National Oilwell Varco (NOV)'s stock symbol is NOV, and industry experts insist it really stands for "no other vendor" as it is the almost universally preferred manufacturer of offshore drilling rig equipment in the global oil & gas industry. It has a leading market position in the segments of the oil & gas industry that are generating the most growth, deepwater drilling and shale drilling. The company has historically generated high returns on capital, has what we believe to be a conservative balance sheet with minimal debt, and, given the uncertainty associated with near term growth of drilling equipment orders, we were able to purchase shares at a significant discount to our estimate of the company's intrinsic value.
From Tweedy Browne's 2013 semi-annual report.
From Tweedy Browne's 2013 semi-annual report.
