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Hunting
(LSE:HTG)
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Rating:74Outperform
Price Target:
493.00 p
â–²(4.45% Upside)
Action:Upgraded
Date:03/07/26
The score is driven mainly by improved operating performance and strong balance-sheet resilience, reinforced by positive FY26 guidance, a sizeable tender pipeline, and ongoing buybacks/dividend growth plans. Offsetting this are cash-flow volatility (notably the 2025 free-cash-flow decline), order-book visibility near-term, and only moderate valuation support for a cyclical business.
Positive Factors
Conservative balance sheet
Very low leverage and a large equity base provide durable financial resilience through oilfield cycles. This balance-sheet flexibility supports capex, tender bidding and M&A, reduces refinancing risk, and underpins management’s ability to sustain buybacks and dividend growth even during weaker demand periods.
Negative Factors
Cash-flow volatility
Material swings in free cash flow and prior negative operating cash flow year(s) indicate uneven cash conversion tied to project timing and working capital. This reduces predictability for reinvestment, M&A funding and returns, raising execution risk if tenders or conversion timing slip.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Conservative balance sheet
Very low leverage and a large equity base provide durable financial resilience through oilfield cycles. This balance-sheet flexibility supports capex, tender bidding and M&A, reduces refinancing risk, and underpins management’s ability to sustain buybacks and dividend growth even during weaker demand periods.
Read all positive factors
Hunting (HTG) vs. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWC)
Market Cap
£641.48M
Dividend Yield2.22%
Average Volume (3M)361.24K
Price to Earnings (P/E)31.1
Beta (1Y)1.24
Revenue Growth-5.70%
EPS GrowthN/A
CountryUK
Employees2,246
SectorEnergy
Sector Strength52
IndustryOil & Gas Equipment & Services
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.19
Shares Outstanding152,508,930
10 Day Avg. Volume332,832
30 Day Avg. Volume361,244
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio-0.07
Price to Book (P/B)0.89
Price to Sales (P/S)0.77
P/FCF Ratio9.06
Enterprise Value/Market CapN/A
Enterprise Value/RevenueN/A
Enterprise Value/Gross ProfitN/A
Enterprise Value/EbitdaN/A
Forecast
1Y Price Target
£560.00Price Target Upside18.64% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering5
EPS Forecast (FY)0.42
Revenue Forecast (FY)£1.06B
Hunting Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Hunting PLC, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures components, technology systems, and precision parts worldwide. It operates in five segments: Hunting Titan; North America; Subsea Technologies; Europe, Middle East and Africa; and Asia Paci...
How the Company Makes Money
Hunting makes money primarily by selling engineered equipment and providing related services to oil and gas operators and oilfield service companies. Key revenue streams include: (1) Product sales of proprietary and engineered components used in d...
Hunting Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Mar 05, 2026
(Q4-2025)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Aug 21, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call presented a broadly positive operational and financial picture — EBITDA growth, improved margins, strong working capital improvements, cash generation, successful integration of acquisitions (FES and OOR), a large tender pipeline (> $1B) and a clear capital-return plan (buybacks and rising dividends). Near-term weaknesses include ongoing EMEA restructuring, a softer electronics division, a temporarily reduced order book after KOC completion (down ~20%), and some lumpy/project-driven revenue patterns. Management maintains FY2026 guidance (EBITDA $145–$155M, margin 13%–14%), is targeting a 15% margin and higher returns on capital, and expects significant order conversions in Q2. On balance, operational improvements and cash/return metrics outweigh the transitional and regional challenges.Positive Updates
EBITDA Growth and Profitability
Reported EBITDA of $135.7M for FY2025 (EBITDA up ~7% year-over-year). Gross profit, EBITDA and operating profit margins each improved by ~1 percentage point; company targeting FY2026 EBITDA of $145M–$155M and a group EBITDA margin of 13%–14%.
