Weatherford rises as oilfield-services shares strengthen and NCS deal nears closing

Weatherford International plc (WFRD) is up 4.2% today. Here is some analysis on what might have caused this price movement. ([finance.yahoo.com](https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/articles/sector-energy-stocks-rise-monday-175622634.html?utm_source=openai))

Analysis: The move appears tied to two catalysts: a broad rally in energy and oilfield-services stocks as crude prices climbed, and investor optimism ahead of Weatherford’s planned September 1 closing of its NCS Multistage acquisition. This could also reflect continued support from Weatherford’s recent contract wins and cash-generation trends highlighted in its second-quarter update. ([finance.yahoo.com](https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/articles/sector-energy-stocks-rise-monday-175622634.html?utm_source=openai))

Details:

Crude prices rose sharply on August 31, helping lift energy equities, while the oil-service group also traded higher during the session. ([finance.yahoo.com](https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/articles/sector-energy-stocks-rise-monday-175622634.html?utm_source=openai))

Weatherford shares outperformed several large peers on the day, with WFRD up about 4.24% versus gains of roughly 1.78% for HAL, 4.85% for SLB, and 1.89% for BKR.

Weatherford said on August 24 that the NCS Multistage merger election deadline was August 31 and that the deal was expected to close on or about September 1, giving the market a near-term corporate catalyst. ([weatherford.com](https://www.weatherford.com/investor-relations/investor-news-and-events/news/news-article/?ItemID=18776))

In its July 21 results release, Weatherford highlighted multiple recent contract awards and reported improved operating cash flow and adjusted free cash flow, which may be reinforcing bullish sentiment. ([weatherford.com](https://www.weatherford.com/investor-relations/investor-news-and-events/news/news-article/?ItemID=18716))

Sources:

Weatherford, SEC, Nasdaq, AP

Disclaimer: This price movement analysis was generated with the help of AI. Please double-check the information provided for mistakes.

$WFRD Insider Trading Activity

$WFRD insiders have traded $WFRD stock on the open market 4 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 4 have been sales.

Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $WFRD stock by insiders over the last 6 months:

NEAL P GOLDMAN has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 16,000 shares for an estimated $1,357,425.
BENJAMIN DUSTER sold 6,000 shares for an estimated $516,540
JACQUELINE C MUTSCHLER sold 4,094 shares for an estimated $370,486

To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard. You can access data on insider stock transactions through the Quiver Quantitative API insider transaction endpoint.

$WFRD Hedge Fund Activity

We have seen 220 institutional investors add shares of $WFRD stock to their portfolio, and 231 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.

Here are some of the largest recent moves:

SACHEM HEAD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP removed 2,525,000 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $205,787,500
DRIEHAUS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC removed 1,384,142 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q1 2026, for an estimated $130,912,150
CITADEL ADVISORS LLC added 963,037 shares (+200.7%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $78,487,515
AMERICAN CENTURY COMPANIES INC added 959,049 shares (+48.6%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $78,162,493
D. E. SHAW & CO., INC. removed 830,789 shares (-80.7%) from their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $67,709,303
GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC removed 773,101 shares (-33.3%) from their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $63,007,731
SIXTH STREET PARTNERS MANAGEMENT COMPANY, L.P. added 771,049 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $62,840,493

To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard. You can access data on hedge funds moves and 13F filings through the Quiver Quantitative API 13F endpoint.

$WFRD Price Targets

Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $WFRD recently. We have seen 5 analysts offer price targets for $WFRD in the last 6 months, with a median target of $115.0.

Here are some recent targets:

Scott Gruber from Citigroup set a target price of $115.0 on 06/26/2026
David Anderson from Barclays set a target price of $156.0 on 05/08/2026
Derek Podhaizer from Piper Sandler set a target price of $118.0 on 04/23/2026
Josh Silverstein from UBS set a target price of $113.0 on 04/23/2026
Keith Mackey from RBC Capital set a target price of $105.0 on 03/18/2026

This article is not financial advice. See Quiver Quantitative's disclaimers for more information. Note that there may be inaccuracies due to mistakes in ticker-mapping, and other anomalies.