Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. (PTEN) Stock Price & Analysis
Market: NASDAQ • Sector: Energy • Industry: Oil & Gas Drilling
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. (PTEN) Profile & Business Summary
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides onshore contract drilling services to oil and natural gas operators in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Contract Drilling Services, Pressure Pumping Services, and Directional Drilling Services. The Contract Drilling Services segment markets its contract drilling services primarily in west Texas, Appalachia, Rockies, Oklahoma, South Texas, East Texas, and Colombia. As of December 31, 2021, this segment had a drilling fleet of 192 marketable land-based drilling rigs. The Pressure Pumping Services segment offers pressure pumping services that consist of well stimulation for the completion of new wells and remedial work on existing wells, as well as hydraulic fracturing, cementing, and acid pumping services in Texas and the Appalachian region. The Directional Drilling Services segment provides a suite of directional drilling services, including directional drilling and measurement-while-drilling services; supply and rental of downhole performance motors; and software and services that enhances the accuracy of directional and horizontal wellbores, wellbore quality, and on-bottom rate of penetration. It also services equipment to drilling contractors, as well as provides electrical controls and automation to the energy, marine, and mining industries in North America and other markets; and owns and invests in oil and natural gas assets as a non-operating working interest owner located principally in Texas and New Mexico. Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Key Information
| Ticker | PTEN |
|---|---|
| Leadership | William Andrew Hendricks Jr. |
| Exchange | NASDAQ |
| Official Site | https://www.patenergy.com |
Market Trend Overview for PTEN
One model, two time views: what the market looks like right now, and where the larger trend is heading over time.
This model looks at how prices behave over time to describe the current market environment. It focuses on whether price is moving steadily, stalling, or losing momentum, and checks both short-term and weekly trends for confirmation. The goal is not to predict exact prices, but to help understand when conditions are supportive, risky, or unclear.
Current Market Context (Short-Term)
As of 2026-02-06 (ET), PTEN is moving strongly higher. Price at 8.66 is above support near 7.21. If price moves higher, it may meet resistance around 9.16. View Support & Resistance from Options
Why the market looks this way?
Prices have been moving higher consistently over recent sessions. The weekly trend supports this upward move. This is a strong upward environment where pullbacks are more likely to find support.
Longer-Term Market Trend (Mid to Long Term)
Shows the bigger market trend, how strong it is, and where risks may start to build over the next few weeks or months. — Updated as of 2026-02-06 (ET)
As of 2026-02-06, PTEN is in a strong upward move. Over the longer term, the trend remains bullish.
PTEN last closed at 8.66. The price is about 2.5 ATR above its recent average price (7.96), and the market is currently in a strong upward move.
The trend is still positive, but signs of slowing momentum suggest growing two-sided risk.
Trend score: 95 out of 100. Overall alignment is strong. The market is currently in a strong and established uptrend. Trend signals are well aligned across timeframes, suggesting a stable and consistent trend.
Price is far from its recent average (about 2.5 ATR away). Chasing the move at this level carries a higher risk of a pullback.
A key downside level is near 6.30. If price falls below this area, the current upward trend would likely weaken or break.
A systematic trend-activation signal was most recently triggered on 2026-01-02, reflecting a technical shift toward positive directional alignment.
Recent price action shows orderly upward progression with no major deterioration in bar-level efficiency. Structural conditions remain broadly constructive.
Closing activity showed limited conviction and did not suggest strong overnight positioning.
Short Interest & Covering Risk for PTEN
This analysis looks at overall short interest positioning, focusing on the broader setup rather than short-term noise.
Shows how likely a short squeeze may be under current market conditions.
Short Exposure Percentile
Short interest is at a very high historical level. If price moves against shorts, reactions could be sharp and volatile. (Historical percentile: 93%)
Structure Analysis
PTEN Short positioning looks normal. Current days to cover is 2.0 trading days, meaning short positions could unwind at a normal pace. Short covering is likely to have a normal impact on price moves.
Bull Trap Structural Risk
No clear bull trap characteristics detected. Recent price behavior remains broadly consistent with current positioning.This reading helps confirm that current price action remains structurally healthy and does not indicate elevated trap risk.
Short interest remains relatively low, limiting forced selling pressure. Current price strength appears broadly supported. As a result, similar news or market events could lead to price moves about 1× larger than usual.
Note:
Short interest data is reported every two weeks by
FINRA.
The most recent snapshot is
2026-01-15 (ET).
Because this data updates slowly, it is not intended to predict short-term price moves. Instead, it helps describe longer-term market structure and where pressure may be building if prices begin to move.