Should I Buy FLS? FLS 2026 Analysis

Should You Buy Flowserve Corp (FLS) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Conclusion

Buy

Latest Price

78.390

1 Day change

1.94%

52 Week Range

78.840

Analysis Updated At

2026/01/28

Buy now for a beginner, long-term investor. FLS is in a healthy uptrend (bullish MA stack) with strong institutional/large-holder interest (hedge funds buying, Paradice increasing to 6.98%) and improving operating performance. The stock is sitting right around the pivot/support zone (~76.46), which is a reasonable long-term entry for an impatient investor. Key upside levels to watch are ~78.52 then ~79.80; if weakness appears, the main nearby support is ~74.40.

Technical Analysis

Trend/price action: Bullish trend structure with SMA_5 > SMA_20 > SMA_200, suggesting the primary trend is up despite the recent -0.90% daily pullback to 76.37. Momentum: RSI(6) ~54.9 (neutral, not overbought). MACD histogram is positive (0.113) but contracting, implying upside momentum is slowing near-term, not reversing. Levels: Pivot 76.461 (price is essentially on it), Support S1 74.399, S2 73.124; Resistance R1 78.524, R2 79.799. Pattern-based near-term bias: Similar-pattern stats suggest -1.18% next day probability, but +2.78% next week and +6.81% next month—consistent with a mild near-term digestion inside a broader uptrend. Intellectia Proprietary Trading Signals - [AI Stock Picker](module://ai_stock_pick): no signal on given stock today. - [SwingMax](module://swingmax): No signal on given stock recently.

Options Data

Bullish

Open Interest Put-Call Ratio

Bullish

Option Volume Put-Call Ratio

Sentiment: Open-interest put/call of 0.55 is bullish positioning (more calls than puts outstanding). Volume put/call of 0.91 is closer to balanced on the day, suggesting mixed near-term trading. Volatility/positioning: IV percentile ~89.2 (elevated vs its own history), implying the options market is pricing in a meaningful move/uncertainty (consistent with the upcoming earnings catalyst). Total volume 357 and open interest 13,536 show active participation, but not a clear “panic” skew toward puts.

Technical Summary

Sell

Buy

Positive Catalysts

1) Event catalyst: Q4 and FY2025 earnings on 2026-02-05 (after hours) with outlook commentary soon after—potential re-rating catalyst if guidance confirms strength.
2) Institutional/large-holder vote of confidence: Paradice Investment Management increased stake to 6.98% via an ~$11.46M purchase.
3) Operational narrative support (from Street commentary): continued execution, margin/self-help potential, and longer-duration growth opportunities (e.g., nuclear-related demand) have driven multiple target raises.

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

1) Insider behavior: insiders are selling (selling amount up 257.18% over the last month), which can cap upside near-term.
2) Some end-market skepticism on the Street: at least one notable cautious view (e.g., BofA downgrade previously citing nuclear upside priced in and potential weakness in oil & gas/chemicals into 2026).
3) Near-term momentum cooling: positive-but-contracting MACD plus neutral RSI suggests consolidation risk around current levels.

Financial Performance

Latest reported quarter: 2025/Q3. Growth quality improved meaningfully. - Revenue: $1.174B, +3.65% YoY (steady top-line growth). - Net income: $219.6M, +276.11% YoY. - EPS: $1.67, +279.55% YoY. - Gross margin: 34.55%, +7.60% YoY. Takeaway: modest revenue growth but very strong profitability/earnings expansion and margin improvement—supportive for a long-term buy case.

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

Recent trend: price targets have been moving higher overall into 2026, with multiple firms raising targets after strong execution/updates (e.g., RBC to $76, Citi to $82, UBS to $82, Jefferies to $85, Stifel to $87). Not all are bullish—Goldman remains Neutral (raised to $80), and BofA previously downgraded to Neutral with a $73 target. Wall Street pros: improving margins/FCF narrative, execution, and longer-duration growth themes (including nuclear exposure) supporting higher targets. Wall Street cons: concern that some upside is already priced in after a re-rating, plus potential softness in core cyclicals (oil & gas/chemicals) extending into 2026.

10 Analyst Rating

Wall Street analysts forecast FLS stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for FLS is 80.75 USD with a low forecast of 74 USD and a high forecast of 85 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.

7 Buy

3 Hold

0 Sell

Moderate Buy

Current: 76.900

Low

Averages

80.75

High

Current: 76.900

Low

Averages

80.75

High

Stifel

Nathan Jones

Buy

maintain

$84 -> $87

AI Analysis

2026-01-23

Reason

Stifel

Nathan Jones

Price Target

$84 -> $87

AI Analysis

2026-01-23

maintain

Buy

Reason

Stifel analyst Nathan Jones raised the firm's price target on Flowserve to $87 from $84 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares as part of the firm's Q4 preview for its diversified industrials coverage.

Mizuho

Outperform

maintain

$60 -> $74

2026-01-05

Reason

Mizuho

Price Target

$60 -> $74

2026-01-05

maintain

Outperform

Reason

Mizuho raised the firm's price target on Flowserve to $74 from $60 and keeps an Outperform rating on the shares. The firm adjusted ratings and price targets in the electrical equipment and multi-industry group as part of its 2026 outlook. It sees "uneven terrain ahead" for the sector but says the "tariff fog" is clearing.

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FLS Should I Buy

FLS Should I Buy

Should You Buy Flowserve Corp (FLS) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Technical Analysis

Options Data

Technical Summary

Positive Catalysts

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

Financial Performance

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

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