HP
Helmerich & Payne, Inc. Energy - Oil & Gas Drilling Investor Relations →
Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (HP) closed at $35.97 as of 2026-02-02, trading 11.7% above its 200-week moving average of $32.19. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 5.2% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 80, HP is in overbought territory.
Over the past 2316 weeks of data, HP has crossed below its 200-week moving average 45 times. On average, these episodes lasted 20 weeks. Historically, investors who bought HP at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +17.4%.
With a market cap of $3.7 billion, HP is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 2.5%. Return on equity stands at -5.6%. The stock trades at 1.4x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 5.6% over the past three years.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in HP would have grown to $1855, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. HP has returned 9.2% annualized vs 10.6% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
In the past 12 months, corporate insiders have made 3 open-market purchases totaling $1,662,350. Multiple insiders purchased within a 30-day window — a cluster buy pattern that historically signals management confidence in the company's prospects.
Free cash flow has been declining. A deteriorating cash flow trend warrants extra scrutiny — the stock may be cheap for a reason.
Growth of $100: HP vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After HP Crosses Below the Line?
Across 36 historical episodes, buying HP when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +21.4% after 12 months (median +18.0%), compared to +12.5% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 69% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +57.4% vs +26.8% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment HP crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
HP has crossed below its 200-week MA 45 times with an average 1-year return of +17.4% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1981 | Sep 1986 | 258 | 61.6% | -45.9% | +1362.4% |
| Oct 1986 | Nov 1986 | 3 | 5.1% | +5.1% | +2260.2% |
| Nov 1986 | Jan 1987 | 6 | 3.9% | -8.0% | +2146.4% |
| Oct 1987 | Feb 1988 | 16 | 18.9% | +4.5% | +2146.4% |
| Jun 1988 | Jan 1989 | 28 | 10.4% | +29.8% | +2060.0% |
| Oct 1990 | Oct 1990 | 3 | 1.8% | -7.7% | +1647.8% |
| Nov 1990 | Nov 1990 | 2 | 6.2% | -9.6% | +1720.4% |
| Dec 1990 | Feb 1991 | 7 | 8.3% | -25.4% | +1631.6% |
| Feb 1991 | Feb 1991 | 1 | 0.5% | -16.8% | +1615.8% |
| Mar 1991 | Sep 1992 | 77 | 26.4% | -15.8% | +1615.8% |
| Oct 1992 | Feb 1993 | 16 | 11.2% | +25.2% | +1659.2% |
| May 1994 | Jun 1994 | 1 | 1.1% | +22.1% | +1555.6% |
| Jan 1995 | Feb 1995 | 2 | 3.7% | +31.6% | +1532.8% |
| Oct 1995 | Nov 1995 | 3 | 7.0% | +117.6% | +1560.3% |
| Jul 1998 | Oct 1998 | 12 | 19.0% | +17.0% | +832.7% |
| Nov 1998 | Apr 1999 | 21 | 27.0% | +24.4% | +857.5% |
| Jun 1999 | Jun 1999 | 1 | 0.3% | +63.1% | +745.0% |
| Oct 1999 | Nov 1999 | 5 | 9.1% | +58.2% | +786.2% |
| Nov 1999 | Feb 2000 | 14 | 19.1% | +42.7% | +713.9% |
| Sep 2001 | Oct 2001 | 5 | 10.4% | +25.7% | +632.5% |
| Nov 2001 | Dec 2001 | 4 | 10.0% | +36.5% | +631.4% |
| Jan 2002 | Jan 2002 | 1 | 1.4% | +26.6% | +565.2% |
| Sep 2002 | Oct 2002 | 1 | 16.9% | +44.2% | +629.5% |
| Nov 2003 | Dec 2003 | 3 | 6.5% | +30.7% | +466.1% |
| May 2004 | Jun 2004 | 8 | 7.9% | +60.5% | +426.9% |
| Jul 2004 | Aug 2004 | 6 | 8.3% | +106.8% | +424.2% |
| Oct 2008 | Jul 2009 | 41 | 43.1% | +73.4% | +173.0% |
| Aug 2009 | Aug 2009 | 1 | 2.5% | +13.8% | +98.0% |
| May 2010 | May 2010 | 1 | 2.3% | +75.5% | +88.5% |
| Sep 2011 | Oct 2011 | 2 | 6.3% | +17.9% | +59.3% |
| May 2012 | May 2012 | 1 | 1.4% | +51.2% | +48.2% |
| Jun 2012 | Jul 2012 | 4 | 4.6% | +48.6% | +54.0% |
| Dec 2014 | Dec 2014 | 1 | 9.3% | -11.2% | +1.6% |
| Jan 2015 | Feb 2015 | 4 | 10.6% | -18.0% | +0.9% |
| Mar 2015 | Mar 2015 | 1 | 5.5% | +6.3% | -2.9% |
| Jul 2015 | Jun 2016 | 49 | 31.2% | +8.9% | -6.2% |
| Jul 2016 | Sep 2016 | 10 | 13.1% | -12.7% | -11.7% |
| Oct 2016 | Nov 2016 | 4 | 7.0% | -17.9% | -14.8% |
| Mar 2017 | Dec 2017 | 39 | 34.0% | +7.5% | -14.8% |
| Dec 2018 | Apr 2019 | 15 | 18.9% | +1.5% | +10.6% |
| May 2019 | Feb 2022 | 144 | 74.5% | -60.3% | -1.3% |
| Aug 2024 | Sep 2024 | 5 | 11.3% | -33.1% | +16.2% |
| Oct 2024 | Nov 2024 | 3 | 3.5% | -16.7% | +15.2% |
| Dec 2024 | Jan 2025 | 6 | 11.1% | -5.9% | +13.2% |
| Jan 2025 | Jan 2026 | 50 | 54.4% | +12.2% | +19.2% |
| Average | 20 | — | +17.4% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02