Better Buy: Baker Hughes vs. National Oilwell Varco

Oil prices are suffering through another period of weakness, this time led by the impact of COVID-19. Investors have once again pushed anything related to oil lower, including oil services companies like Baker Hughes (NYSE: BKR) and National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV). That said, investors looking to invest when others are fearful might be taking a closer look at this cyclical industry, wondering how these two names match up. Here's what you need to know.

Baker Hughes as it exists today is the amalgam of the old Baker Hughes and General Electric's (NYSE: GE) energy services business. It offers products and services across a huge spectrum of the energy sector, covering the upstream (drilling), midstream (pipeline), and downstream (refining and chemicals) areas. National Oilwell Varco, meanwhile, has a tighter focus on drilling services, engaging with customers primarily in the upstream sector. 

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Source Fool.com