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Why Is Nov Inc. (NOV) Up 8.9% Since Last Earnings Report?

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A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Nov Inc. (NOV - Free Report) . Shares have added about 8.9% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Nov Inc. due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

NOV Q2 Earnings, Revenue Surpass Estimates

NOV Inc. reported second-quarter 2023 adjusted earnings of 39 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 30 cents. The outperformance can be attributed tothe better-than-expected performance of NOV’s Wellbore Technologies segment.

Moreover, the bottom line improved from the year-ago quarter’s level of 18 cents due to improving execution, customer demand and pricing.

Total revenues of $2.09 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.14% and rose 20.8% from the prior-year period’s figure of $1.73 billion. This was primarily due to better-than-expected performances in major segments of the company.

Segmental Performances

Rig Technologies: The unit reported second-quarter revenues of $606 million, which beat our projection of $578.6 million. The figure also exceeded the prior-year quarter’s figure of $462 million.

Adjusted EBITDA of $71 million missed our estimate of $89.4 million. The actuals improved from $41 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2022 due to rising demand for this segment.

Wellbore Technologies: Revenues in this segment improved 20.7% to $804 million year over year. The figure beat our projection of $778.1 million.

Adjusted EBITDA of $164 million increased from the year-earlier quarter’s level of $122 million and also beat our estimate of $142.1 million. This was due to improved manufacturing throughput from the segment’s drill pipe operations, market share gains and improving demand from the international market.

Completion & Production Solutions: The segment’s revenues rose 17.8% to $753 million year over year. The top line also beat our projection of $751.5 million.

Adjusted EBITDA of $69 million increased from the year-ago quarter’s level of $32 million, primarily due to an improved product mix of international and offshore projects and better execution of NOV’s manufacturing plans. The figure, however, missed our estimate of $78.1 million.

Backlog

At the end of June 2023, the order backlog for Rig Technologies’ capital equipment was $2.89 billion, including $222 million worth of new orders. The same for the Completion & Production Solutions segment was $1.59 billion, comprising $450 million worth of new orders.
Balance Sheet

As of Jun 30, 2023, NOV had cash and cash equivalents of $592 million and long-term debt of $1.72 billion, with a debt-to-capitalization of 23.8%.

Outlook

The company anticipates that free cash flow will roughly break even in 2023 and exceed 50% of EBITDA in 2024.

It expects a slight revenue decline in the third quarter but a significant increase in the fourth quarter, thanks to a strong backlog and demand from international markets.

NOV expects to boost international and offshore activity to counter U.S. declines. For the Wellbore Technologies segment, it anticipates third-quarter revenues and EBITDA to be in line with the second- quarter level.

For the Completions & Production Solutions segment, the company expects growing demand from improving offshore markets to offset softer conditions in North America, causing third-quarter results to be in line with the second quarter.

NOV expects North America land operations to slow down in the third quarter due to higher commodity prices. However, drilling contractor customers are preparing for higher activity in 2024. International and offshore markets are anticipated to overcome North American headwinds with growing activity in West Africa, Asia, the North Sea, offshore Mexico and the Middle East.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

In the past month, investors have witnessed an upward trend in estimates revision.

VGM Scores

Currently, Nov Inc. has a subpar Growth Score of D, however its Momentum Score is doing a lot better with a B. Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated a grade of B on the value side, putting it in the top 40% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook

Estimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Notably, Nov Inc. has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.


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