Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) Reaches New 12-Month High on Earnings Beat

Shares of Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $33.80 and last traded at $33.0870, with a volume of 5841343 shares. The stock had previously closed at $32.06.

The oilfield services company reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.15. Halliburton had a return on equity of 19.77% and a net margin of 5.78%.The company had revenue of $5.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.39 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.73 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year.

Halliburton Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 3rd were given a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 3rd. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Halliburton’s payout ratio is 45.03%.

Halliburton News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Halliburton this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and international strength — Halliburton reported adjusted Q4 EPS above consensus and highlighted stronger international revenue and margins, which traders viewed as the primary catalyst for the rally. Halliburton beats estimates for fourth-quarter profit (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst upgrades and higher price targets — Several firms raised HAL price targets and ratings after the quarter (RBC, TD Cowen, BMO, JPMorgan, Susquehanna and others), supporting upside expectations. Halliburton Analysts Increase Their Forecasts After Strong Q4 Earnings (Benzinga)
• Positive Sentiment: Cash flow, buybacks and dividend underpin returns — Management emphasized strong free-cash-flow generation and continued share repurchases (and a >2% dividend yield), which boosts per‑share upside even if growth is modest. Halliburton Beat Expectations Again—Now the Rebound Trade Gets Real (MarketBeat)
• Positive Sentiment: Potential Venezuela re-entry — Management noted strong inbound interest and job postings hint at steps toward returning to Venezuela, which could materially expand international opportunity if allowed. Halliburton’s ‘phone is ringing off the hook’ with interest in Venezuela (BizJournals)
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and DCF checks after the run — Analysts and independent checks are revisiting HAL’s valuation after the stock’s momentum; some models show room, others urge caution given cyclical exposure. Halliburton Valuation Check (Yahoo Finance)
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity — Large volume in call options suggests speculative positioning that can amplify intraday moves but may not reflect long-term conviction. (Options volume report cited by market coverage.)
• Negative Sentiment: North America remains a drag and profit dynamics mixed — Coverage notes North American revenue weakness and some slip in profit metrics despite higher revenue, a reminder of regional headwinds that could limit upside if U.S. activity doesn’t recover. Halliburton Profit Slips Despite Higher Revenue (WSJ)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HAL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of Halliburton from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Halliburton from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday. 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 report on Thursday, October 2nd. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $35.00 price objective on shares of Halliburton in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on Halliburton from $39.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Halliburton presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $33.95.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Mark Richard sold 160,000 shares of Halliburton stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.77, for a total value of $4,443,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 452,374 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,562,425.98. This trade represents a 26.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Lawrence J. Pope sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.25, for a total value 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 approximately $13,538,550. This represents a 19.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 268,854 shares of company stock valued at $7,915,138 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.56% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Halliburton by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 105,363,599 shares of the oilfield services company’s stock valued at $2,147,310,000 after acquiring an additional 1,617,696 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its holdings in Halliburton by 81.8% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 91,030,451 shares of the oilfield services company’s stock worth $2,239,349,000 after purchasing an additional 40,969,139 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Halliburton by 1.2% during the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 30,287,989 shares of the oilfield services company’s stock valued at $617,269,000 after purchasing an additional 346,218 shares during the last quarter. Sanders Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Halliburton by 9.4% during the third quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 26,004,682 shares of the oilfield services company’s stock worth $639,715,000 after purchasing an additional 2,238,983 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Halliburton by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 22,342,963 shares of the oilfield services company’s stock worth $453,461,000 after buying an additional 92,549 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.23% of the company’s stock.

Halliburton Stock Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $28.84 and its 200-day moving average price is $25.20. The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The company has a market capitalization of $28.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.30 and a beta of 0.78.

Halliburton Company Profile

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.