Is HLX a buy

**Helix Energy Solutions Group (HLX) appears to be a speculative buy with high growth potential, but also carries significant risk.** Here's a detailed analysis:

1. **Financial Performance and Analyst Expectations**:
- **Breakeven Imminent**: Analysts expect HLX to break even in 2023, with a projected profit of $47 million. This suggests a turnaround is imminent.
- **Growth Rate**: To achieve this profit, HLX is expected to grow at an annual rate of 39%. Such a high growth rate indicates a high level of speculation and risk.

2. **Valuation Metrics**:
- **P/E Ratio**: HLX's P/E ratio is currently negative, which is not typical and can indicate a company is not profitable. However, this may be due to a recent loss, and the consensus is that the company will become profitable soon.
- **P/S Ratio**: HLX's P/S ratio is 1.21, which is lower than the industry average, suggesting the stock may be undervalued relative to its sales.

3. **Recent Stock Performance**:
- **Stock Movement**: HLX recently experienced a gap down in its stock price, which can be volatile and may not be indicative of future performance.
- **Insider Activity**: There has been significant insider selling, which could be a cautionary sign for investors.
4. **Market Position and Future Prospects**:
- **Industry Position**: HLX provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry, with a focus on well intervention and robotics operations.
- **Market Outlook**: The company is well-positioned to benefit from the growing well intervention and robotics operations in the offshore energy sector.
5. **Investment Consideration**:
- **Risk**: The high growth rate required to meet breakeven expectations suggests that HLX is a high-risk investment.
- **Reward**: If HLX achieves breakeven and continues to grow, it could offer significant returns to investors.

In conclusion, while HLX is expected to break even soon and has potential for growth, the high growth rate required and recent stock performance indicators suggest it is a speculative buy with significant risk. Investors should consider their risk tolerance and investment horizon before investing in HLX.