Noble (NYSE:NE) CFO Richard Barker Sells 20,000 Shares

Noble Corporation PLC (NYSE:NE) CFO Richard Barker sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.96, for a total value of $859,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 314,781 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,522,991.76. This represents a 5.97% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Noble Stock Up 0.3%

Noble stock opened at $45.50 on Friday. Noble Corporation PLC has a twelve month low of $17.40 and a twelve month high of $46.31. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $34.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $30.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.70 and a beta of 1.12.

Noble (NYSE:NE) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.15 by ($0.06). Noble had a net margin of 6.60% and a return on equity of 2.34%. The company had revenue of $764.41 million during the quarter. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.56 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Noble Corporation PLC will post 2.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Noble Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.4%. Noble’s dividend payout ratio is presently 148.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. SEB Equity Research set a $33.00 price target on shares of Noble in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Fearnley Fonds cut Noble from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Susquehanna increased their target price on Noble from $32.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Barclays downgraded Noble from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $36.00 to $41.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Noble in a report on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $38.63.

Key Noble News

Here are the key news stories impacting Noble this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raising earnings estimates — Zacks notes solid upward revisions to Noble’s earnings estimates, which supports a better near‑term EPS outlook and underpins the stock’s momentum. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target upgrades — Several firms have lifted price targets (Susquehanna to $45, BTIG to $42) and JPMorgan raised its PT to $41, signaling improved valuation expectations from some sell‑side shops and providing technical support for the stock. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend yield draws yield‑seeking buyers but raises sustainability questions — Noble declared a $0.50 quarterly dividend (annualized $2.00, ~4.5% yield) with an ex‑dividend date in early March; however the payout ratio is very high (~148%), so income appeal is tempered by concerns about long‑term sustainability. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays downgraded the stock to “Equal Weight” — Barclays cut NE from Overweight to Equal Weight (even while raising its PT), a vote of caution that can reduce buy‑side conviction and weigh on sentiment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by senior executives — Multiple execs (including an SVP sale of 3,453 shares) disclosed material sales this week; concentrated insider reductions often spook investors and act as a near‑term headwind. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed analyst stance keeps upside limited — Several shops have raised targets but many maintain Neutral/Hold ratings (consensus is “Hold”), leaving implied upside modest vs. current levels and keeping the stock tethered to fundamentals and guidance. Read More.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Noble

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Noble by 156.4% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 864 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 527 shares during the period. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in Noble during the third quarter worth $40,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Noble by 77.8% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,440 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 630 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Noble by 819.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,601 shares of the company’s stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 2,318 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio purchased a new position in shares of Noble in the first quarter valued at $142,000. 68.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Noble Company Profile

Noble Corp. Plc engages in the provision offshore drilling services for oil and gas industry. It focuses on a balanced fleet of floating and jackup rigs and the deployment of drilling rigs in oil and gas basins around the world. The company was founded by Lloyd Noble and Art Olson in 1921 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.