Negative Updates
EMEA Weakness and Restructuring Impact
EMEA was the weakest region due to a soft market and ongoing restructuring (closure/migration of multiple facilities, including two in the Netherlands and four closures noted). EMEA performance pulled down segment results and requires FY2026 benefit realization (~$11M savings expected to flow in).
Read all updates
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive
Negative
EBITDA Growth and Profitability
Reported EBITDA of $135.7M for FY2025 (EBITDA up ~7% year-over-year). Gross profit, EBITDA and operating profit margins each improved by ~1 percentage point; company targeting FY2026 EBITDA of $145M–$155M and a group EBITDA margin of 13%–14%.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
The company reiterated FY26 guidance with EBITDA targeted at $145–$155m (up from $135.7m in FY25) and an EBITDA margin of 13–14%, an effective tax rate of 25–28%, and CapEx budgeted at $40–$50m; management expects ~50% free cash flow conversion and is projecting return on capital around ~11% today with a 15% target in 18–24 months. They signaled the year is back‑end loaded (big Q2 tender activity) with a normalized order book of ~$358m and a tender/inquiry pipeline north of $1bn (expecting the order book to build toward ~$500m by Q3), cash of $63m, net assets ~$900m, a $200m RCF extended to 2029, and working capital at 33% (down from 75% in 2020) after reducing inventory by $65m. Capital allocation includes completed share buybacks of about $60m (first two tranches), an intended additional $40m buyback to be completed by March 2028, declared dividend of $0.13 for the year with a 13% p.a. growth policy through the decade, and announced cost‑savings plans of $15m (plus a separate $5m program) to support margin improvement.Hunting Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
72
Positive
Balance Sheet
86
Very Positive
Cash Flow
61
Positive
| Breakdown | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | |||||
| Total Revenue | 1.02B | 1.05B | 929.10M | 725.80M | 521.60M |
| Gross Profit | 279.80M | 271.90M | 227.70M | 171.40M | 99.40M |
| EBITDA | 121.50M | 11.10M | 96.90M | 40.40M | -39.10M |
| Net Income | 41.96M | -28.00M | 117.10M | -4.60M | -85.80M |
Balance Sheet | |||||
| Total Assets | 1.18B | 1.28B | 1.22B | 1.05B | 1.01B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 145.55M | 206.60M | 45.50M | 29.40M | 115.20M |
| Total Debt | 117.44M | 135.90M | 78.90M | 39.40M | 36.70M |
| Total Liabilities | 293.61M | 376.90M | 265.20M | 203.10M | 140.30M |
| Stockholders Equity | 877.92M | 896.80M | 953.80M | 844.60M | 869.90M |
Cash Flow | |||||
| Free Cash Flow | 86.27M | 160.10M | 15.30M | -52.70M | 22.90M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 132.32M | 188.50M | 49.30M | -36.80M | 28.60M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -97.50M | -25.50M | -32.40M | -10.50M | 13.60M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -103.12M | 700.00K | 6.44M | -28.30M | -35.80M |
Hunting Technical Analysis
Positive
472.00
Price Trends
473.07
Negative
483.48
Negative
431.06
Positive
Market Momentum
-10.92
Negative
48.39
Neutral
51.28
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:HTG, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 472 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 453.00, below the 50-day MA of 473.07, and above the 200-day MA of 431.06, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -10.92 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 48.39 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 51.28 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for GB:HTG.
Hunting Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (65)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
83 Outperform | £327.14M | 10.24 | 21.84% | 0.38% | 20.92% | 11.45% | |
74 Outperform | £641.48M | 31.05 | 3.49% | 2.22% | -5.70% | ― | |
68 Neutral | £213.15M | 15.12 | 4.61% | ― | 8.82% | -55.40% | |
65 Neutral | $15.17B | 7.61 | 4.09% | 5.20% | 3.87% | -62.32% | |
49 Neutral | £13.53M | 17.77 | ― | ― | ― | ― | |
44 Neutral | £4.92M | -0.99 | -20.68% | ― | -73.26% | -370.18% |
* Energy Sector Average
GB:HTG
Hunting
451.00
137.98
44.08%
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GB:AT
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Hunting Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting Continues Share Buyback, Cuts Share Count to 152.4 Million
Positive
Jul 13, 2026
Hunting PLC has continued to execute its previously announced share buyback programme, repurchasing 67,000 ordinary shares between 6 and 10 July 2026 at volume-weighted average prices in the mid-420s to high-430s pence range. The company intends t...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting PLC Cancels Latest Tranche of Share Buybacks, Tightening Free Float
Positive
Jul 6, 2026
Hunting PLC has continued to execute the share buyback programme launched in March 2026, repurchasing 54,414 ordinary shares between 29 June and 3 July on London venues at an average price in the mid-440 pence range. The latest tranche was carried...
