Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. (PTEN)
NASDAQEnergyOil & Gas DrillingSnapshot 2026-10-29
$13.32+4.96%
Close 2026-10-30 · 1-day change
NASDAQEnergyOil & Gas DrillingSnapshot 2026-10-29
Research Workspace
Put PTEN beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Energy is in expansion. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
Primary pillar under pressure — Capital spending under $500 million in 2026: Comparison needs review.
View ThesisRevenue is contracting — down about 7% over the past year.
View GrowthMiddle-of-the-pack quality for its industry.
View QualityManagement screens weak on capital allocation, margins.
View ManagementExpectations look high — the market is pricing in about 33% growth a year, above the roughly 12% analysts expect, leaving little room for error.
View ValuationThis stock is volatile — it swings about 2% on a typical day and fell roughly 33% in its worst 12-month stretch.
View RiskPTEN depends on disciplined spending supporting growth, despite weak recent financial performance and sector tailwinds. Third-quarter revenue growth is unavailable; the latest earnings result beat consensus. PTEN trades at 1.0× sales versus the 1.6× peer median. Its 0.9× historical multiple is lower; the market prices in more growth than forecast. The main risk is premium compression, despite PTEN’s lower peer sales multiple. Our model puts next-quarter miss probability near 29%. Peer multiples imply a price about 33% below where it trades. The thesis is on watch; this read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-10-30. PTEN is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 16 analysts currently covering PTEN (as of Oct 2026).
Based on 4 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for PTEN in the last 4 months.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PTEN Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 4 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-10-30. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Energy (broad) — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put PTEN next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Advances: Maintain capital expenditure discipline while funding growth
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-10-30. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $13.32
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $13.32.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Above average on quality vs scored peers
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
TTM earnings are negative. P/E-based methods drop out and the estimate leans on sales- and cash-flow-based methods. A data condition, not a forward call.
Strong Q4 gross profit outlook alongside capped 2026 capex supports cash generation and disciplined growth investment.
Advances: Grow drilling and completion activity with technology investments
Reported stronger North American outlook supports activity growth, though sector-level rather than PTEN-specific.
Advances: Grow drilling and completion activity with technology investments
Premium equipment demand, pricing recovery, and strategic investments support activity and technology objectives.
Improve cash flow and operational efficiency
Official earnings-call highlights are relevant, but headline lacks specific results to assess direction.
Improve cash flow and operational efficiency
Official call transcript contains management disclosures, but headline alone gives no directional detail.
Advances: Grow drilling and completion activity with technology investments
Reported strong revenue growth and outlook indicate operational momentum, subject to underlying call details.
Threatens: Improve cash flow and operational efficiency
EPS miss signals modest earnings pressure despite revenue beating estimates.
Advances: Improve cash flow and operational efficiency
Better-than-expected quarterly sales support operating momentum, though margins and cash flow remain key.