HP Inc. (HPQ) Up 7.8% — Should I Secure an Entry Before Liftoff?
HP Inc. (HPQ) is rallying sharply this Wednesday, last trading at $30.48 on the NYSE — a $2.21 gain over the prior close of $28.27. The advance puts the stock about 73.6% above the low end of its 52-week range at $17.56. It still sits roughly 15.9% below its 52-week high of $36.23, set on September 11, 2026, which leaves room for further upside if the rebound holds.
Volume so far stands at approximately 10.04 million shares, against a 90-day average of roughly 14.64 million. That is about 69% of a typical full day's activity, and the regular session is still open.
Why HP Inc. Price is Moving Higher
The catalyst is leadership. HP named Emma Walmsley, the former chief executive of GSK, as its next CEO, effective January 4, 2027. The appointment ends an interim period that began when Enrique Lores left in February. Interim CEO Bruce Broussard will move into the board chair role. Walmsley also brings seven years of experience on Microsoft's (MSFT) board, which ties her to the PC and software ecosystem HP depends on. HP shares were little changed before the market opened, so the rally built as investors absorbed the news during the session. Now that a permanent, high-profile leader is named, the market can start pricing HP's strategy under a defined management team instead of an open-ended search.
The timing matters because HP is dealing with higher memory-chip costs and pressure on PC demand. Investors now know who will be making the calls on pricing, supply, and capital allocation. The move is clearly company-specific. Dell Technologies Inc. (DELL) is down 9.72% today, while HP is up nearly 8%. Apple Inc. (AAPL) is up 6.36%, which shows buyers are willing to reward hardware names that give them a reason.
The fundamentals support the bullish reaction. HP's fiscal Q3 report on August 26 beat expectations by a wide margin. Adjusted EPS came in at $0.83 against a $0.66 consensus, up 10.7% from $0.75 a year earlier. Revenue reached $15.68 billion versus the $14.44 billion estimate, a 12.5% year-over-year increase. Profitability was mixed across segments. Personal Systems posted a 4.6% operating margin, while Printing delivered 18.1%. Management raised its fiscal-2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $3.19–$3.29. With the stock still priced at a forward P/E of 10.84, a credible new CEO on top of raised guidance gives investors a clear reason to revisit the name.
What is the HP Inc. Rating - Should I Buy?
Weiss Ratings assigns HPQ a B- rating. The rating was upgraded on 11/3/2026. Current recommendation is Buy. The upgrade came one day before the CEO announcement. Weiss's framework had already recognized HP's improving profile before the market reacted to the leadership news, and today's rally lines up with that call.
HP's strongest marks are in its operating performance. The Excellent rating on the Efficiency Index reflects how much HP gets out of a mature hardware franchise. Its overall profit margin is only 4.14%, but the Printing segment's 18.1% operating margin and its supplies business generate cash well beyond what PC unit volumes alone would suggest. The Good rating on the Growth Index is backed by 12.53% revenue growth, a strong figure for a company that many investors treat as ex-growth. Quarterly revenue also rose 8.8% sequentially, from $14.41 billion in the April quarter to $15.68 billion in the July quarter. The Good rating on the Dividend Index fits that cash-generating profile. A 4.24% yield is a meaningful payout for income-focused investors, and it rests on earnings of $2.61 per share and guidance that was just raised.
The picture is more nuanced on the market-facing and balance-sheet measures. HP is rated Fair on the Solvency Index. Its balance sheet is serviceable but not a standout, and that matters while memory-chip inflation pressures hardware margins. The Fair rating on the Total Return Index reflects a stock that has traveled from $17.56 to $36.23 and back down to around $30 within a single 52-week span, so shareholder results have depended heavily on timing. The same swings explain the Weak rating on the Volatility Index. Today's nearly 8% jump on CEO news shows how quickly sentiment around this stock can shift. These ratings keep HP at B- rather than higher, but they do not change the Buy recommendation.
Within the Information Technology sector, HP matches Dell Technologies Inc. (DELL, B-) and Seagate Technology Holdings plc (STX, B-). It trails Apple Inc. (AAPL, B), Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO, B), and Amphenol Corporation (APH, B+). HP's forward valuation near 11 times earnings and its 4.24% yield give it a value-and-income profile that sets it apart from the higher-rated names in that group.
About HP Inc.
HP Inc. (HPQ) is an Information Technology company in the Technology Hardware and Equipment industry. It traces its roots to 1939, when the original Hewlett-Packard Company was founded, and it is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The company took the HP Inc. name in October 2015 after separating from its enterprise business. It serves consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses, the public sector, and large enterprises in the United States and internationally, through three segments: Personal Systems, Printing, and Corporate Investments.
The Personal Systems segment is HP's largest revenue engine. It covers commercial and consumer desktops and notebooks, workstations, thin clients, retail point-of-sale systems, and displays. The segment also includes software, hybrid work systems, and endpoint security. Lifecycle services such as support, deployment, configuration, and extended warranty coverage deepen HP's relationships with corporate IT buyers and generate recurring revenue alongside hardware sales.
The Printing segment is HP's profit anchor. It offers consumer and commercial printer hardware along with the supplies and solutions that keep those devices running, and it extends into graphics, 3D printing, and personalization technologies for commercial and industrial customers. The installed base of printers produces a recurring supplies stream that carries far richer margins than PC hardware. HP's global distribution reach, brand recognition, and scale in component purchasing give it advantages that smaller hardware rivals struggle to match. The Corporate Investments segment handles incubation and early-stage projects that position the company for new markets.
Investor Outlook
HP Inc. (HPQ) carries a Weiss Rating of B- (Buy). It pairs a fresh upgrade with a high-profile CEO appointment, raised guidance, and a 4.24% dividend yield. Investors should watch Emma Walmsley's transition ahead of her January 4 start date, how HP manages memory-chip cost pressure on Personal Systems margins, and whether fiscal-2026 results land within the $3.19–$3.29 adjusted EPS range. See full rankings of all B- rated Information Technology stocks inside the Weiss Stock Screener.
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