Is LBRT a buy according to AI stock analysis?

LBRT AI stock analysis does not classify Liberty Energy as a simple buy because the company is executing well but is in a heavy investment phase that compresses earnings and free cash flow. The rating is cautious at the $18.78 cutoff with a forward P/E near 81x, deeply negative forecast free cash flow for 2026, and a stock that fell about 45% over three months, even though the analyst consensus remains Buy with an average target near $29.81.

What is the LBRT AI stock forecast?

The LBRT AI stock forecast uses a scenario range, not a certain price target. The tested framework points to a bearish area near $9 to $15 if commodity prices weaken and power projects stall, a base area near $16 to $24 if commodity volatility persists and power revenue stays minimal, and a bullish area near $26 to $32 if frac pricing recovers and the power build-out signs offtake agreements.

What technical levels matter for LBRT?

The key LBRT technical levels are resistance near $19.08 to $19.96 and again near $22 to $24, support near $17.65 to $18.20 and the key support near $15.85 to $16.00, with the 50-day moving average near $25.71 and the 200-day moving average near $24.31 overhead. The stock is below both moving averages with 14-day RSI near 35 as of the August 4, 2026 data cutoff.

Can AI predict LBRT stock price?

No, AI cannot reliably predict stock prices. AI can organize Liberty Energy financial data, technical levels, commodity-cycle scenarios, frac market utilization data, and power project risk factors, but future LBRT returns depend on natural gas and oil prices, E&P customer budgets, frac market pricing, the funding and execution of the power generation build-out, data center power offtake signings, and the broader energy commodity cycle.

How should I use this LBRT AI trading strategy?

Use this LBRT AI trading strategy as a planning framework, not as personal financial advice. Compare any entry with the support and resistance zones, review near-term commodity price trends and E&P earnings calls for spending guidance, define invalidation before entry, and size positions for energy sector volatility and the elevated post-earnings volume.

Why did LBRT stock fall sharply after Q2 2026 earnings?

LBRT fell about 22% on the Q2 2026 report even though revenue of about $1.19 billion beat the near $1.09 billion consensus, because adjusted EBITDA of $151 million implied weak incremental flow-through, sand and chemical margins stayed pressured, and management raised 2026 capex guidance to about $1.5 billion, pushing consensus free cash flow to about negative $965 million for the year as the company funds its power generation build-out.

What is Liberty Energy power generation business?

Liberty Energy is building an integrated power business, called LPI, that generates and manages power for AI data centers and other large loads. It announced a joint venture with PowerBridge for the planned 2 GW Alpha Digital Campus in West Texas with over 300 MW of first-phase generation targeted for late 2027, a strategic alliance with SLB, equipment purchase agreements with Bergen Engines and Wartsila covering about 3 GW through 2029, and a wholesale power trading unit in ERCOT, though no offtake leases at the Alpha campus were booked as of the Q2 2026 call.

Liberty Energy Inc. research snapshot

LBRT AI Stock Analysis

LBRT AI stock analysis as of the August 4, 2026 data cutoff reads Liberty Energy as a well-executing hydraulic fracturing and completion services provider whose stock has been repriced sharply after the Q2 2026 report because the company is spending heavily to build a power generation business for AI data centers. The reference quote was $18.78 at the August 3, 2026, 12:28 PM EDT reading on StockAnalysis.com, up 0.07 or 0.37% from the $18.71 previous close, within a day range near $17.65 to $19.07, giving a market capitalization of about $3.06 billion consistent with 163.19 million shares outstanding. Q2 2026 revenue of about $1.19 billion beat the near $1.09 billion consensus and rose 16% sequentially, but adjusted EPS of $0.09 barely beat the $0.08 consensus while adjusted EBITDA of $151 million and pressured sand and chemical margins left analysts focused on weak incrementals, and the company raised 2026 capital expenditure guidance to about $1.5 billion to fund power generation, with consensus free cash flow near negative $965 million for 2026. The stock fell about 22% on the report and about 42% over three months, trading roughly 45% below its May 2026 high of $34.48 and below its 50-day moving average near $25.71 and its 200-day moving average near $24.31, with a forward P/E near 81x. The AI score is 42 out of 100 with a rating of cyclical frac recovery under a heavy power investment phase, because execution is credible but near-term earnings, free cash flow, and valuation carry substantial risk. This page is informational research, not investment advice.

