Halliburton Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:HAL)

Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Traders acquired 37,290 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 27% compared to the average volume of 29,456 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on HAL. Zephirin Group boosted their price objective on shares of Halliburton from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. Zacks Research raised Halliburton from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. HSBC set a $30.00 price target on Halliburton and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Halliburton from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Halliburton from $24.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $32.05.

Key Halliburton News

Here are the key news stories impacting Halliburton this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat deep-dive: a U.S.-led push to rebuild Venezuela’s oil industry is being priced as a multi‑year, $100+ billion capex opportunity that should directly benefit oilfield services providers like Halliburton (well construction, cementing, repair work). This is the primary bullish fundamental catalyst behind recent rallies. The Caracas Catalyst: Big Oil’s $100 Billion Opportunity (HAL)
• Positive Sentiment: News-driven rally: comments about U.S. firms investing in Venezuela and related geopolitical moves sparked a sharp jump in HAL (recently hit a 52-week high), showing strong momentum from event-driven flows. That same dynamic attracted higher option and equity volume. Halliburton (HAL) Stock Rallies Following Trump Venezuela Comments
• Positive Sentiment: Elevated bullish positioning: analysts and commentary noted a recent 7.8% session surge and unusually large call‑option activity, indicating short-term speculative conviction that upside remains if the Venezuela narrative persists. Halliburton (HAL) Soars 7.8%: Is Further Upside Left in the Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market conversation is mixed: social and Quiver summaries show strong bullish chatter but also caution about hype and insider sales; upcoming Q4 earnings (expected Jan 21) is a proximate catalyst that could confirm or temper the rally. Halliburton Stock (HAL) Opinions on Venezuela Oil Developments
• Neutral Sentiment: Congressional / political trading headlines (coverage of a Rep. purchase and other political actors) are drawing attention; this affects sentiment but not the company’s fundamentals directly. Monitor for regulatory or reputational follow-ups. U.S. politician profits from Venezuela crisis after super suspicious oil stock trade
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade: Evercore ISI cut Halliburton to “in line” (cited North America exposure) while raising peers, a direct headwind that likely amplified selling pressure after the short-lived rally. SLB raised on reduced risk profile, Halliburton cut on North America exposure at Evercore ISI
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Halliburton EVP Lawrence J. Pope sold 100,000 shares (~$3.2M) recently, reducing his stake materially; multiple insider sales have been flagged in filings, which can weigh on investor confidence during volatile moves. SEC filing – Insider Sale (Lawrence J. Pope)
• Negative Sentiment: Price pullback note: headline coverage reports HAL trading lower amid broader session gains as the market rotates out of a rapid news‑driven trade; that suggests short‑term profit taking and higher volatility until fundamentals (earnings, contract wins, or Venezuela licensing clarity) arrive. Halliburton (HAL) Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts

Halliburton Trading Down 3.3%

Halliburton stock opened at $30.86 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $25.97 billion, a PE ratio of 20.44 and a beta of 0.78. Halliburton has a 12 month low of $18.72 and a 12 month high of $33.03. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $27.59 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $24.28. The company has a current ratio of 1.95, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70.

Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 21st. The oilfield services company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.08. Halliburton had a net margin of 5.91% and a return on equity of 20.12%. The firm had revenue of $5.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.39 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.73 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Halliburton will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Halliburton Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 24th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 3rd were given a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 3rd. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Halliburton’s dividend payout ratio is 45.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Halliburton news, EVP Lawrence J. Pope sold 100,000 shares of Halliburton stock in a transaction on Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.25, for a total transaction of $3,225,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 419,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,538,550. The trade was a 19.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Mark Richard sold 160,000 shares of Halliburton stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.77, for a total value of $4,443,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 452,374 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,562,425.98. The trade was a 26.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 268,854 shares of company stock valued at $7,915,138. Company insiders own 0.61% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Halliburton

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in Halliburton in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Halliburton during the third quarter worth about $25,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Halliburton in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in Halliburton in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Halliburton in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. 85.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Halliburton

Halliburton is one of the world’s largest providers of products and services to the energy industry, offering a broad portfolio that supports the lifecycle of oil and gas reservoirs from exploration and drilling through production and abandonment. Founded in 1919 by Erle P. Halliburton as an oil-well cementing company, the firm is headquartered in Houston, Texas and has developed into an integrated oilfield services company serving upstream operators globally.

The company’s activities encompass drilling and evaluation, well construction and completion, production enhancement and well intervention.