Weatherford International PLC (NASDAQ:WFRD) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Weatherford International PLC has been rated as a "Moderate Buy" by analysts, with one hold rating and nine buy ratings, reflecting positive sentiment towards the stock.
• The company reported $1.87 EPS for the last quarter, significantly exceeding analysts' expectations of $0.97, despite a year-over-year revenue decline of 14.3%.
• Weatherford has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, representing a 1.6% yield and a payout ratio of 15.48%.

Shares of Weatherford International PLC (NASDAQ:WFRD - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the eleven ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $99.70.

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on WFRD shares. Citigroup reduced their price target on Weatherford International from $90.00 to $70.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Melius Research started coverage on Weatherford International in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $108.00 price target on the stock. Piper Sandler upgraded 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 report on Monday, July 28th. Melius started coverage on Weatherford International in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $108.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $70.00 price target (up from $69.00) on shares of Weatherford International in a report on Thursday, July 24th.

Weatherford International Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:WFRD traded up $0.35 during trading on Friday, hitting $64.03. The company had a trading volume of 788,395 shares, compared to its average volume of 838,108. The stock has a market cap of $4.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.77. Weatherford International has a one year low of $36.74 and a one year high of $106.47. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $55.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $52.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 2.21 and a quick ratio of 1.63.

Weatherford International (NASDAQ:WFRD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The company reported $1.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.90. Weatherford International had a return on equity of 34.87% and a net margin of 9.35%.The firm had revenue of $1.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.19 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 down 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Weatherford International will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Weatherford International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 6th. Weatherford International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.48%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Weatherford International during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Weatherford International by 83.5% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 556 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Weatherford International by 69.8% during the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 584 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in Weatherford International by 546.7% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 595 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 503 shares during the period. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group increased its holdings in Weatherford International by 30,600.0% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 614 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 612 shares during the period. 97.23% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Weatherford International Company 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.