Will HP Inc. (HPQ) Stock Get a Lift From Analyst Upgrade?

HP Inc. (HPQ) stock was upgraded this morning at Barclays to 'equal weight' from 'underweight.'
By U-Jin Lee ,

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- HP Inc. (HPQ) - Get Report  stock was upgraded this morning at Barclays to "equal weight" from "underweight."

The firm did lower its price target to $14 from $26. 

This action comes after Hewlett-Packard split into two separate entities over the weekend--HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). 

Of the two companies, HP Inc. is the more attractive one given better cash flow and yield prospects, analysts noted. 

The price target change was to reflect the spinoff of HPE, analysts added.

Long term, HP Inc.'s stock may be less volatile, according to the firm's note.

HP Inc. shares are declining 0.7% to $14.19 in Wednesday's pre-market trading session.

Based in Palo Alto, CA, HP Inc. provides products, technologies, software, solutions, and services to individual consumers and small- and medium-sized businesses.

Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates HEWLETT-PACKARD CO as a Buy with a ratings score of B-. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation:

We rate HEWLETT-PACKARD CO (HPQ) a BUY. This is driven by some important positives, which we believe should have a greater impact than any weaknesses, and should give investors a better performance opportunity than most stocks we cover. Among the primary strengths of the company is its attractive valuation levels, considering its current price compared to earnings, book value and other measures. We feel its strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.

Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows:

  • HEWLETT-PACKARD CO's earnings per share declined by 9.6% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. Stable earnings per share over the past year indicate the company has sound management over its earnings and share float. We anticipate these figures will begin to experience more growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, HEWLETT-PACKARD CO's EPS of $2.62 remained unchanged from the prior years' EPS of $2.62. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($3.63 versus $2.62).
  • The revenue fell significantly faster than the industry average of 25.3%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly dropped by 8.1%. The declining revenue appears to have seeped down to the company's bottom line, decreasing earnings per share.
  • HPQ's debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94 is somewhat low overall, but it is high when compared to the industry average, implying that the management of the debt levels should be evaluated further. Despite the fact that HPQ's debt-to-equity ratio is mixed in its results, the company's quick ratio of 0.67 is low and demonstrates weak liquidity.
  • The company's current return on equity has slightly decreased from the same quarter one year prior. This implies a minor weakness in the organization. Compared to other companies in the Computers & Peripherals industry and the overall market on the basis of return on equity, HEWLETT-PACKARD CO has underperformed in comparison with the industry average, but has exceeded that of the S&P 500.
  • You can view the full analysis from the report here: HPQ
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