PTEN
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. Energy - Oilfield Services Investor Relations →
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. (PTEN) closed at $10.91 as of 2026-03-20, trading 12.2% above its 200-week moving average of $9.72. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 5.7% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 86, PTEN is in overbought territory.
Trading volume is running at 1.4x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (0.98 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 1641 weeks of data, PTEN has crossed below its 200-week moving average 26 times. On average, these episodes lasted 26 weeks. Historically, investors who bought PTEN at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +8.5%.
With a market cap of $4.1 billion, PTEN is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 9.9%, which is notably high. Return on equity stands at -2.8%. The stock trades at 1.3x book value.
Share count has increased 77.6% over three years, indicating dilution.
Over the past 31.5 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in PTEN would have grown to $1778, compared to $2377 for the S&P 500. PTEN has returned 9.6% annualized vs 10.6% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 42.2% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: PTEN vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After PTEN Crosses Below the Line?
Across 26 historical episodes, buying PTEN when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +10.0% after 12 months (median +2.0%), compared to +8.2% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 50% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +40.0% vs +19.3% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment PTEN crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
PTEN has crossed below its 200-week MA 26 times with an average 1-year return of +8.5% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1995 | Feb 1995 | 6 | 11.3% | +109.3% | +1776.9% |
| Jul 1998 | Apr 1999 | 39 | 64.2% | +38.7% | +356.5% |
| Jun 2001 | Oct 2001 | 17 | 28.6% | +58.0% | +77.2% |
| Sep 2003 | Sep 2003 | 2 | 1.9% | +42.5% | +18.8% |
| Oct 2003 | Oct 2003 | 2 | 3.0% | +43.7% | +20.0% |
| Jan 2007 | Jan 2007 | 1 | 2.2% | -7.3% | -29.2% |
| Feb 2007 | Apr 2007 | 5 | 5.5% | +10.3% | -28.7% |
| Jul 2007 | Mar 2008 | 35 | 22.2% | +30.4% | -33.1% |
| Aug 2008 | Aug 2008 | 1 | 1.8% | -40.2% | -39.5% |
| Sep 2008 | Oct 2010 | 110 | 67.3% | -40.1% | -35.4% |
| Sep 2011 | Oct 2011 | 3 | 10.1% | -1.5% | -20.6% |
| Dec 2011 | Dec 2011 | 1 | 0.2% | -6.6% | -24.6% |
| Jan 2012 | Feb 2012 | 4 | 4.1% | +5.4% | -24.1% |
| Mar 2012 | Sep 2012 | 25 | 20.7% | +34.4% | -20.8% |
| Sep 2012 | Nov 2012 | 9 | 11.4% | +38.4% | -11.1% |
| Dec 2012 | Dec 2012 | 1 | 2.2% | +37.6% | -19.3% |
| Nov 2014 | Apr 2015 | 25 | 37.4% | -26.0% | -38.4% |
| May 2015 | Jun 2016 | 56 | 38.3% | -15.1% | -34.8% |
| Jun 2016 | Jun 2016 | 1 | 1.5% | -3.4% | -35.0% |
| Jul 2016 | Sep 2016 | 10 | 10.4% | -3.8% | -35.5% |
| Apr 2017 | Nov 2017 | 31 | 28.1% | -2.0% | -38.8% |
| Dec 2017 | Dec 2017 | 1 | 3.5% | -39.8% | -35.9% |
| Feb 2018 | Apr 2018 | 11 | 15.2% | -29.1% | -26.8% |
| May 2018 | Jan 2022 | 188 | 89.8% | -44.9% | -32.4% |
| Jan 2022 | Jan 2022 | 1 | 0.1% | +72.3% | +32.8% |
| Jun 2024 | Mar 2026 | 92 | 49.9% | -41.2% | +16.7% |
| Average | 26 | — | +8.5% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PTEN below its 200-week moving average?
No. Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. (PTEN) is currently 12.2% above its 200-week moving average of $9.72. It would need to fall to $9.72 to cross below the line.
What is PTEN's 200-week moving average price?
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc.'s 200-week moving average is $9.72 as of 2026-03-20. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when PTEN drops below its 200-week moving average?
PTEN has crossed below its 200-week moving average 26 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +8.5%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 26 weeks on average.
Is PTEN a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about PTEN as of 2026-03-20: The stock is above its 200-week moving average, so it doesn't currently meet our primary signal. The 14-week RSI is 86 (overbought). Free cash flow yield is 9.9%. Return on equity is -2.8%. Price-to-book is 1.3x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does PTEN compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 31.5 years, $100 invested in PTEN would have grown to $1778, compared to $2377 for the S&P 500. That's 9.6% annualized vs 10.6% for the index. PTEN has underperformed the broader market over this period.
Does PTEN pay a dividend?
Yes. Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. currently pays a dividend yield of 367.00%.
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 week of 2026-03-20