18,680 Shares in Weatherford International PLC $WFRD Acquired by Scientech Research LLC

Key Points

• Scientech Research LLC has acquired a new stake in Weatherford International PLC, purchasing 18,680 shares valued at around $1,000,000 during the first quarter.
• Recent analyst ratings show mixed sentiments, with Piper Sandler upgrading Weatherford from "neutral" to "overweight" and raising the price target from $62 to $73, while Citigroup downgraded its price target to $70.
• Weatherford recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.25, reflecting an annualized dividend yield of 1.6%, with a payout ratio of 15.48%.

Scientech Research LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Weatherford International PLC (NASDAQ:WFRD - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 18,680 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,000,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of Weatherford International by 1,002.0% in the first quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,091 shares of the company's stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 992 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC bought a new stake in shares of Weatherford International during the first quarter worth $445,000. Algert Global LLC bought a new position in shares of Weatherford International in the first quarter worth about $522,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Weatherford International by 55.8% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 645 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 231 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversified Trust Co purchased a new position in Weatherford International in the 1st quarter worth about $419,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.23% of the company's stock.

Weatherford International Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of Weatherford International stock traded down $0.64 on Friday, reaching $62.09. The stock had a trading volume of 250,529 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,274,369. The company has a quick ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $58.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $52.11. Weatherford International PLC has a 1 year low of $36.74 and a 1 year high of $98.21.

Weatherford International (NASDAQ:WFRD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The company reported $1.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.90. Weatherford International had a net margin of 9.35% and a return on equity of 34.87%. The company had revenue of $1.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.19 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.66 earnings per share. Weatherford International's revenue was down 14.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Weatherford International PLC will post 5.89 EPS for the current year.

Weatherford International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 4th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 6th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 6th. Weatherford International's dividend payout ratio is currently 15.48%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WFRD has been the topic of a number of research reports. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Weatherford International from $77.00 to $73.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 24th. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $70.00 price objective (up previously from $69.00) on shares of Weatherford International in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. Zacks Research raised Weatherford International from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, August 25th. Melius began coverage on Weatherford International in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $108.00 target price for the company. Finally, Piper Sandler raised Weatherford International from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $62.00 to $73.00 in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $99.70.

About Weatherford International

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.