NOV Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:NOV)

Core Viewpoint - NOV reported a disappointing earnings performance for the quarter, missing analysts' expectations, while also announcing a quarterly dividend and experiencing significant insider trading activity. Financial Performance - NOV reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.11 for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.13 [2] - The company's net margin was 4.36% and return on equity was 5.89% [2] - Revenue decreased by 0.7% compared to the same quarter last year [2] - Analysts predict NOV will post an EPS of 1.4 for the current fiscal year [2] Dividend Information - NOV declared a quarterly dividend of $0.075, which translates to an annualized dividend of $0.30 and a yield of 1.9% [3] - The payout ratio for the dividend is 30.00% [3] Insider Trading - Director Christian S. Kendall purchased 70,000 shares at an average price of $14.46, totaling $1,012,200, increasing their position by 438.90% [5] - Insiders own 2.08% of the company's stock [5] Institutional Holdings - Deutsche Bank AG increased its holdings in NOV by 9.7%, now owning 34,108 shares valued at $519,000 [6] - HighTower Advisors LLC raised its holdings by 10.6%, owning 62,211 shares worth $947,000 [6] - American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position by 19.0%, now holding 771,572 shares valued at $11,743,000 [6] - Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 93.27% of NOV's stock [6] Analyst Ratings - Goldman Sachs raised its target price for NOV from $12.00 to $14.00 with a "sell" rating [9] - Morgan Stanley set a price objective of $16.00 [9] - Citigroup increased its target price from $16.00 to $17.00 with a "neutral" rating [9] - Royal Bank Of Canada raised its target from $17.00 to $19.00 with an "outperform" rating [9] - The consensus rating for NOV is "Hold" with an average target price of $15.83 [9] Company Overview - National Oilwell Varco (NOV) is a leading provider of equipment and technology for the oil and gas industry, offering a wide range of products for drilling, completion, and production operations [10][11]