Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $60.97.

SLB has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Bank of America cut their price objective on Schlumberger from $58.00 to $54.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Susquehanna decreased their target price on Schlumberger from $60.00 to $56.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $60.00 target price (down from $62.00) on shares of Schlumberger in a research report on Monday, October 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Schlumberger from $64.00 to $60.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and set a $68.00 price objective on shares of Schlumberger in a report on Monday, July 22nd.

Insider Buying and Selling at Schlumberger

In other news, EVP Abdellah Merad sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.90, for a total value of $2,514,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 211,937 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,880,160.30. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Schlumberger

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norden Group LLC bought a new position in Schlumberger during the first quarter worth about $253,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its stake in Schlumberger by 20.4% during the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 3,161 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $173,000 after purchasing an additional 535 shares in the last quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S raised its holdings in Schlumberger by 36.7% during the 1st quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 143,369 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $7,858,000 after buying an additional 38,468 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in Schlumberger by 123.5% in the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 2,076 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $114,000 after buying an additional 1,147 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mediolanum International Funds Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Schlumberger in the first quarter valued at approximately $2,373,000. Institutional investors own 81.99% of the company’s stock.

Schlumberger Trading Up 2.6 %

Shares of NYSE:SLB opened at $44.29 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $42.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $44.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Schlumberger has a 12-month low of $38.66 and a 12-month high of $55.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $62.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.52.

Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 18th. The oil and gas company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $9.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.27 billion. Schlumberger had a return on equity of 21.84% and a net margin of 12.44%. The firm’s revenue was up 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.78 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Schlumberger will post 3.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Schlumberger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.275 per share. This represents a $1.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 4th. Schlumberger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.37%.

About Schlumberger

Schlumberger Limited engages in the provision of technology for the energy industry worldwide. The company operates through four divisions: Digital & Integration, Reservoir Performance, Well Construction, and Production Systems. The company provides field development and hydrocarbon production, carbon management, and integration of adjacent energy systems; reservoir interpretation and data processing services for exploration data; and well construction and production improvement services and products.