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WHDCactus, Inc. Class A Common StoSell6.4·$50.49+0.14%
WHD · Why this verdict

Why Cactus, Inc. Class A Common Sto (WHD) is rated SELL

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictSELL
Overall score6.4/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroNEUTRAL

Thesis pillars

Cactus delivered 38% year-over-year revenue growth and ranks as the industry growth leader among oil and gas equipment peers, suggesting strong demand for its wellhead systems and casing-running equipment as drilling activity increased.

Stable
Peer-rank breakdown
Expectation
Revenue growth remains above 15% year-over-year for at least 2 consecutive reported quarters, maintaining the company's industry-leading growth position.

CounterOil and gas equipment demand is directly tied to upstream capital spending, which can decline rapidly if oil prices fall; 38% growth during an up-cycle provides no protection if the cycle turns.

Cactus has beaten earnings estimates in 3 of the last 4 quarters, with the 3 most recent beats averaging 10.5% positive surprise — indicating management is consistently delivering above consensus expectations.

Stable
Earnings
Expectation
Beat rate remains at 3 or better in the next 4 quarters, with average positive surprise exceeding 5%.

CounterThe one miss in the streak was -8.4%, and the elevated put/call ratio of 1.75 suggests options traders are positioned for a near-term miss despite the historical track record.

At $58.07, Cactus trades 5.1% above the analyst consensus price target — an unfavorable asymmetry of -0.73 where analysts collectively believe the stock is overvalued at current levels, limiting upside potential for new buyers.

Stable
Targets
Expectation
Analyst price targets are raised above $62 within 6 months following continued earnings beats, restoring at least 5% positive upside from the current price.

CounterThe resistance-based take-profit target of $62.86 is above current prices, and the risk/reward to that level is 1.39x; a modest analyst target increase could make the entry attractive.

A Piotroski score of 8 out of 9 combined with strong current ratio of 8.8 and positive free cash flow generation at 61% of net income indicates a financially healthy company with the balance sheet strength to sustain growth investment.

Stable
Quality breakdown
Expectation
Piotroski score remains at 7 or higher for the next 2 reported annual periods, and free cash flow as a percentage of net income improves to above 80%.

CounterFree cash flow at 61% of net income is below the 100% threshold that indicates excellent cash quality; the earnings quality warning suggests cash generation may not be as strong as GAAP earnings imply.

TrendMatrix Research · core thesis

Engine thesis — one sentence

Cactus Inc. is the industry growth leader in oil and gas equipment with 38% year-over-year revenue growth, a Piotroski score of 8 out of 9, and 3 consecutive earnings beats — but the stock is already trading above analyst targets and carries an elevated put/call ratio, making entry timing critical.

Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

7.0/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
P/E2.6
P/S8.3
EV/EBITDA5.3
Fwd P/E8.2
PEG10.0
Analyst target6.0
  • Forward P/E: 14.5x
  • PEG: 0.07
  • Attractively valued

Quality

5.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE4.2
ROA4.7
Gross margin2.8
Op margin5.7
Net margin6.5
Current ratio8.8
FCF quality4.7
Moat5.4
Piotroski F8.9
  • Earnings quality warning: 61% FCF/NI
  • No competitive moat
  • Strong Piotroski F-Score: 8/9

Growth

10.0/10data confidence 67%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth10.0
EPS growth10.0
  • Strong growth: 38% YoY

Momentum

4.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI8.1
MACD0.0
OBV10.0
MA position4.0
Volume1.2
  • Oversold in uptrend (RSI 29)
  • Volume accumulation (rising OBV)
  • Above 200-day MA

Sentiment

6.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
Analyst rating6.9
Price target8.3
erm sentiment5.0
  • Light analyst coverage (9.0) — signal dampened
  • Analyst upside: 26%

Insider

3.9/10data confidence 75%
ComponentSub-score
materiality4.5
insider conviction2.0
holder change5.1
  • Modest insider selling — $1,256,704 (0.036% of mkt cap)

Peer rank

6.1/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank2.6
quality rank7.7
growth rank8.9
  • Best-in-class margins
  • Industry growth leader

Technical

7.3/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger7.9
support resistance8.3
52w position5.7

Risk (lower is worse)

4.0/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest7.0
days to cover5.5
volatility1.4
put call2.9
implied vol3.9
beta5.4
debt equity1.6
  • Elevated put/call: 1.57

Catalyst

5.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm5.0
earnings history6.7
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg5.4
dividend safety6.5
  • Strong earnings: 3B/1M
  • Dividend: 111.0%

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Multiple concerning factors. Consider reducing position.

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L4:PATH_F_SELL
Passed (6)
  • MOMENTUM:4.7>=4.5
  • INSIDER:OK
  • NEWS_EVENTS:NONE_RECENT
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:31d clear
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (1)
  • ASYMMETRY:1.1<1.5@spot
Warning (2)
  • MOMENTUM:4.7<5.5 (soft — BUY_NOW allowed but watch)
  • 8K_CSUITE_CHANGE:5.02 (officer departure/appointment)
Reward-to-Risk
1.11
Upside
+9.9%
Downside
8.9%
Sizing output
AVOID

Setup No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed

EdgeNo clear edge No clear edge identified

SuitabilityAggressive Beta 1.39>1.3, MCap $3.5B<$5B

Investment implication

The F-path SELL output reflects an overall score of 4.9 below the 5.6 soft trigger — multiple weakening dimensions accumulated rather than a single hard-floor breach. The strongest dimension ( Growth at 10.0) was not enough to lift the adjusted overall above the threshold. Co-occurring failed gates ( ASYMMETRY:1.1<1.5@spot) reinforce the read. Current asymmetry R:R is 1.11 — supplementary context, not the trigger for this path.

The strongest dimensions are Growth at 10.0, Technical at 7.3, and Value at 7.0; the weakest are Insider at 3.9, Risk (lower is worse) at 4.0, and Momentum at 4.7. The V9 engine flagged 1 failed gate with 2 warnings, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of 1.11 and an engine sizing output of AVOID.

What would invalidate the thesis

Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.

  • P1Industry Leading Growth

    Trip ifRevenue growth falls below 10% year-over-year for at least 2 consecutive reported quarters.

  • P2Consistent Earnings Beats

    Trip ifEarnings surprise falls below 0% in at least 2 of the next 4 reported quarters.

  • P3Price Above Analyst Targets

    Trip ifPrice rises above $65, more than 12% above the current $58.07, without analyst price targets also rising above $63.

  • P4Strong Balance Sheet Quality

    Trip ifPiotroski score falls below 6 or free cash flow drops below 30% of net income for at least 2 consecutive reported periods.

Engine reasoning is mechanically derived from pipeline gate outputs. See decision view.

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