<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Shares of Weatherford International PLC (NASDAQ:WFRD - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $81.43 and last traded at $81.31, with a volume of 1210351 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $80.10.</p><h2>Wall Street Analyst Weigh In</h2><ul><li>3 Oil &amp; Gas Gear Makers With Triple-Digit EPS Growth Forecasts</li></ul><p>Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Weatherford International from $73.00 to $81.00 and gave the company an &#34;overweight&#34; rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Zacks Research raised shares of Weatherford International from a &#34;hold&#34; rating to a &#34;strong-buy&#34; rating in a report on Monday, October 13th. Melius started coverage on Weatherford International in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. They set a &#34;buy&#34; rating and a $108.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group assumed coverage on Weatherford International in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. They set a &#34;neutral&#34; rating and a $82.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Melius Research assumed coverage on shares of Weatherford International in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a &#34;buy&#34; rating and a $108.00 price target on the stock. One analyst  has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of &#34;Moderate Buy&#34; and a consensus target price of $87.90.</p><p><b>View Our Latest Stock Report on WFRD</b></p><h2>Weatherford International Price Performance</h2><ul><li>Oilfield Services Growing Faster Than Wider Energy Sector</li></ul><p>The firm has a market capitalization of $5.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.73 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 2.07 and a quick ratio of 1.55. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $70.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $61.43. </p><p>Weatherford International (NASDAQ:WFRD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 21st. The company reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.15 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.19 billion. Weatherford International had a net margin of 8.15% and a return on equity of 28.28%. The firm's revenue was down 12.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.06 earnings per share.  As a group, analysts expect that  Weatherford International PLC will post 5.89 EPS for the current year. </p><h2>Weatherford International Announces Dividend</h2><ul><li>2 Energy Mid-Caps Expected To Post Monster Earnings Growth</li></ul><p>The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 6th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 6th. Weatherford International's payout ratio is presently 18.12%. </p><h2>Insider Activity</h2><p>In related news, EVP Kristin Ruzicka sold 2,129 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.25, for a total transaction of $164,465.25. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 15,673 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,210,739.25. The trade was a 11.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders. </p><h2>Institutional Trading of Weatherford International</h2><p>A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Quent Capital LLC bought a new stake in  Weatherford International during the third quarter worth $26,000.  Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new stake in  Weatherford International during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000.  Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in  Weatherford International in the 2nd quarter worth about $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 acquiring an additional 253 shares during the period.  Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of  Weatherford International by 69.8% in the second quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 584 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own  97.23% of the company's stock. </p><h2>Weatherford International Company Profile</h2> (Get Free Report)<p>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.</p><h2>Recommended Stories</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Weatherford International</li><li>Consumer Staples Stocks, Explained</li><li>Market Momentum: 3 Stocks Poised for Major Breakouts</li><li>What is a Microcap Stock? Everything You Need to Know </li><li>3 Reasons Casey’s General Stores Will Continue Trending Higher</li><li>What Are Dividends? Buy the Best Dividend Stocks</li><li>Golden Cross Alert: 3 Stocks With Major Upside Potential</li></ul><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Weatherford International Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Weatherford International, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Weatherford International wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Weatherford International currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

WFRD

<p>Weatherford International (NASDAQ:WFRD) reached a new 52-week high, trading at $81.31. Analysts have given mixed ratings, with a consensus target price of $87.90. The company reported a quarterly EPS of $1.12, missing estimates slightly, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share. Institutional investors own 97.23% of the stock. The stock's performance and analyst ratings suggest potential growth, despite recent earnings miss.</p>

Weatherford International (NASDAQ:WFRD) Sets New 1-Year High - Here's Why