Shares of
HPInc.,
the maker of personal computers and printers, were falling sharply Wednesday after the company cut its outlook for earnings.
Weak demand in China and pressure to keep prices low were to blame. But analysts at Evercore ISI led by Amit Daryanani said it could be a case of short-term pain for long-term gain.
Evercore was impressed by how well HP’s margins are holding up at the top end of its product range. That could lead to stronger earnings and cash flow in the next fiscal year “if we see stabilization or, better yet, recovery in demand across their PC and print segments.”
HP Inc.
stock was down 8.3% at $28.78 in early trading following its fiscal third quarter earnings after the close Tuesday. HP cut its fiscal 2023 full-year adjusted earnings guidance to a range of $3.23 to $3.35 per share, from a previous range of $3.30 to $3.50.
Evercore analysts give the stock an In Line, equivalent to Neutral, rating with a price target of $33.
Analysts at Citi, led by Asiya Merchant, were less optimistic. They trimmed their price target for the stock to $31 from $32 after the results.
“While PC demand trends are improving, albeit at a lower pace than what HP previously expected, print headwinds are likely to linger into” the fiscal year 2024, they said in note.
Write to Brian Swint at [email protected]
Read the full article here
