Traders Purchase Large Volume of NOV Put Options (NYSE:NOV)

NOV Inc. (NYSE:NOV) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders bought 2,616 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 1,353% compared to the typical volume of 180 put options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on NOV shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating and issued a $17.00 price target on shares of NOV in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of NOV from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of NOV in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley set a $16.00 price objective on shares of NOV in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $17.00 target price on shares of NOV in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.31.

NOV News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting NOV this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong cash generation and shareholder returns — NOV reported full‑year free cash flow of $876M and returned $505M to shareholders in 2025 via buybacks and dividends (22.8M shares repurchased during the year). This supports capital return and balance‑sheet flexibility. NOV Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Commercial & technology momentum — NOV highlighted multiple contract awards (jack‑up rig package, gas dehydration, subsea/cable‑lay equipment) and growth in its Downhole Broadband Solutions™ usage, a potential long‑term margin driver. These wins support medium‑term aftermarket and equipment demand. NOV Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst action: Barclays raised its stance to equal‑weight and lifted its $15→$20 price target, which may support sentiment among institutional holders. Barclays upgrade (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly results & guidance overview — Q4 revenue $2.28B (sequential +5%, down ~1% YoY). Management expects Q1 2026 revenue down 1–3% YoY and Adjusted EBITDA of $200–$225M; commentary flagged an oversupplied oil market with improvement expected in H2‑2026 and stronger dynamics in 2027. See the call transcript and slide deck for details. NOV Inc. (NOV) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript NOV Inc. 2025 Q4 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings miss and profitability pressure — GAAP EPS of $0.02 missed consensus (~$0.25) and NOV reported a Q4 net loss of $78M; Adjusted EBITDA declined ~12% YoY. The quarter included $86M of pre‑tax “Other Items” (impairments), reducing near‑term GAAP profit. Nov Inc. (NOV) Q4 Earnings Lag Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Investor hedging and put activity — unusually high put option volume (2,616 puts, ~1,353% above average) suggests some traders are positioning for further near‑term weakness or downside volatility. Monitor option flows as a short‑term sentiment indicator. Traders Buy High Volume of NOV Put Options (NYSE:NOV)

NOV Stock Performance

NYSE NOV opened at $18.23 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $16.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.69. The company has a market capitalization of $6.65 billion, a PE ratio of 47.97, a P/E/G ratio of 5.15 and a beta of 0.93. NOV has a 1 year low of $10.84 and a 1 year high of $19.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 2.55 and a quick ratio of 1.71.

NOV (NYSE:NOV) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.02 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by ($0.23). The firm had revenue of $2.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.17 billion. NOV had a return on equity of 3.54% and a net margin of 1.66%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.41 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that NOV will post 1.4 earnings per share for the current year.

NOV Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a $0.075 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. NOV’s payout ratio is currently 78.95%.

Insider Buying and Selling at NOV

In related news, Director Christian S. Kendall acquired 70,000 shares of NOV stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $14.46 per share, for a total transaction of $1,012,200.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.08% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of NOV

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NOV. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in NOV during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. CoreFirst Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of NOV during the second quarter worth about $35,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in shares of NOV by 37.9% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,578 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 709 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in NOV by 114.1% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 3,109 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,657 shares during the period. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in NOV by 395.3% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,660 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 2,921 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.27% of the company’s stock.

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.