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Why Is Baker Hughes (BKR) Up 19.8% Since Last Earnings Report?

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It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Baker Hughes (BKR - Free Report) . Shares have added about 19.8% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Baker Hughes due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.

Baker Hughes Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates

Baker Hughes reported third-quarter 2024 adjusted earnings of 67 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 60 cents. The bottom line also improved from the year-ago level of 42 cents.

Total quarterly revenues of $6,908 million missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7,193 million. However, the top line increased from the year-ago quarter’s $6,641 million.

The strong quarterly earnings were primarily driven by higher operational performance across both segments and improving EBITDA margins, which reached 17.5%, the highest since the company's formation.

Segmental Performance

BKR was reorganized from four to two operating segments — Oilfield Services and Equipment, and Industrial & Energy Technology. The segments became operational from Oct. 1, 2022.

Revenues from the Oilfield Services and Equipment unit amounted to $3,963 million, up from the year-ago figure of $3,951 million. The reported figure was below our estimate of $4,138 million.

Operating income from the segment totaled $547 million, up 18% from $465 million reported in the third quarter of 2023. This growth was supported by favorable pricing and productivity, partially offset by a lower volume.

Revenues from the Industrial & Energy Technology unit amounted to $2,945 million, up 9% from the year-ago quarter’s $2,691 million. Our estimate for the metric was pegged at $3,110 million.

Operating income from the segment totaled $474 million, up 37% from the year-ago quarter’s level of $346 million due to higher volumes and pricing, partially offset by cost inflation.

Costs and Expenses

Baker Hughes recorded total costs and expenses of $5,978 million in the third quarter, up from the year-ago figure of $5,927 million. Our projection for the same was pinned at $6,423 million.

Orders

Orders from all business segments amounted to $6,676 million, down 22% year over year from $8,512 million. We expected the figure to be $7,901 million.

The drop was primarily due to lower order intake in the Industrial & Energy Technology and the Oilfield Services and Equipment segments.

Free Cash Flow

Baker Hughes generated a free cash flow of $754 million in the reported quarter compared with $592 million a year ago.

Capex & Balance Sheet

BKR’s net capital expenditure in the third quarter was $256 million.

As of Sept. 30, 2024, it had cash and cash equivalents of $2,664 million. The company had a long-term debt of $5,984 million at the end of the reported quarter, marking a debt-to-capitalization of 27.3%.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

It turns out, estimates revision have trended downward during the past month.

VGM Scores

At this time, Baker Hughes has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a D. However, the stock was allocated a grade of B on the value side, putting it in the top 40% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of A. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook

Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Notably, Baker Hughes has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

Performance of an Industry Player

Baker Hughes is part of the Zacks Oil and Gas - Field Services industry. Over the past month, Liberty Oilfield Services (LBRT - Free Report) , a stock from the same industry, has gained 2.3%. The company reported its results for the quarter ended September 2024 more than a month ago.

Liberty Oilfield Services reported revenues of $1.14 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -6.4%. EPS of $0.45 for the same period compares with $0.85 a year ago.

For the current quarter, Liberty Oilfield Services is expected to post earnings of $0.17 per share, indicating a change of -68.5% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -16.8% over the last 30 days.

Liberty Oilfield Services has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of A.


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