Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE:HP) Position Boosted by Bridgewater Associates LP

Bridgewater Associates LP raised its position in shares of Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE:HP - Free Report) by 82.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 166,643 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after buying an additional 75,546 shares during the quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP owned about 0.17% of Helmerich & Payne worth $5,336,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Helmerich & Payne during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Covestor Ltd raised its position in shares of Helmerich & Payne by 61.3% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,386 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 907 shares during the period. Steph & Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Helmerich & Payne during the 4th quarter worth approximately $87,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Helmerich & Payne by 82.5% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,805 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $88,000 after purchasing an additional 1,268 shares during the period. Finally, Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Helmerich & Payne by 817.5% during the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 3,046 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $98,000 after purchasing an additional 2,714 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.05% of the company's stock.

Helmerich & Payne Price Performance

Helmerich & Payne stock traded down $0.23 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $19.60. The company's stock had a trading volume of 423,121 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,724,509. The company has a quick ratio of 2.52, a current ratio of 2.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $23.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $30.23. Helmerich & Payne, Inc. has a 12 month low of $17.82 and a 12 month high of $42.60. The company has a market capitalization of $1.95 billion, a PE ratio of 6.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 1.00.

Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The oil and gas company reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.02. Helmerich & Payne had a net margin of 11.02% and a return on equity of 11.31%. Analysts anticipate that Helmerich & Payne, Inc. will post 2.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Helmerich & Payne Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.10%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 15th. Helmerich & Payne's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.89%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on HP shares. Barclays dropped their price target on Helmerich & Payne from $36.00 to $24.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Helmerich & Payne from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Susquehanna cut their target price on Helmerich & Payne from $43.00 to $28.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Argus upgraded Helmerich & Payne to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Helmerich & Payne from $32.00 to $25.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $31.78.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Belgacem Chariag acquired 37,356 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $27.08 per share, for a total transaction of $1,011,600.48. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 54,606 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,478,730.48. This represents a 216.56 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO John W. Lindsay acquired 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $27.55 per share, for a total transaction of $551,000.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 691,214 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,042,945.70. This trade represents a 2.98 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 4.51% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Helmerich & Payne Company Profile

Founded in 1920, Helmerich & Payne, Inc (H&P) NYSE: HP is committed to delivering industry leading levels of drilling productivity and reliability. H&P operates with the highest level of integrity, safety and innovation to deliver superior results for its customers and returns for shareholders.