Stock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting PLC Updates Share Capital and Voting Rights Following Buy-Backs
Neutral
Jul 1, 2026
Hunting PLC, the London-listed precision engineering group, reported that as of 30 June 2026 its issued share capital consists of 152,564,337 ordinary shares of 25 pence each, with no shares held in treasury. The company noted that this updated sh...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Hunting Cancels 60,000 Shares in Continued Buyback Programme
Positive
Jun 29, 2026
Hunting PLC has continued executing its previously announced share buyback programme, repurchasing 60,000 ordinary shares between 22 and 26 June 2026 at a volume-weighted average price of 464.50 pence. The repurchases were carried out through brok...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting cancels 60,000 shares as buyback trims share capital
Positive
Jun 22, 2026
Hunting PLC has continued its previously announced share buyback programme, repurchasing 60,000 ordinary shares between 15 June and 19 June 2026 through broker Canaccord Genuity at volume-weighted average prices ranging from about 471p to 489p. Th...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting cancels 62,500 shares after latest buyback tranche
Positive
Jun 15, 2026
Hunting PLC has repurchased 62,500 of its own ordinary shares between 8 and 12 June 2026 under its previously announced share buyback programme, at volume-weighted average prices ranging from 465.88 pence to 486.00 pence. The company plans to canc...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting Continues Buyback, Cancels Shares and Updates Voting Rights
Positive
Jun 8, 2026
Hunting PLC has continued its previously announced share buyback programme by repurchasing 62,500 ordinary shares between 1 and 5 June 2026 through broker Canaccord Genuity at volume-weighted average prices in the mid-460p range. The company plans...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Hunting PLC Cancels Further Shares Under Ongoing Buyback Programme
Positive
Jun 1, 2026
Hunting PLC has continued to execute its previously announced share buyback programme, repurchasing 53,500 ordinary shares between 26 and 29 May 2026 at volume‑weighted average prices ranging from about 468 pence to 496 pence. The shares, ac...
Stock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting PLC Updates Share Capital and Voting Rights Following Buybacks
Neutral
Jun 1, 2026
Hunting PLC, the London-listed precision engineering group, reported that as of 31 May 2026 its issued share capital consists of 152,836,337 ordinary shares of 25 pence each, with no shares held in treasury. This updated share count, reflecting sh...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Hunting PLC Launches CEO Succession Process as Jim Johnson Plans Mid-2027 Retirement
Neutral
Jun 1, 2026
Hunting PLC has announced that Chief Executive Jim Johnson plans to retire as a director by mid-2027, triggering a formal succession process led by the Nomination Committee. The search will consider both internal and external candidates to steer t...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting cancels 68,500 shares in latest buyback tranche
Positive
May 26, 2026
Hunting PLC has continued executing its previously announced share buyback programme, repurchasing 68,500 ordinary shares between 18 and 22 May 2026 at volume-weighted average prices ranging from about 487p to 505p. The move, carried out via broke...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting cancels new tranche of buybacks, trims share count to 153 million
Positive
May 18, 2026
Hunting PLC has continued to execute its previously announced share buyback programme, repurchasing 70,000 ordinary shares between 11 and 15 May 2026 at volume‑weighted average prices around 501 pence. The company plans to cancel these share...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting Discloses Executive Committee Member Share Sale
Neutral
May 15, 2026
Hunting PLC has disclosed a share transaction involving executive committee member Daniel Tan, who sold 50,000 ordinary shares at 510 pence each on 14 May 2026 in London. Following the sale, Tan’s beneficial stake in the company stands at 0....
