Should You Get Rid of Hornbeck Offshore (HOS) Now?

Similar to wise buying decisions, exiting certain underperformers at the right time helps maximize portfolio returns. Selling off losers can be difficult, but if both the share price and estimates are falling, it could be time to get rid of the security before more losses hit your portfolio.

One such stock that you may want to consider dropping is Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. HOS, which has witnessed a significant price decline in the past four weeks, and it has seen negative earnings estimate revisions for the current quarter and the current year. A Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) further confirms weakness in HOS.

A key reason for this move has been the negative trend in earnings estimate revisions. For the full year, we have seen 1 estimate moving down in the past 30 days, compared with no upward revisions. This trend has caused the consensus estimate to trend lower, going from a loss of 82 cents a share a month ago to its current level of a loss of 98 cents.

Also, for the current quarter, Hornbeck Offshore has seen 1 downward estimate revision versus no revisions in the opposite direction, dragging the consensus estimate down to a loss of 27 cents a share from a loss of 24 cents over the past 30 days.   

The stock also has seen some pretty dismal trading lately, as the share price has dropped 11.6% in the past month.

So it may not be a good decision to keep this stock in your portfolio anymore, at least if you don’t have a long time horizon to wait.

If you are still interested in the Oil- Field Services industry, you may instead consider a better-ranked stock - CGG CGG. The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and may be better selection at this time.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>


Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
HORNBECK OFFSHR (HOS): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
CGG (CGG): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research

Advertisement