NOV (NYSE:NOV) Sets New 1-Year High Following Analyst Upgrade

Shares of NOV Inc. (NYSE:NOV) hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday after Barclays upgraded the stock from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating. Barclays now has a $20.00 price target on the stock, up from their previous price target of $15.00. NOV traded as high as $19.36 and last traded at $19.3350, with a volume of 1532030 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $18.77.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Susquehanna lifted their target price on NOV from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $21.00 price objective on shares of NOV in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Morgan Stanley set a $16.00 target price on shares of NOV in a research report on Monday, December 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating and issued a $17.00 price target on shares of NOV in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on NOV from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.31.

Insider Buying and Selling at NOV

In other news, Director Christian S. Kendall bought 70,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $14.46 per share, with a total value of $1,012,200.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 85,949 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,242,822.54. The trade was a 438.90% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 2.08% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

NOV News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting NOV this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong cash generation and shareholder returns — NOV reported robust operating cash flow ($573M in Q4; $1.25B for 2025) and free cash flow ($472M Q4; $876M FY2025) and returned $505M to shareholders via buybacks and dividends, signaling capital-return commitment. NOV Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Energy Equipment momentum and backlog — Energy Equipment grew revenue sequentially and continues to post margin expansion; ending backlog for capital equipment remains meaningful at ~$4.34B, supporting future revenue visibility. NOV Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst action — Barclays upgraded NOV from Underweight to Equal Weight and raised its $20 price target, which can lift sentiment and buying interest. Barclays Upgrade (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue mix and scale — Q4 revenue rose sequentially (~5% q/q to $2.28B) but was down ~1% y/y for the full year; adjusted EBITDA remains sizeable ($267M Q4; $1.03B FY) though margins contracted versus 2024. NOV Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings miss and quarterly loss — NOV reported Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.02, well below consensus (~$0.25) and posted a Q4 net loss of $78M (~$0.21/sh), driving near-term disappointment. Nov Inc. (NOV) Q4 Earnings Lag Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Lower profitability and one‑offs — Adjusted EBITDA declined y/y (12% Q4 decline) and the company recorded $86M in pre-tax other items (including impairments), plus a higher effective tax rate that compressed net income. NOV Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term outlook cautious — Management expects Q1 revenue down 1–3% y/y and adj. EBITDA of $200–$225M, and warns of an oversupplied oil market and customer budget caution that could delay aftermarket demand. NOV Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Earnings

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NOV

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in NOV by 585.8% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 5,291,529 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $65,774,000 after acquiring an additional 4,519,957 shares during the period. First Pacific Advisors LP lifted its position in NOV by 101.0% during the second quarter. First Pacific Advisors LP now owns 7,018,950 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $87,246,000 after purchasing an additional 3,526,754 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in NOV by 401.9% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 3,165,518 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $39,347,000 after purchasing an additional 2,534,815 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in NOV by 27.2% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 6,091,095 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $75,712,000 after purchasing an additional 1,302,214 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pzena Investment Management LLC grew its position in NOV by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 42,708,890 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $530,872,000 after purchasing an additional 1,144,486 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.27% of the company’s stock.

NOV Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $7.05 billion, a PE ratio of 19.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.99 and a beta of 0.93. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $16.86 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $14.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a current ratio of 2.55.

NOV Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were given a $0.075 dividend. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. NOV’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.00%.

About NOV

National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV) is a leading provider of equipment and technology to the oil and gas industry. The company designs, manufactures and services an extensive portfolio of products used in drilling, completion and production operations. Its offerings include drilling rigs and related components, wellbore technologies such as tubulars and completion tools, surface equipment including mud pumps and blowout preventers, and aftermarket parts and services that support ongoing field operations.

NOV’s business is organized to serve upstream energy companies around the world.