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Stifel maintains Buy rating on SLB stock citing strong global positioning and free cash flow

EditorAhmed Abdulazez Abdulkadir
Published 23/12/2024, 19:12
SLB
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On Monday, Stifel, a financial services firm, adjusted its outlook for Schlumberger Limited (NYSE: NYSE:SLB), a global leader in oilfield services. The firm's analyst revised the price target to $59.00, a slight decrease from the previous target of $60.00, but affirmed a Buy rating on the company's shares. According to InvestingPro data, the stock is currently trading near its 52-week low of $36.52, significantly below its high of $55.69, and analysis suggests the shares are undervalued at current levels.

The adjustment was part of Stifel's "30 Stocks in 30 Days" series, where the firm revises its forecasts for selected companies. In this case, the firm moderated its growth expectations for Schlumberger into 2025. Despite the reduction in the price target, the analyst emphasized Schlumberger's strong global positioning and its ability to continue generating robust free cash flow (FCF) and returning excess cash to its shareholders.

The company maintains impressive financial health with a perfect Piotroski Score of 9, as reported by InvestingPro, which offers 12 additional valuable insights about SLB's current market position.

The report acknowledged that Schlumberger faced challenges in 2024, describing it as "Tough Sledding in 2024." However, it also noted that the current share price presents a solid entry point for medium- to long-term investors, given the favorable risk/reward balance. The difficulty in identifying a short-term catalyst for the stock was mentioned, suggesting a lack of immediate drivers for share price growth.

Schlumberger was likened to a "Tom Seaver" category stock, a reference used by Stifel to denote a franchise name within their coverage universe. This analogy implies that the company is seen as a high-quality, dependable investment in the long run.

The new price target of $59.00 is based on a 9.0x multiple of the firm's 2025 EBITDA estimate, reflecting a more conservative viewpoint on the company's future growth prospects. Despite the trimmed price target, the firm's Buy rating indicates continued confidence in Schlumberger's performance moving forward.

The company has maintained dividend payments for 54 consecutive years, currently offering a 2.99% yield, and operates with strong liquidity, evidenced by a healthy current ratio of 1.48. For comprehensive analysis of SLB's financials and future prospects, investors can access the detailed Pro Research Report available on InvestingPro.

In other recent news, Schlumberger Limited (SLB) has seen a series of price target adjustments from various financial firms. Citi, TD Cowen, and Stifel have all reduced their price targets but maintained Buy ratings, while Susquehanna has also lowered its target but kept a Positive rating. These revisions follow SLB's third-quarter earnings report, which revealed revenues of $9.2 billion and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 25.6%.

In addition, SLB secured a contract from bp for the supply of a subsea boosting system for the deepwater Kaskida project in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. This marks the first engineering, procurement, and construction agreement between SLB's OneSubsea joint venture and bp.

Amid these developments, SLB demonstrated a commitment to shareholder returns, repurchasing over $500 million worth of shares in the third quarter. The anticipated sale of the Palliser property in Canada is expected to help SLB exceed its return targets, with projections now set to surpass the $3.0 billion mark in 2024 and its $4.0 billion target in 2025.

Analysts from firms such as Citi, Susquehanna, and Stifel have also adjusted their earnings forecasts for SLB, reflecting updated expectations in light of evolving industry dynamics.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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