Patterson-UTI Energy (PTEN) Posts Disappointing Q3 Results. Is This a True Picture?
Oil drilling company Patterson-UTI Energy yet again posted disappointing quarterly numbers despite the oil drilling business growing leaps and bounds in North America.
The company provides two of the most essential services for shale drilling - high-specification rigs capable of handling complex shale jobs and pressure pumping services to frack shale wells and make them producing. Despite providing some critical services and being present right at the epicenter of booming shale production, the company’s net loss for Q3 grew by ~600% compared to the previous quarter, whereas the operating loss grew by ~790% during the same period.
One of the main reasons for this quarter may have fallen short is the decision to retire 42 of its older legacy rigs and take a $48.4 million impairment charge. The other major reason may have been the company’s increased capital expenditure in the last few quarters for upgrading the rigs, which resulted in high deprecation costs. These two non-cash expenses dented the bottom-line in a big way.
Despite the losses, the picture isn’t as bad as it looks, and it could be only a couple of tough quarters before it gets back on the growth track again.
Even though the company posted losses in last few quarters, it was still able to pay dividends and buy back shares worth $100 million so far this year – indicating the strong financial health of the company.
PTEN in +1.40% Uptrend, rising for three consecutive days on September 02, 2025
Moving higher for three straight days is viewed as a bullish sign. Keep an eye on this stock for future growth. Considering data from situations where PTEN advanced for three days, in of 290 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In of 56 cases where PTEN's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on September 08, 2025. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on PTEN as a result. In of 91 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for PTEN turned negative on September 15, 2025. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 45 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In of the 45 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at .
PTEN moved below its 50-day moving average on September 05, 2025 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where PTEN declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
PTEN broke above its upper Bollinger Band on August 22, 2025. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
The Aroon Indicator for PTEN entered a downward trend on September 02, 2025. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. PTEN’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (0.623) is normal, around the industry mean (1.002). PTEN's P/E Ratio (51.000) is considerably higher than the industry average of (13.457). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.700) is also within normal values, averaging (3.755). Dividend Yield (0.059) settles around the average of (0.065) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (0.418) is also within normal values, averaging (0.748).
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. PTEN’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 78, placing this stock worse than average.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating weak sales and an unprofitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
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General Information
a provider of onshore contract drilling and pressure pumping services
Industry ContractDrilling
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