Current price

$18.78 at the August 3, 2026, 12:28 PM EDT reading on StockAnalysis.com, up 0.07 or 0.37% from the $18.71 previous close, within a day range near $17.65 to $19.07 after opening at $17.95

Market cap

About $3.06 billion, consistent with $18.78 times 163.19 million shares outstanding

AI score

42 / 100

Rating

Cyclical frac recovery under a heavy power generation investment phase that compresses earnings and free cash flow

Trend status

Sharp downtrend after the post-earnings selloff; price below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages

Data cutoff (updated monthly)

August 4, 2026

Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.

Research quality check

information Richness: B-level information richness. Liberty Energy has SEC filings including the Q2 2026 Form 10-Q filed July 23, 2026, the Q2 2026 earnings release and call transcript, coverage from 13 analysts, and liquid market data, but it is a mid-cap energy service company without the depth of coverage that larger integrated peers receive. The August 4, 2026 full refresh re-fetched and re-validated the key figures: the $18.78 reading, $3.06 billion market cap, $4.20 billion TTM revenue, $555.36 million cash, $1.292 billion total debt net of deferred financing costs, $1.964 billion equity, and Q2 2026 revenue of $1.19 billion and net income of $43 million, which matched across StockAnalysis.com, Barchart, SEC EDGAR XBRL, the earnings release, the earnings call transcript, and the Q2 2026 Form 10-Q.
bias Check: The main AI research risk is anchoring to the run from the $9.90 52-week low to the $34.48 52-week high and then to the roughly 22% post-earnings collapse, which creates recency bias in both directions. The mirror-image check asks whether the stock is cheap after the drawdown or expensive on a forward basis: the trailing P/E near 25.6x sits on collapsing earnings, the forward P/E near 81x prices in a large earnings recovery, and consensus free cash flow for 2026 is deeply negative because of the power build-out. Another bias risk is over-weighting the analyst Buy consensus and the $29.81 average target, which still sits about 59% above the price while every major firm cut its target after Q2.
ai Confidence: High for filings, market data, Q2 2026 results, balance sheet math, and valuation ratios that cross-validated across StockAnalysis.com, Barchart, SEC EDGAR XBRL, the Q2 2026 earnings release, the Q2 2026 Form 10-Q, and the earnings call transcript during the August 4, 2026 refresh. StockAnalysis.com reports total debt of about $1.61 billion under S&P Global classification, which includes finance and operating leases, while the Q2 2026 Form 10-Q reports total debt of $1.292 billion net of deferred financing costs, consisting of $1.295 billion of 0% convertible senior notes due 2031 and 2032, a $32 million term loan, and no revolving credit borrowings at June 30, 2026; this page uses the 10-Q figure as primary. Medium for forward valuation because frac pricing, commodity prices, power offtake signings, and the pace of power generation investment can change quickly.
investment Certainty: Low-medium. Liberty Energy operates in a cyclical industry where earnings and cash flow depend on natural gas and oil prices, E&P customer budgets, frac market supply and demand, and now the execution and funding of a multi-billion-dollar power generation build-out. The forward P/E above 80x and deeply negative forecast free cash flow mean the stock price depends on the frac recovery and the power story both working out.

