Depinder Sandhu Sells 14,000 Shares of Weatherford International plc (NASDAQ:WFRD) Stock

Weatherford International plc (NASDAQ:WFRD) EVP Depinder Sandhu sold 14,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.41, for a total transaction of $929,740.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 8,892 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $590,517.72. This represents a 61.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Weatherford International Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WFRD opened at $67.63 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.80. Weatherford International plc has a fifty-two week low of $60.45 and a fifty-two week high of $135.00. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $70.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $85.04. The company has a market capitalization of $4.91 billion, a PE ratio of 10.06, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.60.

Weatherford International (NASDAQ:WFRD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.80 by ($0.30). Weatherford International had a return on equity of 40.65% and a net margin of 9.18%. Research analysts anticipate that Weatherford International plc will post 6.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Weatherford International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.48%. Weatherford International’s payout ratio is currently 14.88%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on WFRD shares. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Weatherford International from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $132.00 to $98.00 in a report on Friday, December 13th. Benchmark lowered 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. Barclays cut their price target on Weatherford International from $147.00 to $105.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. Citigroup reduced their price target on Weatherford International from $110.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on shares of Weatherford International from $149.00 to $142.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Weatherford International presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $109.25.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Weatherford International

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Weatherford International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,184,000. Cynosure Group LLC boosted its stake in Weatherford International by 16.9% during the fourth quarter. Cynosure Group LLC now owns 13,483 shares of the company’s stock worth $966,000 after acquiring an additional 1,946 shares in the last quarter. Bryce Point Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Weatherford International in the fourth quarter worth $481,000. Huntington National Bank increased its stake in Weatherford International by 190.4% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 392 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in shares of Weatherford International by 64.4% during the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 50,508 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,618,000 after purchasing an additional 19,785 shares during the period. 97.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.