Vest Financial LLC Buys 51,175 Shares of NOV Inc. $NOV

Key Points

• Vest Financial LLC raised its stake in NOV by 13.5%, buying 51,175 shares in Q4 and now owns 430,231 shares (about 0.12%) valued at roughly $6.73 million.
• NOV missed Q1 estimates — EPS $0.15 vs. $0.17 and revenue $2.05B vs. ~$2.07B — with Middle East disruptions cutting ~$54M of revenue and ~$32M of Adjusted EBITDA and driving negative free cash flow; management expects Q2 revenue down 4–6% and Adjusted EBITDA of $185–$215M.
• Despite the miss, NOV returned $100M in Q1 via $67M of buybacks and $33M of dividends, raised the quarterly dividend to $0.09 (annual $0.36, yield ~1.8%), and approved a ~$200M Brazil flexible‑pipe expansion while maintaining a roughly $4.23B capital equipment backlog.

Vest Financial LLC increased its stake in NOV Inc. (NYSE:NOV - Free Report) by 13.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 430,231 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock after acquiring an additional 51,175 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC owned about 0.12% of NOV worth $6,725,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in NOV in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in shares of NOV by 114.1% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 3,109 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 1,657 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in shares of NOV by 88.4% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 5,083 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 2,385 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new stake in NOV during the 4th quarter valued at $68,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in NOV by 33.6% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 6,595 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock valued at $82,000 after buying an additional 1,658 shares during the period. 93.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NOV Stock Performance

NOV stock opened at $20.29 on Wednesday. NOV Inc. has a twelve month low of $11.44 and a twelve month high of $20.93. The company has a quick ratio of 1.67, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company has a market capitalization of $7.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 84.52 and a beta of 0.94. The stock's 50 day moving average is $19.40 and its 200 day moving average is $17.33.

NOV (NYSE:NOV - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.17 by ($0.02). NOV had a return on equity of 3.31% and a net margin of 1.05%.The company had revenue of $2.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.07 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.19 earnings per share. The company's revenue was down 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that NOV Inc. will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

NOV Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a $0.09 dividend. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from NOV's previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. NOV's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 150.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of NOV from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of NOV in a research note on Friday, March 27th. TD Cowen cut NOV from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Citigroup upped their target price on NOV from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Susquehanna reissued a "positive" rating on shares of NOV in a research report on Wednesday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $19.07.

NOV News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting NOV this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong bookings and backlog — NOV booked $520M in orders in Q1 (book‑to‑bill ~80%) and maintains a capital equipment backlog of ~$4.23B, signaling ongoing demand for equipment. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns — the company returned $100M in Q1 via $67M of buybacks and $33M of dividends, supporting earnings-per-share over time. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Capacity expansion & large project wins — NOV approved a ~$200M expansion of its Açu, Brazil flexible‑pipe facility and won multiple deepwater and subsea contracts, positioning it for higher offshore demand. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: 2026 capex plan — management outlined $340M–$370M in 2026 capex, balancing investment to capture offshore opportunities while preserving cash. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Q2 outlook provided — NOV expects Q2 revenues to decline 4–6% year‑over‑year with Adjusted EBITDA of $185M–$215M; guidance assumes no further deterioration in the Middle East. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 missed estimates and weaker profitability — Q1 EPS was $0.15 vs. $0.17 consensus, revenue $2.05B vs. ~$2.07B expected, and Adjusted EBITDA fell to $177M (8.6% of sales). These misses pressured the stock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Middle East disruptions hit results — management estimates the conflict trimmed ~$54M of revenue and ~$32M of Adjusted EBITDA in Q1, raised costs, delayed deliveries and compressed margins. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Cash flow & earnings deterioration — net income fell to $19M and free cash flow was negative in the quarter, increasing near‑term downside risk until activity and margins recover. Read More.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Joseph W. Rovig sold 151,086 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.17, for a total transaction of $3,047,404.62. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 269,694 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,439,727.98. This represents a 35.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Craig L. Weinstock sold 70,000 shares of NOV stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.08, for a total transaction of $1,405,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 256,319 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,146,885.52. This trade represents a 21.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.15% of the company's stock.

NOV Profile

National Oilwell Varco NYSE: NOV is a leading provider of equipment and technology to the oil and gas industry. The company designs, manufactures and services an extensive portfolio of products used in drilling, completion and production operations. Its offerings include drilling rigs and related components, wellbore technologies such as tubulars and completion tools, surface equipment including mud pumps and blowout preventers, and aftermarket parts and services that support ongoing field operations.

NOV's business is organized to serve upstream energy companies around the world.

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