Quick verdict table

Dimension	Conclusion	Confidence
Business quality	Liberty Energy provides hydraulic fracturing, wireline, proppant delivery, sand logistics, and related completion services to onshore oil, natural gas, and enhanced geothermal producers in North America, and it is expanding into power generation for data centers. Q2 2026 set records for pump hours, horsepower hours, and operational execution, but the base completions business is inherently cyclical and tied to E&P capital spending.	Medium-high
Moat	The moat comes from scale, next-generation fleet technology such as digiPrime dual-fuel fleets, sand mine integration and the Slurry last-mile sand system, AI and digital tools such as Forge, and long customer relationships. However, the pressure pumping market has historically low barriers to entry and suffers from pricing cycles, while the new power business is still early and unproven at scale.	Low-medium
Management	CEO Ron Gusek and CFO Michael Stock led a record operational quarter and are making deliberate long-term investments, including power generation equipment purchases from Bergen Engines and Wartsila, the PowerBridge joint venture, and the SLB alliance. Management raised 2026 capex guidance to about $1.5 billion and issued $1.295 billion of 0% convertible senior notes in February and March 2026, which adds balance sheet complexity and dilution risk.	Medium
Financial trend	Q2 2026 revenue of about $1.19 billion rose 16% sequentially and beat consensus, with net income of $43 million and adjusted EPS of $0.09, but adjusted EBITDA of $151 million on $1.2 billion of revenue implied weak incremental flow-through because sand and chemical margins stayed pressured. TTM revenue is about $4.20 billion with TTM net income near $122 million, and consensus free cash flow for 2026 is about negative $965 million due to the power investment phase.	Medium-high
Valuation	At about $18.78, the trailing P/E is near 25.6x but the forward P/E is near 81.4x, implying expected earnings recovery that has not happened yet. The stock trades at about 0.70x sales and 1.55x book value, with enterprise value of about $4.00 billion at 7.63x EBITDA. Consensus free cash flow is negative, so there is little traditional margin of safety.	Medium
Technical trend	LBRT closed the post-earnings selloff around $18.71 to $18.80 on August 3, 2026, below its 50-day moving average near $25.71 and its 200-day moving average near $24.31, with 14-day RSI near 35 on StockAnalysis.com and a Barchart technical opinion of 72% sell. The stock is down about 42% over three months and 20% over one month.	Medium
Risk level	Major risks include commodity price declines with WTI back below $70, E&P spending cuts, frac market overcapacity returning, pressured sand and chemical margins, the multi-billion-dollar power build-out with no signed offtake leases yet at the PowerBridge Alpha campus, negative free cash flow amplified by convertible notes that can dilute shareholders, and the inherently cyclical nature of well completion services.	High
AI confidence	High for historical financial and market data that cross-validated across StockAnalysis.com, Barchart, SEC EDGAR XBRL, and the Q2 2026 Form 10-Q, and medium for forward-looking forecasts that depend on commodity prices, frac utilization and pricing, power offtake signings, and the pace of capital deployment.	High data confidence
Investment certainty	Lower than AI data confidence because even verified data does not remove the inherent uncertainty of commodity cycles, the frac market supply-demand balance, and the execution and funding risk of the power generation expansion.	Low-medium

LBRT AI stock forecast

LBRT AI Stock Forecast Scenarios

The LBRT AI stock forecast uses scenarios rather than a precise prediction. Pricing depends on North American oil and gas activity, frac pricing and utilization, the pace and funding of the power generation build-out, and the company ability to sign data center power offtake agreements. The current price near $18.78 with a forward P/E above 80x and deeply negative forecast free cash flow means the stock prices in both a frac recovery and a successful power ramp, so the scenarios below are wide.

Bullish case

$26 to $32

More likely if oil prices stabilize, frac pricing and margins recover through the second half of 2026, PowerBridge and SLB relationships convert into signed power offtake agreements, capex stays near the $1.5 billion plan, and the stock reclaims and holds above the 50-day moving average near $25.71 toward the analyst average target of $29.81.

Base case

$16 to $24

More likely if commodity volatility persists, frac margins stay pressured by sand and chemical oversupply, power revenue remains minimal before 2027 to 2028, and free cash flow stays negative while the forward multiple stays elevated. The stock would oscillate between support near $15.85 to $16 and resistance near $24 to $26.

Bearish case

$9 to $15

More likely if oil weakens further, E&P capital spending is cut, frac overcapacity returns and pricing falls, power projects are delayed or fail to secure offtake, or negative free cash flow forces additional borrowing or convertible note dilution. A move back toward the 52-week low of $9.90 would represent a full retracement of the recent rally.

