Weatherford International plc (NASDAQ:WFRD) Stake Raised by Squarepoint Ops LLC

Squarepoint Ops LLC boosted its position in shares of Weatherford International plc (NASDAQ:WFRD - Free Report) by 111.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 108,780 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 57,447 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC owned 0.15% of Weatherford International worth $7,792,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lindbrook Capital LLC increased its stake in Weatherford International by 130.8% during the fourth quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 360 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank increased its stake in Weatherford International by 190.4% during the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 392 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. acquired a new stake in Weatherford International during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Weatherford International during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its stake in Weatherford International by 30.1% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 926 shares of the company's stock worth $66,000 after acquiring an additional 214 shares during the last quarter. 97.23% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Weatherford International Stock Down 0.1%

NASDAQ WFRD traded down $0.05 during trading on Thursday, reaching $45.22. 140,634 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,162,322. The stock has a market cap of $3.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.01. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $46.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $61.86. Weatherford International plc has a 1 year low of $36.74 and a 1 year high of $135.00.

Weatherford International (NASDAQ:WFRD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The company reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $1.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.21 billion. Weatherford International had a return on equity of 40.65% and a net margin of 9.18%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Weatherford International plc will post 5.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Weatherford International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.21%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 6th. Weatherford International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.00%.

Insider Transactions at Weatherford International

In related news, Director Neal P. Goldman purchased 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 24th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $42.04 per share, for a total transaction of $504,480.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 25,311 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,064,074.44. This trade represents a 90.15% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.09% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup lowered their price target on Weatherford International from $90.00 to $70.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Barclays lowered their price target on Weatherford International from $85.00 to $77.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Raymond James lowered Weatherford International from a "strong-buy" rating to an "outperform" rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $73.00 to $69.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on Weatherford International from $80.00 to $62.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Benchmark decreased their target price on Weatherford International from $140.00 to $125.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $96.63.

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.