on the computer maker’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on HPQ. Evercore set a $22.00 target price on HP in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of HP from $28.00 to $26.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Argus upgraded HP to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on HP from $25.00 to $18.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of HP from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $21.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $22.23.

HP Price Performance

HPQ stock opened at $18.96 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.18, a PEG ratio of 5.24 and a beta of 1.21. HP has a fifty-two week low of $17.56 and a fifty-two week high of $31.43. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $20.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.37.

HP (NYSE:HPQ) last released 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. The company had revenue of $14.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.87 billion. HP had a net margin of 4.46% and a negative return on equity of 367.41%. HP’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.74 EPS. HP has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.700-0.760 EPS. Research analysts expect that HP will post 3.56 EPS for the current year.

HP Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 11th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.3%. HP’s payout ratio is currently 45.45%.

Insider Transactions at HP

In related news, insider Ketan M. Patel sold 33,321 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.19, for a total value of $772,713.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 34,572 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $801,724.68. This represents a 49.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Enrique Lores sold 41,922 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.00, for a total value of $1,089,972.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 141,456 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,677,856. The trade was a 22.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 91,969 shares of company stock worth $2,277,993 over the last three months. 0.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Westfuller Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in HP in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of HP by 2,346.5% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,052 shares of the computer maker’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 1,009 shares in the last quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in HP in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in HP in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Garner Asset Management Corp purchased a new position in HP in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.53% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting HP

Here are the key news stories impacting HP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat — HP reported roughly 7% YoY revenue growth to about $14.4B, with Personal Systems and AI‑enabled PC shipments the main drivers; the quarter topped consensus on revenue and EPS, supporting near‑term upside. HP Inc. (HPQ): Strong Q1 2026 Revenue Growth Driven by Personal Systems and AI PC Adoption
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity shows bullish positioning: traders bought a large volume of HP call options, signaling speculative interest or hedged bullish bets that can amplify upside moves. Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of HP Call Options (NYSE:HPQ)
• Neutral Sentiment: Management flagged margin pressure from rising DRAM/NAND costs and outlined responses — long‑term supply deals, product/pricing moves and a $1B cost‑savings plan through FY2028; these are constructive long‑term but add near‑term uncertainty. HP Beats Expectations As AI PCs Grow And Cost Pressures Mount
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are trimming targets and recommendations — the brokerage consensus has moved toward “Reduce” and several firms cut price targets, reflecting concerns about margin pressure and weaker near‑term outlook. HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) Given Average Recommendation of “Reduce” by Brokerages
• Negative Sentiment: CFO warning and memory‑chip crunch commentary sparked downside — press coverage noted HP hit a 52‑week low after management cautioned the memory cost squeeze may persist and could depress PC sales. HP Hits 52-Week Low After CFO’s Warning Wipes Out Earnings Win
• Negative Sentiment: Fund commentary suggests HP may be lagging AI tailwinds — some investor letters and notes say AI demand hasn’t fully translated into durable upside, highlighting execution and cost risks. HP (HPQ) Lags as AI Tailwinds Bypass Growth Amid Rising Costs and Weak 2026 Outlook

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.