LBRT AI technical analysis

LBRT AI Technical Analysis

LBRT AI technical analysis as of the August 4, 2026 data cutoff is bearish. The stock traded near $18.78 on August 3, 2026, roughly 45% below the 52-week high of $34.48 set in May 2026 and about 22% below the pre-earnings price after the Q2 2026 report. The price is below the 50-day moving average near $25.71 and the 200-day moving average near $24.31, 14-day RSI is near 35 on StockAnalysis.com, and Barchart reports a technical opinion of 72% sell with average short-term outlook. The 20-day average volume has been elevated during the selloff.

Level	Value	Why it matters
Current price	$18.78	StockAnalysis.com real-time reading at the August 3, 2026, 12:28 PM EDT data point, up 0.07 or 0.37% from the $18.71 previous close within a day range near $17.65 to $19.07 after opening at $17.95. Barchart showed $18.80 at a slightly later reading, a normal source deviation.
Near resistance	$19.08 to $19.96	Barchart reported first, second, and third resistance points near $19.08, $19.46, and $19.96 as of August 3, 2026, the first overhead zone the stock must reclaim to slow the downtrend.
First major resistance	$22 to $24	The Fibonacci 50% retracement of the $34.48 to $9.90 range sits near $22.19, and the price must clear the low $20s before it can challenge the 50-day and 200-day moving averages near $24 to $26.
50-day moving average	$25.71	StockAnalysis.com reported the 50-day moving average near $25.71 on August 3, 2026, well above the current price, confirming the short-term downtrend.
200-day moving average	$24.31	StockAnalysis.com reported the 200-day moving average near $24.31, also above the current price, meaning the medium-term trend has turned down.
Near support	$17.65 to $18.20	The August 3, 2026 day low was near $17.65 and Barchart reported first support near $18.20, forming the first short-term support zone.
Key support	$15.85 to $16.00	Barchart price performance data shows the one-month low was $15.85 on July 28, 2026, after the earnings selloff. A close below this zone would signal a deeper decline.
52-week high	$34.48	The 52-week high of $34.48 was set on May 14, 2026, before the post-earnings decline of about 45% over the three months ended August 3, 2026.
52-week low	$9.90	The 52-week low of $9.90 was set in early September 2025. The stock is still up about 63% over the past 52 weeks despite the recent drawdown.
Momentum	Bearish	The price is below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages with 14-day RSI near 35.01 on StockAnalysis.com, weak but not yet oversold. Barchart rates the technical opinion 72% sell.
Volume	About 5.3 million 20-day average	StockAnalysis.com reported a 20-day average volume of about 5.33 million shares, elevated versus the prior average during the post-earnings selloff, which suggests real distribution rather than a quiet drift.
Volatility	Beta 0.61 (5Y) with options IV near 64%	StockAnalysis.com reports a 5-year beta of 0.61 and Barchart reports options implied volatility near 64.37% with historical volatility near 91.79%. Option markets implied an 18-day expected range near $17.31 to $20.49 as of August 3, 2026.
Invalidation	Close below $15.85	A close below the $15.85 to $16.00 support zone set on July 28, 2026 would invalidate the near-term base and open the path toward the low teens and potentially the $9.90 52-week low.

LBRT AI trading strategy

LBRT AI Trading Strategy Framework

The LBRT AI trading strategy below is a rules-based research framework, not a personalized buy, sell, or hold recommendation. Traders should pair any setup with position sizing, stop logic, earnings dates, commodity price trends, and news about frac utilization and power offtake signings.

Trend-following setup

With the price below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages and RSI near 35, a trend-following approach would wait for a confirmed reversal rather than try to catch the falling knife. Confirmation would require reclaiming the $22 to $24 zone and then holding above the 50-day moving average near $25.71 on rising volume.

A fail to hold above $20 or a close below $15.85 would invalidate the bullish setup. Position sizing should account for energy sector volatility and the elevated post-earnings volume.

