On Monday, Loop Capital Markets adjusted the price target for HP (NYSE:HPQ) Enterprise (NYSE:HPE) shares, raising it to $18 from the previous $16, while keeping a Hold rating on the stock. This decision follows HP Enterprise's reported earnings for the July quarter on Sunday last week.
The firm's analysts have pointed out that HP Enterprise is shaping up to present an interesting opportunity as it continues to secure GPU allocations. The company's Gen AI-as-a-service offering, available through Greenlake, is becoming increasingly appealing to both Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and enterprises. Additionally, HP Enterprise is expected to realize cost and revenue synergies following its acquisition of Juniper Networks (NYSE:NYSE:JNPR), along with the potential to capture a greater share of IT spending.
Despite the ongoing global supply constraints, HP Enterprise has been able to sustain strong quarter-over-quarter momentum in Gen AI server sales, while keeping its backlog steady between $3.0 billion and $3.4 billion. This indicates that the company's revenue is not solely the result of working through existing backlog.
Loop Capital acknowledges concerns about margin pressures due to the increased mix of Gen AI servers. However, they also recognize that improvements in the Networking sector and the forthcoming completion of the Juniper Networks acquisition should help address these margin concerns.
In other recent news, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE) has reported a 10% year-over-year increase in revenue for its third-quarter fiscal year 2024, reaching $7.7 billion. The company exceeded its non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share (EPS) guidance by $0.02 and generated a substantial free cash flow of $660 million. HPE also announced a dividend of $0.30 per share and raised its full-year guidance for both GAAP and non-GAAP EPS.
BofA Securities recently adjusted its outlook on HPE, reducing the price target to $21 from $24 while maintaining a Neutral rating. The firm highlighted robust demand for AI servers, contributing to third-quarter revenue of $1.3 billion, a 39% increase from the previous quarter. Despite this, the firm noted potential gross margin pressures due to a less favorable product mix and a decline in the Intelligent Edge segment.
HPE has made strategic advancements, including the sale of part of its equity in H3C and the pending acquisition of Juniper Networks. However, the Hybrid Cloud segment saw a revenue decline of 7% year-over-year, and the Intelligent Edge segment experienced a 23% year-over-year revenue drop. Amid these recent developments, the company is expected to close the Juniper Networks acquisition between late 2024 and early 2025, projected to positively impact margins and non-GAAP EPS.
InvestingPro Insights
HP Enterprise (NYSE:HPE) is currently navigating a challenging market environment, yet recent data from InvestingPro suggests there are unique factors at play for investors to consider. With a market capitalization of approximately $22.77 billion and a P/E ratio standing at 12.44, HPE presents an interesting valuation picture. Particularly, the company's adjusted P/E ratio for the last twelve months as of Q3 2024 is 11.12, hinting at a lower valuation relative to near-term earnings growth, which is a highlight in one of the InvestingPro Tips. This is further complemented by a PEG ratio of 0.17, suggesting potential for earnings growth to outpace the stock price increase.
Moreover, HPE has maintained a steady dividend for 10 consecutive years, with a current dividend yield of 2.97%, and has seen a dividend growth of 8.33% over the last twelve months as of Q3 2024. This could be appealing for income-focused investors, especially considering the company's strong free cash flow yield, as indicated in another InvestingPro Tip. Despite a recent stock price decline over the past week, HPE's performance remains robust with a one-month price total return of 1.1% as of the most recent data.
For those interested in the broader outlook, there are additional InvestingPro Tips available for HPE, which delve into aspects like analyst earnings revisions and the company's position within the Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals industry. These insights, along with the real-time metrics provided, can offer a more comprehensive view of HP Enterprise's financial health and market position.
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