Weatherford International plc (NASDAQ:WFRD) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Weatherford International plc (NASDAQ:WFRD) has earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eight research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, five have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $121.25.

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Weatherford International from $147.00 to $105.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Weatherford International from $110.00 to $95.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Weatherford International from $145.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Weatherford International from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $132.00 to $98.00 in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price objective on shares of Weatherford International in a research note on Thursday, October 24th.

Weatherford International Price Performance

NASDAQ WFRD opened at $63.84 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $73.01 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $87.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. Weatherford International has a 12-month low of $60.45 and a 12-month high of $135.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.61.

Insider Activity at Weatherford International

In other Weatherford International news, EVP David John Reed sold 4,762 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.66, for a total value of $346,006.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 11,109 shares in the company, valued at approximately $807,179.94. This represents a 30.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Scott C. Weatherholt sold 44,505 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.17, for a total transaction of $2,944,895.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 125,019 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,272,507.23. This trade represents a 26.25 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Weatherford International by 364.9% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 358 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 281 shares during the period. nVerses Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Weatherford International during the third quarter worth about $34,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Weatherford International during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Millburn Ridgefield Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Weatherford International during the third quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Weatherford International by 36.9% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 523 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.23% of the company’s stock.

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.