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Halliburton Q3 Earnings Preview: Here's What You Should Know

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Key Takeaways

  • Halliburton is set to report Q3 earnings on Oct. 20, with EPS pegged at 58 cents and revenues at $5.6 billion.
  • Stronger fracturing demand, better pricing and software sales may support Halliburton's Q3 segment margins.
  • Middle East disruptions, equipment mobilization expenses and SAP migration costs may weigh on HAL's earnings.

Halliburton Company (HAL - Free Report) is set to release third-quarter 2026 results on Oct. 20. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at a profit of 58 cents per share on revenues of $5.6 billion.

Let’s delve into the factors that might have influenced the oilfield service firm’s performance in the September quarter. But it’s worth taking a look at HAL’s previous-quarter performance first.

Highlights of Q2 Earnings & Surprise History

In the last reported quarter, this Houston, TX-based provider of technical products and services to drillers of oil and gas wells beat the consensus mark, reflecting strong international operations. Halliburton reported adjusted net income per share of 55 cents, outperforming the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. Revenues of $5.7 billion beat the Zacks Consensus of $5.5 billion.

HAL beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters. This is depicted in the graph below:

Halliburton Company Price and EPS Surprise

Halliburton Company Price and EPS Surprise

Halliburton Company price-eps-surprise | Halliburton Company Quote

Trend in Estimate Revision

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the third-quarter bottom line has remained unchanged over the past seven days. The estimated figure indicates no change year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues, meanwhile, suggests a marginal 0.1% decrease from the year-ago period.

Factors to Consider

Halliburton's Drilling and Evaluation segment likely benefited from a favorable business mix and increased software sales during the third quarter of 2026. Management anticipated a sequential margin improvement of 25-75 basis points, supported by a seasonal recovery in higher-margin software revenues. Growing adoption of LOGIX drilling automation and the integration of Sekal technology may have strengthened service efficiency and customer demand. Additionally, more than 30 rig additions in North America likely supported drilling activity. However, management projected a 3-5% sequential revenue decline, reflecting reduced drilling fluids and testing activity across certain markets.

Halliburton's Completion and Production segment likely gained from improving hydraulic fracturing demand, better pricing and higher equipment utilization across North America during the third quarter. Management expected segment operating margins to increase 125-175 basis points sequentially, supported by stronger land fracturing profitability, artificial lift activity and recovering completion-tool deliveries in the Gulf of America. Limited availability of electric fracturing equipment may have strengthened pricing power. According to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, the company’s third-quarter Completion and Production operating income will be $516 million, slightly higher than the year-ago period.

On a somewhat bearish note, Halliburton's third-quarter earnings may have faced pressure from continued geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East, which disrupted oilfield operations and delayed activity normalization. Management indicated that regional operations remained below pre-conflict levels, particularly offshore, while customers continued evaluating project restarts amid security concerns. Additionally, equipment mobilization expenses associated with international contract wins may have weighed on profitability. The company's third-quarter outlook assumed broadly stable Middle East activity without a full recovery. Higher expected interest expenses of approximately $5 million and SAP migration costs of about $45 million may have constrained earnings even further.

What Does Our Model Say?

The proven Zacks model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Halliburton for the third quarter. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of beating estimates. But that’s not the case here.

You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, for this company is -0.38%.

Zacks Rank: HAL currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.

Stocks to Consider

While an earnings beat looks uncertain for Halliburton, here are some energy firms that you may want to consider on the basis of our model:

Core Laboratories (CLB - Free Report) : It has an Earnings ESP of +3.03% and a Zacks Rank #3.Core Laboratories is scheduled to release earnings on Oct. 28.

Core Laboratories beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in three of the last four quarters and met in the other, with the average being 14.6%. Valued at more than $465 million, it has lost 17.6% over the past year.

TechnipFMC plc (FTI - Free Report) : It has an Earnings ESP of +2.67% and a Zacks Rank #1.TechnipFMC is scheduled to release earnings on Oct. 29.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

For 2026, TechnipFMC has a projected earnings growth rate of 30.6%. Valued at around $27.7 billion, it has gained 95.4% in a year.

Chevon (CVX - Free Report) : It has an Earnings ESP of +4.51% and a Zacks Rank #1.Chevron is scheduled to release earnings on Oct. 30.

Chevron beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average being 18.7%. Valued at around $430.2 billion, it has gone up 46% in a year.

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