Mean-reversion setup

If LBRT stabilizes near the $17.65 to $18.20 support zone without a thesis break, meaning stable commodity prices, steady E&P activity, and no negative power news, a mean-reversion trade toward the $22 to $24 zone could be considered with tight risk controls.

Define maximum loss before entry and do not average down. Monitor WTI and natural gas prices, E&P earnings calls for capital spending guidance, Liberty quarterly results for utilization and pricing commentary, and any signed data center power offtake agreements.

Fundamental monitor

Track Liberty Energy quarterly revenue, net income, adjusted EBITDA, frac pricing and utilization, sand and chemical margins, the pace of power generation capex versus the $1.5 billion 2026 guidance, free cash flow, net debt, the convertible note overhang, and progress on PowerBridge and SLB power offtake agreements.

Lower confidence if the stock rallies on power headlines without signed contracts and improving cash flow. Watch the ratio of free cash flow to debt service given the $1.295 billion of convertible senior notes issued in early 2026 and the roughly $736 million net debt position at June 30, 2026.

Investment research summary

Four-master Research Compression

Business essence

Liberty Energy is paid by oil and gas producers to complete wells through hydraulic fracturing and related services, and it is now being paid, or hopes to be paid, to generate and manage power for AI data centers. Customers pay for fleet time, proppant, wireline, sand logistics, and increasingly for integrated power and infrastructure. The base business depends on North American drilling and completion activity, which depends on commodity prices.

Moat

Scale, next-generation fleet technology such as digiPrime dual-fuel fleets, sand mine integration and the Slurry last-mile sand system, AI and digital tools such as Forge, and customer relationships create competitive advantages. However, the pressure pumping industry has historically been characterized by low barriers, overcapacity, and pricing cycles that compress margins for all players, and the power business has yet to prove its scale economics.

Munger risk inversion

The thesis fails if oil prices weaken, E&P customers cut completion budgets, frac pricing stalls or the market returns to overcapacity, sand and chemical margins stay depressed, power projects such as the PowerBridge Alpha campus fail to sign offtake or slip past the 2027 timeline, capex overruns the $5 billion to $6 billion needed for 3 GW, or negative free cash flow forces additional debt and convertible note dilution.

Management

CEO Ron Gusek and CFO Michael Stock are executing with a record operational quarter, disciplined capital allocation toward power generation, and partnership building through PowerBridge, SLB, Vantage, Bergen Engines, and Wartsila. Management raised the quarterly dividend to $0.09 and raised 2026 capex guidance to about $1.5 billion, while the $1.295 billion of 0% convertible notes issued in February and March 2026 add balance sheet complexity.

Industry trend

Power demand from AI data centers is a structural tailwind that could be a multi-year opportunity for integrated energy providers, and the Middle East disruption has reinforced the strategic importance of North American oil and gas and LNG. The frac market is recovering modestly from early-2026 cyclical lows with tight next-generation equipment, but commodity volatility is high and producers remain cautious.

Valuation and margin of safety

At about $3.06 billion market cap, 25.6x trailing P/E, 81.4x forward P/E, and negative consensus free cash flow for 2026, LBRT offers no traditional margin of safety. The price embeds a successful frac recovery and a successful power build-out, and any delay in power offtake signings or renewed frac pricing pressure could lead to substantial further downside.

Source-backed data

LBRT Data Table

Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.

