HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) stock rose Wednesday after the PC maker appointed Emma Walmsley, the former chief of GSK plc (NYSE:GSK), as its next CEO.
Walmsley will assume the role on Jan. 4, 2027, succeeding interim CEO Bruce Broussard, who has served in the role since February 2026.
Broussard will assume the role of chairman of the board effective Jan. 4, 2027, succeeding Chip Bergh.
Former GSK Chief to Lead HP’s AI Transformation Walmsley served as CEO of GSK from April 2017 through December 2025, led a significant transformation of the global biopharmaceutical company and oversaw a major restructuring that included the separation of its consumer healthcare business. Before joining GSK, she spent 17 years at L’Oréal, managing global consumer businesses.
She has also served on the board of Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) for seven years.
Bergh highlighted her experience leading and guiding large organizations through significant change, strategic execution and translating customer insights into new growth opportunities. com, according to Reuters.
Walmsley said the company will focus on leveraging AI and innovation to unlock new growth opportunities and create long-term shareholder value. Outgoing Chairman Bergh thanked Broussard for his leadership during the transition and for enabling the board to conduct a rigorous CEO search.
He expressed confidence that Broussard, as incoming chairman, would provide continuity and strategic guidance to Walmsley and the board in the years ahead. Earnings and Analyst Outlook The appointment comes as HP and rivals Dell Technologies Inc.
(NYSE:DELL), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Lenovo Group Ltd.
(OTC:LNVGY) are experiencing PC shipment declines, due to a global memory-chip shortage, partly driven by massive AI data center investments absorbing available production capacity. In a September regulatory filing, HP indicated that it would not provide financial guidance for fiscal 2027 and assumed industry-wide PC unit volumes would decline by a mid-single-digit percentage, Reuters reported.
HP is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings on Nov. 24.
Analysts expect earnings of 75 cents per share, compared with earnings of 93 cents a year earlier. 64 billion.
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06 at the time of publication on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
