Hess (NYSE:HES) Earns Sell Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Hess (NYSE:HES) in a research report sent to investors on Sunday morning. The firm issued a sell rating on the oil and gas producer’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the company. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Hess from $172.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 18th. Susquehanna boosted their price target on Hess from $164.00 to $167.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, May 16th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price target on Hess from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hess presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $178.08.

Hess Price Performance

HES opened at $151.32 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $155.33 and a 200 day moving average of $147.61. Hess has a 52-week low of $124.27 and a 52-week high of $167.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The stock has a market cap of $46.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.17 and a beta of 1.24.

Hess (NYSE:HES) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The oil and gas producer reported $3.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.73 by $1.43. The business had revenue of $3.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.98 billion. Hess had a return on equity of 22.73% and a net margin of 17.41%. Hess’s revenue was up 36.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.13 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Hess will post 9.54 EPS for the current year.

Hess Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Friday, June 14th will be given a $0.4375 dividend. This represents a $1.75 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.16%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 14th. Hess’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.80%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Timothy B. Goodell sold 2,701 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.52, for a total value of $390,348.52. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 162,144 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,433,050.88. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, EVP Timothy B. Goodell sold 2,701 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.52, for a total transaction of $390,348.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 162,144 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,433,050.88. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Andrew P. Slentz sold 1,062 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.52, for a total transaction of $153,480.24. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 50,215 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,257,071.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 155,798 shares of company stock valued at $22,811,166. 9.76% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hess

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HES. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Hess in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hess during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hess during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Hess in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Hess in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 88.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hess Company Profile

Hess Corporation, an exploration and production company, explores, develops, produces, purchases, transports, and sells crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Exploration and Production, and Midstream. It conducts production operations primarily in the United States, Guyana, the Malaysia/Thailand Joint Development Area, and Malaysia; and exploration activities principally offshore Guyana, the U.S.