Baker Hughes (NASDAQ:BKR) Reaches New 1-Year High After Strong Earnings
by Amy Steele · The Cerbat GemBaker Hughes Company (NASDAQ:BKR – Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $68.36 and last traded at $67.5640, with a volume of 4134842 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $64.49.
The company reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.71 billion. Baker Hughes had a net margin of 9.33% and a return on equity of 14.26%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS.
Baker Hughes Announces Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 5th. Baker Hughes’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.38%.
Key Baker Hughes News
Here are the key news stories impacting Baker Hughes this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat consensus — Baker Hughes reported quarterly EPS above Street expectations ($0.58 vs. ~$0.49 consensus), a sign of operating resilience that likely lifted the stock. Zacks: Q1 Earnings Beat
- Positive Sentiment: Stronger third‑party report highlighted bigger upside — a Quiver summary shows a larger revenue/EPS beat (revenue ~$7.39B, EPS ~$0.88) and a sharp YoY net‑income rebound; if confirmed, that reinforces the bullish reaction. (Third‑party data flagged in the source.) Quiver: Q1 Results
- Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — Board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.23/share (ex‑div May 5, payable May 15), which supports income investors and signals confidence in cash generation. GlobeNewswire: Dividend
- Neutral Sentiment: Guidance updated but not clearly directional — Baker Hughes issued Q2 and FY‑2026 revenue ranges roughly overlapping consensus (Q2 ~ $6.3–$6.8B; FY ~$26.2–$28.3B). The ranges leave room for interpretation, so the market reaction depends on how investors parse midpoint vs. expectations.
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst backdrop mixed-to-positive — several firms maintain buy/overweight ratings and median price targets near the current level (~$65), which may cap upside unless guidance or cash flow surprises further.
- Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and institutional reductions — recent filings show sizeable insider sales (including senior executives) and large institutional position trims by some big holders, which can weigh on sentiment despite the beat. Quiver: Insider/Institutional Activity
- Negative Sentiment: Mixed cash‑flow and balance‑sheet signals — reported operating cash flow declined and total liabilities increased in third‑party summaries, offsetting some of the earnings strength and giving investors pause on sustainability. Quiver: Cash Flow & Balance Sheet
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Baker Hughes from $55.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Baker Hughes from $64.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Susquehanna increased their target price on shares of Baker Hughes from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Baker Hughes from $55.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Argus increased their target price on shares of Baker Hughes from $55.00 to $67.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Baker Hughes currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $61.86.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on BKR
Insider Activity
In related news, CEO Lorenzo Simonelli sold 272,594 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $58.79, for a total transaction of $16,025,801.26. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 866,444 shares in the company, valued at $50,938,242.76. This trade represents a 23.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Rebecca L. Charlton sold 843 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.34, for a total transaction of $47,494.62. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 14,019 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $789,830.46. This trade represents a 5.67% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 590,251 shares of company stock worth $35,311,023. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baker Hughes
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Activest Wealth Management increased its position in Baker Hughes by 1,242.5% in the 3rd quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 537 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 497 shares in the last quarter. EFG International AG acquired a new stake in Baker Hughes in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. increased its position in Baker Hughes by 344.1% in the 4th quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 604 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Baker Hughes in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its position in Baker Hughes by 104.0% in the 3rd quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 661 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 337 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.06% of the company’s stock.
Baker Hughes Stock Up 4.9%
The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.36. The stock has a market cap of $66.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.98, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.90. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $61.18 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $53.56.
About Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes is an energy technology company that provides a broad portfolio of products, services and digital solutions for the oil and gas and industrial markets. Its offerings span oilfield services and equipment — including drilling, evaluation, completion and production technologies — as well as turbomachinery, compressors and related process equipment used in midstream and downstream operations. The company also supplies aftermarket services, field support and integrated solutions designed to improve asset performance and uptime across the energy value chain.
The firm’s roots trace back to the merger of Baker International and Hughes Tool Company, and more recently it combined with GE’s oil and gas business in 2017 to form Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE); subsequent changes in ownership restored Baker Hughes as an independent publicly traded company.