CFRA downgrades Patterson-UTI Energy stock to Sell amid drilling headwinds

Published 28/07/2025, 23:12
CFRA downgrades Patterson-UTI Energy stock to Sell amid drilling headwinds

Investing.com - CFRA downgraded Patterson-UTI Energy (NASDAQ:PTEN) from Hold to Sell on Monday, while reducing its price target to $5.50 from $6.50. According to InvestingPro data, the stock currently trades at $6.24, with five analysts recently revising their earnings expectations downward.

The research firm cited concerns about recent slippage in near-term contract coverage and ongoing headwinds in the energy services sector, particularly for contract drilling and fracking work, which faces pressure from lackluster upstream capital spending. Despite these challenges, the company maintains a Fair financial health rating from InvestingPro, with notably strong liquidity as current assets exceed short-term obligations.

CFRA’s revised earnings forecast for Patterson-UTI projects an operating loss of $0.32 per share for 2025, deeper than its previous estimate of a $0.09 per share loss, and an operating loss of $0.34 per share for 2026, compared to its earlier projection of $0.07 earnings per share.

The new $5.50 price target reflects a 4x multiple of enterprise value to projected 2026 EBITDA, which remains above the five-year low of 2.7x despite being below the company’s historical forward average.

CFRA acknowledged potential positive catalysts from gas-directed activity but noted such activity currently comprises only 17% of all active rigs in U.S. land, making the likelihood of sufficient growth to drive an earnings recovery appear low.

In other recent news, Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. announced its second-quarter financial results, revealing a mixed performance. The company reported an earnings per share (EPS) loss of $0.13, which was larger than the anticipated loss of $0.04. However, Patterson-UTI exceeded revenue expectations, achieving $1.22 billion compared to the forecasted $1.20 billion. These financial results reflect the company’s ongoing challenges and successes in the current market environment. Investors may find the revenue beat noteworthy, even as the EPS fell short of expectations. Analyst firms have yet to provide further updates on their ratings following these results. The company’s financial performance remains a key area of focus for stakeholders. These developments continue to shape the outlook for Patterson-UTI in the energy sector.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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