Shares of NOV Inc. dropped 3.4% in afternoon trading Friday, after BofA Securities analyst Chase Mulvehill swung to bearish from bullish on the oil services company, citing valuation and concerns over the negative impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mulvehill double downgraded NOV to underperform from buy, even as the stock price target was raised to $22 from $18. The stock has run up 23.4% month to date, while the VanEck Oil Services ETF has advanced 16.5%, crude oil futures have climbed 13.7% and the S&P 500 has slipped 2.8%, even as Wall Street estimates for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) have declined. “[W]e are not 100% confident that Russia developments don’t make sourcing materials, like aluminum, copper, nickel and steel, more problematic for a company that was already struggling with its supply chain and material cost inflation,” Mulvehill wrote in a note to clients. He also downgraded Cactus Inc. and ChampionX Corp. to neutral from buy amid valuation concerns, and their stocks fell 6.2% and 0.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, Mulvehill upgraded Liberty Oilfield Services Inc. and Chart Industries Inc. to buy from neutral, and shares of Liberty jumped 2.4% and Chart gained 0.3%.
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