Stephens Upgrades H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) to “Hold”

H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) was upgraded by research analysts at Stephens to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

HRB has been the topic of a number of other reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of H&R Block from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $50.00 price objective on shares of H&R Block in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of H&R Block from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $43.00.

H&R Block Stock Up 6.3%

HRB opened at $44.99 on Monday. H&R Block has a 52 week low of $28.16 and a 52 week high of $55.95. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $38.62 and a 200-day simple moving average of $35.50. The firm has a market cap of $5.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.01, a P/E/G ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 0.36.

H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $6.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.77 by $0.25. The business had revenue of $2.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.34 billion. H&R Block had a negative return on equity of 211.62% and a net margin of 18.90%.The company’s revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $5.38 earnings per share. H&R Block has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.100-5.20 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that H&R Block will post 5.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On H&R Block

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HRB. UBS Group AG grew its position in shares of H&R Block by 19.2% during the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 934,917 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,744,000 after buying an additional 150,719 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in H&R Block by 1,999.7% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 106,077 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,461,000 after acquiring an additional 101,025 shares in the last quarter. Ceera Investments LLC raised its holdings in H&R Block by 299.1% in the first quarter. Ceera Investments LLC now owns 42,228 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,340,000 after acquiring an additional 31,648 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in H&R Block in the first quarter worth approximately $1,523,000. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in H&R Block by 543.1% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 67,038 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,128,000 after acquiring an additional 56,613 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.14% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting H&R Block

Here are the key news stories impacting H&R Block this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlighted H&R Block’s 115% five-year share-price gain while arguing that the stock could remain below fair value based on valuation metrics. This supports the bullish case, although other analysts believe the recent rally has brought the shares closer to fair value. H&R Block Stock Looks Below Fair Value After A 115% Five Year Run
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s most recent quarterly results exceeded expectations, with revenue up 5.3% year over year and EPS of $6.02 versus a $5.77 consensus estimate. The earnings track record and projected fiscal 2026 EPS of approximately $5.10 to $5.20 remain supportive of the investment case.
• Neutral Sentiment: H&R Block will release fourth-quarter and full-year fiscal 2026 results after the market closes on August 11. The announcement gives investors a near-term catalyst, with guidance, tax-season volumes and capital returns likely to influence the next move. H&R Block to Release Fiscal 2026 Results on August 11, 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded HRB from “strong buy” to “hold,” while Stephens initiated or reiterated a neutral stance, assigning an equal-weight/hold rating and a $47 price target. The limited implied upside suggests analysts see less near-term appreciation after the rally.
• Negative Sentiment: Additional analysis questioned whether H&R Block is already fully valued, reinforcing concerns that the stock’s recent advance may have outpaced analysts’ fair-value estimates. Is H&R Block Fully Valued As Analysts See Fair Value Below Its Recent Price?

H&R Block Company Profile

H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) is a leading provider of tax preparation services and software solutions, serving individual and small-business clients through a combination of retail offices, online platforms and mobile applications. The company offers assisted tax preparation at its network of retail offices, where clients work with trained tax professionals, as well as do-it-yourself (DIY) software and online filing services designed to guide users through the complexities of federal and state tax returns.

Founded in 1955 by brothers Henry W.