HP (NYSE:HPQ) Price Target Cut to $16.00 by Analysts at Barclays

HP (NYSE:HPQ) had its target price cut by stock analysts at Barclays from $18.00 to $16.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “underweight” rating on the computer maker’s stock. Barclays‘s price objective would indicate a potential downside of 12.16% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of HP from $30.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Citigroup cut their price objective on HP from $22.00 to $20.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating on shares of HP in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of HP from $18.00 to $16.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Evercore set a $22.00 target price on shares of HP in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $22.62.

HP Price Performance

HPQ traded up $0.02 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $18.22. The company had a trading volume of 19,176,695 shares, compared to its average volume of 19,231,160. The company has a market cap of $16.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.89, a PEG ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.21. HP has a 12 month low of $17.56 and a 12 month high of $34.07. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $20.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $24.50.

HP (NYSE:HPQ) last issued its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $14.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.87 billion. HP had a net margin of 4.57% and a negative return on equity of 330.68%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.74 EPS. HP has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.700-0.760 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that HP will post 3.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at HP

In other HP news, insider Anneliese Olson sold 16,726 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.83, for a total value of $415,306.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 169 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,196.27. The trade was a 99.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Enrique Lores sold 41,922 shares of HP stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.00, for a total transaction of $1,089,972.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 91,969 shares of company stock worth $2,277,993 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.38% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of HP

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Westfuller Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in HP in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in HP by 2,346.5% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,052 shares of the computer maker’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 1,009 shares during the period. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of HP during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in shares of HP during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Garner Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of HP in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.53% of the company’s stock.

HP News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting HP this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — HP reported non‑GAAP EPS of $0.81 and revenue of $14.44B, above Wall Street estimates, driven by solid demand. HP Inc. Reports Fiscal 2026 First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Top‑line growth led by Personal Systems — Personal Systems revenue rose (double‑digit growth noted by analysts), helping overall revenue expand ~7% year‑over‑year. This demonstrates demand resilience in PCs. HP Inc (HPQ) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Cash returns and improving free cash flow — Management returned ~$0.6B to shareholders and reported positive free cash flow, which supports buybacks/dividend continuity. HP Inc. Reports Fiscal 2026 First Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings materials and full call transcript are available for deeper read — useful for assessing management commentary on cost actions and AI/PC opportunities. HP Inc. 2026 Q1 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance trimmed and FY outlook weakened — HP set Q2 EPS guidance of $0.70–$0.76 (consensus ~$0.75) and said fiscal‑year results are likely toward the low end of prior ranges, reducing near‑term earnings visibility. HP slides as mixed guidance weighs on strong Q1 results
• Negative Sentiment: Memory‑cost headwinds and trade/regulatory risk — Rising memory chip prices and potential impacts from U.S. trade regulations are expected to inflate costs and compress margins, prompting analysts to cut EPS/target estimates. HP warns US trade regulations, memory chip costs to weigh on annual forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts lower fair‑value/estimates — Several research notes trimmed target ranges (mid‑$20s to low‑$20s) and flagged that memory pricing and mixed end‑demand could challenge HP’s ability to deliver operating leverage. Why The HP (HPQ) Story Is Shifting On Costs Memory Pressures And AI PC Hopes
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: shares near 52‑week low after CFO caution — Despite the quarter’s beats, the CFO’s warning on costs and lowered guidance erased the upside, pushing the stock toward its one‑year low. HP Hits 52-Week Low After CFO’s Warning Wipes Out Earnings Win

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.