Other
Hunting Executives Boost Stakes Through Dividend Reinvestment
Positive
May 13, 2026
Hunting PLC has disclosed that Finance Director Bruce Ferguson and Executive Committee member Dane Tipton have increased their stakes in the company through a dividend reinvestment plan. Ferguson acquired 2,853 ordinary shares, taking his benefici...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting Cancels 50,000 Shares Under Ongoing Buyback Programme
Positive
May 11, 2026
Hunting PLC has repurchased 50,000 ordinary shares between 5 and 8 May 2026 under its ongoing share buyback programme, paying a volume-weighted average price of 497.15 pence per share. The company plans to cancel these shares, which will reduce th...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting Executive Committee Member Sells 50,000 Shares
Neutral
May 6, 2026
Hunting PLC has disclosed that Daniel Tan, a member of its executive committee, sold 50,000 ordinary shares at 511 pence each on 5 May 2026, reducing his beneficial holding to 0.22% of the company’s share capital. The transaction, conducted ...
Stock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting Cancels New Buyback Shares, Sets Updated Voting Capital
Neutral
May 5, 2026
Hunting PLC has repurchased 56,500 of its own ordinary shares between 27 April and 1 May 2026 under its ongoing share buyback programme, at a volume-weighted average price of 506.05 pence. The company plans to cancel these shares, reducing its sha...
Stock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting PLC Updates Share Capital and Voting Rights Figure
Neutral
May 1, 2026
Hunting PLC has confirmed that as of 30 April 2026 its issued share capital consists of 153,084,837 ordinary shares, with no shares held in treasury following cancellations linked to its share buyback programme. This updated share count becomes th...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Hunting Cancels 61,500 Shares in Ongoing Buyback Programme
Positive
Apr 27, 2026
Hunting PLC has continued its previously announced share buyback programme, repurchasing 61,500 ordinary shares between 20 and 24 April 2026 on the London Stock Exchange at a volume-weighted average price of 484.94 pence. The company plans to canc...
Stock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting PLC Cancels Latest Tranche of Share Buybacks, Updates Voting Rights
Positive
Apr 20, 2026
Hunting PLC has continued to execute its previously announced share buyback programme, repurchasing 61,500 ordinary shares between 13 and 17 April through broker Canaccord Genuity at a volume-weighted average price of 491.13 pence. The company pla...
DividendsShareholder Meetings
Hunting PLC Sets Sterling Rate for 2025 Final Dividend
Positive
Apr 16, 2026
Hunting PLC has set the sterling payment for its 2025 final dividend, following shareholder approval at its April 15 annual general meeting of a distribution of 6.8 cents per share for the year ended 31 December 2025. Using an average US dollar/st...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Hunting PLC Executive Committee Member Sells Entire Shareholding
Negative
Apr 16, 2026
Hunting PLC disclosed that executive committee member Scott George has sold 117,990 ordinary shares in the company at a price of 502.87 pence per share, with the transaction executed on 13 April 2026 in London. Following the disposal, George no lo...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackDividendsShareholder Meetings
Hunting wins full shareholder backing at AGM, securing key capital authorities
Positive
Apr 15, 2026
Hunting PLC said all 18 resolutions at its 15 April 2026 annual general meeting were approved by shareholders via a poll vote, with overall turnout representing 70.47% of the company’s issued share capital. The meeting backed receipt of the ...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackFinancial Disclosures
Hunting holds guidance as order book and cost cuts underpin 2026 outlook
Positive
Apr 15, 2026
Hunting PLC reported a solid first quarter of 2026, posting EBITDA of $23.2 million and a 10% margin, and reaffirmed full-year EBITDA guidance of $145 million to $155 million, with earnings expected to be weighted toward the second half. North Ame...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.