Weatherford International plc (NASDAQ:WFRD) Shares Sold by Raymond James & Associates

Raymond James & Associates decreased its position in Weatherford International plc (NASDAQ:WFRD) by 28.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 69,238 shares of the company’s stock after selling 27,863 shares during the quarter. Raymond James & Associates owned about 0.09% of Weatherford International worth $5,880,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Boston Partners raised its position in Weatherford International by 19.3% during the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,722,281 shares of the company’s stock valued at $315,240,000 after buying an additional 439,700 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Weatherford International in the second quarter valued at about $51,287,000. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Weatherford International by 5,525.3% in the 1st quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 359,569 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,501,000 after purchasing an additional 353,177 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in Weatherford International by 89.0% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 612,242 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,969,000 after purchasing an additional 288,290 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AGF Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Weatherford International during the second quarter valued at $33,951,000. Institutional investors own 97.23% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Weatherford International

In other news, CAO Desmond J. Mills sold 6,531 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.86, for a total transaction of $521,565.66. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 11,680 shares in the company, valued at $932,764.80. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, EVP David John Reed sold 6,805 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.96, for a total transaction of $639,397.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Desmond J. Mills sold 6,531 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.86, for a total value of $521,565.66. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 11,680 shares in the company, valued at approximately $932,764.80. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on WFRD shares. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of Weatherford International in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Weatherford International from $145.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on shares of Weatherford International from $149.00 to $142.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Weatherford International from $154.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price target on Weatherford International from $155.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Weatherford International has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $144.88.

Weatherford International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WFRD opened at $79.00 on Friday. Weatherford International plc has a 1 year low of $77.24 and a 1 year high of $135.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The stock has a market cap of $5.74 billion, a PE ratio of 11.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 0.58. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $91.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $108.72.

Weatherford International (NASDAQ:WFRD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The company reported $2.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.41. Weatherford International had a return on equity of 46.25% and a net margin of 9.65%. The firm had revenue of $1.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.42 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.66 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Weatherford International plc will post 6.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Weatherford International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 6th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.27%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 6th. Weatherford International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.04%.

Weatherford International Profile

Weatherford International plc, an energy services company, provides equipment and services for the drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil, geothermal, and natural gas wells worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Drilling and Evaluation; Well Construction and Completions; and Production and Intervention.