It has been a wild ride for anyone watching the Wood PLC stock price lately. Honestly, if you’ve been following this Aberdeen-based engineering giant, you know it’s felt more like a soap opera than a standard industrial investment. Just when you think the dust has settled, another plot twist arrives.
Right now, as we sit in early 2026, the stock is hovering around the 26p to 27p mark on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: WG). That might seem like peanuts compared to where it was a couple of years ago, but there is a massive story hidden behind that decimal point.
The Sidara Deal: The Elephant in the Room
You can't talk about the current valuation without talking about Sidara. After months of "will they, won't they" drama, shareholders finally gave the green light to a takeover by the Dubai-based engineering firm in late 2025.
It wasn't exactly the triumphant exit some had hoped for.
The deal was eventually struck at 30p per share in cash. Why does that matter for the price today? Because the market is essentially "pricing in" the final steps of this acquisition. When a company is being bought out at a fixed price, the stock price usually glues itself just below that offer price until the deal officially crosses the finish line.
Why the Discount?
- Completion Risk: Deals can still fall apart at the 11th hour due to regulatory hurdles or "material adverse changes."
- Time Value of Money: Since the final cash-out is expected in the first half of 2026, traders discount the price slightly to account for the wait.
- The "Audit Scare": Let's not forget the independent review that found "material weaknesses" in Wood’s books in 2025. That spooked everyone and forced Sidara to lower their initial 35p bid down to the current 30p.
It’s kinda messy.
What Really Happened to Wood PLC?
A few years ago, Wood was the darling of the North Sea. Then things got complicated. They shifted from being just an oil and gas service provider to a "sustainable solutions" company.
On paper, it was a brilliant move. The world is going green, right? But the transition was expensive. They racked up significant debt—averaging around $1.1 billion in 2024—and faced a mountain of legacy legal claims, including long-standing asbestos-related liabilities.
Free cash flow was essentially non-existent for years. Between 2017 and 2024, the company saw a cumulative cash outflow of roughly $1.5 billion. You just can’t run a business like that forever without someone stepping in to catch the falling knife.
👉 See also: Retirement Accounts FDIC Insured: Why Your Safe Haven Might Be Smaller Than You Think
Is the Stock Still Tradeable?
Technically, yes. But it’s not for the faint of heart.
Most analysts have shifted their ratings to "Hold" or "Strong Sell" because there’s very little upside left if the deal goes through as planned. If you buy at 26.5p and get paid 30p in a few months, you’re looking at a modest gain, but you’re also betting that nothing else goes wrong.
And in Wood’s history, things have a habit of going wrong.
For example, the recent sale of their UK T&D (Transmission and Distribution) business and their stake in RWG to Siemens Energy were meant to stabilize the ship. They did, sort of. But they were basically selling the family silver to pay the mortgage.
The Numbers You Need to Know
- Current Price Range: 24p – 27p (January 2026)
- Takeover Offer: 30p (Cash)
- Expected Completion: H1 2026
- Market Cap: Roughly £180m – £250m (depending on the daily swing)
What Most People Get Wrong
People often assume that a low stock price means a "bargain." With the Wood PLC stock price, the low number is a reflection of a company that ran out of runway.
The "hidden chapter" here isn't about a secret recovery; it’s about a controlled exit. Sidara is bringing in a $450 million cash injection, which is basically a life support system for the 35,000 employees who work there. Without this deal, many experts feared the company would have faced a much more painful restructuring—or worse.
Actionable Insights for Investors
If you’re holding shares right now, your path is pretty narrow.
- Option A: Hold for the 30p. If you believe the Sidara deal is 100% solid, you wait for the court sanction hearings in early 2026 and take your cash.
- Option B: Exit now. If you’re worried about another "material weakness" discovery or a global economic shock that makes Sidara walk away, you take the 26p today and move on.
- Option C: The "Arb" Play. Professional arbitrageurs might buy the gap between 26p and 30p, but for a retail investor, the brokerage fees might eat most of that 13% margin.
The reality is that the era of Wood PLC as a major independent player on the FTSE is ending. It’s moving into private hands, where it can hopefully fix its balance sheet away from the prying eyes of the public markets.
✨ Don't miss: Insurance Cost Small Business: What Most People Get Wrong About 2026 Rates
Watch the RNS (Regulatory News Service) feeds closely over the next few weeks. Any mention of the "Sanction Hearing" or "Scheme of Arrangement" updates will be the final triggers for the price to move toward that 30p finish line.
Next Steps for You:
- Check your brokerage's corporate action notifications. If you hold WG shares, you should have received documents regarding the "Scheme of Arrangement."
- Verify the tax implications. Receiving cash for a takeover is a "disposal" for Capital Gains Tax purposes. If you’re sitting on a loss, you might want to use it to offset other gains before the tax year ends.
- Look for the H1 2026 Sanction Date. Once the court sets the final date, the stock will likely stop trading shortly after. Don’t get caught with "zombie" shares in an inactive account.