Metric	Value	Source	Last verified
Real-time reference price	$18.78 at the August 3, 2026, 12:28 PM EDT reading; $18.71 previous close	StockAnalysis.com LBRT quote	August 4, 2026
Market capitalization	About $3.06 billion, consistent with $18.78 times 163.19 million shares outstanding	StockAnalysis.com and Barchart LBRT overview	August 4, 2026
Enterprise value	$4.00 billion	StockAnalysis.com LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
TTM revenue	$4.20 billion	StockAnalysis.com LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
TTM net income	$122.42 million	StockAnalysis.com LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
EPS (TTM)	$0.74	StockAnalysis.com LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
Trailing P/E	25.55x (StockAnalysis) to 128.21x (Barchart, TTM basis)	StockAnalysis.com and Barchart LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
Forward P/E	81.41x	StockAnalysis.com LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
Price-to-sales	0.70x (StockAnalysis) to 0.73x (Barchart)	StockAnalysis.com and Barchart LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
Price-to-book (mrq)	1.55x (StockAnalysis) to 1.49x (Barchart)	StockAnalysis.com and Barchart LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
EV/EBITDA	7.63x	StockAnalysis.com LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
Total debt (net of deferred financing costs)	$1.292 billion per the Q2 2026 Form 10-Q, consisting of $1.295 billion of 0% convertible senior notes due 2031 and 2032, a $32 million term loan, and no revolver borrowings at June 30, 2026	SEC EDGAR XBRL and Q2 2026 Form 10-Q	August 4, 2026
Cash and cash equivalents	$555.36 million	StockAnalysis.com and SEC EDGAR XBRL	August 4, 2026
Net debt	About $736 million at June 30, 2026, per the Q2 earnings call	Q2 2026 earnings call transcript	August 4, 2026
Stockholders equity and book value	$1.96 billion equity, $12.03 book value per share	StockAnalysis.com and SEC EDGAR XBRL	August 4, 2026
Operating cash flow (TTM)	$388.33 million	StockAnalysis.com LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
Capital expenditures (TTM)	-$704.91 million	StockAnalysis.com LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
Free cash flow (TTM)	-$316.58 million	StockAnalysis.com LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
FY2025 revenue and net income	$4.006 billion revenue, $147.87 million net income	FY2025 10-K and StockAnalysis.com	August 4, 2026
Q2 2026 revenue and net income	$1.19 billion revenue, $43 million net income, $0.26 diluted EPS	Q2 2026 Form 10-Q and earnings release	August 4, 2026
Q2 2026 adjusted EBITDA	$151 million	Q2 2026 earnings release and earnings call	August 4, 2026
Q2 2026 adjusted EPS	$0.09 versus the $0.08 consensus	Q2 2026 earnings release and TheFly analyst note	August 4, 2026
2026 capex guidance	About $1.5 billion, including power generation deposits	Q2 2026 earnings call transcript	August 4, 2026
2026 consensus free cash flow	About -$964.80 million	StockAnalysis.com LBRT forecast page	August 4, 2026
Dividend and yield	$0.36 annual forward, yield about 1.90% to 2.01%, ex-dividend September 4, 2026	StockAnalysis.com and Barchart LBRT	August 4, 2026
52-week range	$9.90 to $34.48	StockAnalysis.com and Barchart LBRT	August 4, 2026
50-day and 200-day moving averages	$25.71 and $24.31	StockAnalysis.com LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
RSI (14-day)	35.01	StockAnalysis.com LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
Short interest	14.97 million shares, about 9.17% of shares outstanding	StockAnalysis.com LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
Average daily volume (20 days)	About 5.33 million shares	StockAnalysis.com LBRT statistics	August 4, 2026
Beta	0.61 (5Y, StockAnalysis) to 0.54 (60M, Barchart)	StockAnalysis.com and Barchart LBRT	August 4, 2026
Analyst consensus and price target	Buy consensus from 13 analysts, average target $29.81, low $23, high $36	StockAnalysis.com LBRT forecast page	August 4, 2026
Shares outstanding	Approximately 163.19 million	StockAnalysis.com and Barchart LBRT	August 4, 2026

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This LBRT AI stock analysis is an informational research tool only. It is not investment advice, financial advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold Liberty Energy shares. Forecast scenarios are based on available publicly sourced data at the stated cutoff date of August 4, 2026 and can be wrong if commodity prices, E&P activity, frac market pricing, power offtake signings, capital expenditure, or capital structure outcomes differ from these scenarios. Liberty Energy has negative free cash flow on a TTM basis, an expected negative free cash flow near $965 million for 2026, and carries $1.295 billion of 0% convertible senior notes that may dilute existing shareholders.