100,723 Shares in Weatherford International plc (NASDAQ:WFRD) Purchased by Raymond James Financial Inc.

Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Weatherford International plc (NASDAQ:WFRD - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 100,723 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,215,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned 0.14% of Weatherford International as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hancock Whitney Corp grew its stake in Weatherford International by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp now owns 14,994 shares of the company's stock worth $1,273,000 after buying an additional 284 shares in the last quarter. Millburn Ridgefield Corp bought a new position in Weatherford International in the third quarter valued at $42,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Weatherford International in the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Swiss National Bank lifted its stake in Weatherford International by 0.4% during the third quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 142,900 shares of the company's stock worth $12,135,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Weatherford International by 14.3% in the 3rd quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC now owns 4,984 shares of the company's stock worth $423,000 after purchasing an additional 623 shares in the last quarter. 97.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Weatherford International Trading Down 2.4 %

Weatherford International stock traded down $1.32 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $54.69. 858,548 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 996,921. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 2.01 and a quick ratio of 1.49. Weatherford International plc has a 52-week low of $51.24 and a 52-week high of $135.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.61. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $62.82 and its 200 day moving average price is $75.38.

Weatherford International (NASDAQ:WFRD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.80 by ($0.30). Weatherford International had a net margin of 9.18% and a return on equity of 40.65%. On average, analysts anticipate that Weatherford International plc will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Weatherford International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.83%. Weatherford International's dividend payout ratio is presently 14.88%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on WFRD. Benchmark dropped their target price on Weatherford International from $140.00 to $125.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Weatherford International from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $132.00 to $98.00 in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Weatherford International from $100.00 to $92.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Weatherford International from $110.00 to $95.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their target price on Weatherford International from $87.00 to $82.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 10th. Two research 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $107.63.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Desmond J. Mills sold 19,425 shares of Weatherford International stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.51, for a total transaction of $1,311,381.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 17,899 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,208,361.49. This trade represents a 52.04 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Arunava Mitra sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $675,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 21,072 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,423,835.04. This trade represents a 32.18 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 92,692 shares of company stock valued at $6,207,725 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

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.