SLB
SLB
SLB (formerly Schlumberger) is the world's largest oilfield services company, providing technology, services, and solutions across the full oil & gas lifecycle. The company operates in 120+ countries and serves IOCs, NOCs, and independent E&P companies with four divisions: Well Construction, Completions, Production Systems, and Reservoir Performance. SLB also operates Delfi, a cloud-based digital platform for energy data and AI-driven reservoir optimization.
Following the acquisition of Cameron International and the spin-off of Liberty Energy, SLB has repositioned as a technology-led oilfield services business with exposure to the energy transition through its New Energy segment (geothermal, CCUS, hydrogen). The company's global scale and technology differentiation provide a durable competitive advantage over smaller oilfield services peers.
| Business Segment | Revenue | % of Total | YoY Growth | Margin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Well Construction | $11,200M | 31% | -2.0% | — | Drilling equipment/services — most cyclical |
| Reservoir Performance | $7,200M | 20% | -1.0% | — | Well evaluation, stimulation — higher margin |
| Production Systems | $10,500M | 29% | -1.0% | — | Surface/subsea equipment — long-cycle backlog |
| Digital & Integration | $6,808M | 19% | +8.0% | — | Delfi AI platform, project management — fastest growing |
| Blended Growth Rate | — | 100% | +0.4% | — | Weighted avg across segments |
| Metric | Value | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| ROIC | 11.8% | 8–12% adequate |
| FCF Margin | 12.2% | ≥10% strong |
| Debt / EBITDA | 1.1x | ≤2x conservative |
| Revenue Trend | Mixed | 3-year directional trend |
| FCF Margin Trend | Stable (±1pp) | Directional margin trajectory |
| Analyst Revisions | Neutral | Last 90 days consensus direction |
| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue ($M) | $22,929 | $28,091 | $33,135 | $36,289 | $35,708 |
| Rev YoY Growth | — | +22.5% | +18.0% | +9.5% | -1.6% |
| Gross Margin | 16.0% | 18.4% | 19.8% | 20.6% | 18.2% |
| EBITDA ($M) | $4,885 | $6,298 | $7,755 | $8,323 | $7,011 |
| EBITDA Margin | 21.3% | 22.4% | 23.4% | 22.9% | 19.6% |
| Operating Income ($M) | $2,765 | $4,151 | $5,443 | $5,804 | $4,368 |
| Operating Margin | 12.1% | 14.8% | 16.4% | 16.0% | 12.2% |
| Net Income ($M) | $1,881 | $3,441 | $4,203 | $4,461 | $3,374 |
| Net Margin | 8.2% | 12.2% | 12.7% | 12.3% | 9.4% |
| EPS (diluted) | $1.32 | $2.39 | $2.91 | $3.11 | $2.35 |
| Free Cash Flow ($M) | $3,036 | $1,515 | $4,191 | $4,188 | $4,367 |
| Annual DPS | $0.500 | $0.650 | $1.000 | $1.100 | $1.140 |
| Total Debt ($M) | $14,195 | $12,226 | $11,965 | $12,074 | $11,636 |
| Year | Diluted Shares (M) | YoY Change | Buyback Spend ($M) | Buyback Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1427.0M | — | $24 | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 1437.0M | +0.7% | $93 | 0.1% |
| 2023 | 1443.0M | +0.4% | $863 | 1.2% |
| 2024 | 1436.0M | -0.5% | $1,827 | 2.5% |
| 2025 | 1437.0M | +0.1% | $2,475 | 3.4% |
SLB dramatically accelerated buybacks: from near-zero in 2021-2022 to $2.5B in FY2025. Share count has remained flat despite massive issuances for acquisitions (largely offset). The buyback program ($1.6B dividends + $2.5B buybacks = $4.1B total) represents a 5.6% total shareholder yield at current prices. Buybacks are funded entirely from FCF ($4.4B). Management explicitly committed to $4B+ capital return in 2025 at the Jan 2025 investor day.
| Scenario | Stage 1 (Yrs 1–5) | Stage 2 (Yrs 6–10) | Terminal g | WACC | Intrinsic Value | vs Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🔴 Bear | -4.0% | 1.0% | 1.5% | 10.00% | $23 | ▼54.8% |
| 📊 Base | 5.0% | 4.0% | 2.0% | 10.00% | $41 | ▼20.5% |
| 🚀 Bull | 9.0% | 6.0% | 2.5% | 10.00% | $61 | ▲19.4% |
| Period | Stage | FCFF | PV of FCFF | Cumulative EV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 ✦ | Stage 1 | $3.80B | $3.45B | $3.45B |
| Year 2 ✦ | Stage 1 | $3.70B | $3.06B | $6.51B |
| Year 3 ✦ | Stage 1 | $3.60B | $2.70B | $9.22B |
| Year 4 ✦ | Stage 1 | $3.60B | $2.46B | $11.68B |
| Year 5 ✦ | Stage 1 | $3.70B | $2.30B | $13.97B |
| Year 6 | Stage 2 | $3.74B | $2.11B | $16.08B |
| Year 7 | Stage 2 | $3.77B | $1.94B | $18.02B |
| Year 8 | Stage 2 | $3.81B | $1.78B | $19.80B |
| Year 9 | Stage 2 | $3.85B | $1.63B | $21.43B |
| Year 10 | Stage 2 | $3.89B | $1.50B | $22.93B |
| Terminal | — | TV=$46.4B | PV(TV)=$17.9B (44% of EV) | EV=$40.8B |
| Intrinsic Value | — | — | EV $40.8B − Net Debt → Equity / Shares | $23 |
| Period | Stage | FCFF | PV of FCFF | Cumulative EV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 ✦ | Stage 1 | $4.50B | $4.09B | $4.09B |
| Year 2 ✦ | Stage 1 | $4.75B | $3.93B | $8.02B |
| Year 3 ✦ | Stage 1 | $5.00B | $3.76B | $11.77B |
| Year 4 ✦ | Stage 1 | $5.25B | $3.59B | $15.36B |
| Year 5 ✦ | Stage 1 | $5.50B | $3.42B | $18.77B |
| Year 6 | Stage 2 | $5.72B | $3.23B | $22.00B |
| Year 7 | Stage 2 | $5.95B | $3.05B | $25.06B |
| Year 8 | Stage 2 | $6.19B | $2.89B | $27.94B |
| Year 9 | Stage 2 | $6.43B | $2.73B | $30.67B |
| Year 10 | Stage 2 | $6.69B | $2.58B | $33.25B |
| Terminal | — | TV=$85.3B | PV(TV)=$32.9B (50% of EV) | EV=$66.1B |
| Intrinsic Value | — | — | EV $66.1B − Net Debt → Equity / Shares | $41 |
| Period | Stage | FCFF | PV of FCFF | Cumulative EV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 ✦ | Stage 1 | $5.00B | $4.55B | $4.55B |
| Year 2 ✦ | Stage 1 | $5.50B | $4.55B | $9.09B |
| Year 3 ✦ | Stage 1 | $6.10B | $4.58B | $13.67B |
| Year 4 ✦ | Stage 1 | $6.70B | $4.58B | $18.25B |
| Year 5 ✦ | Stage 1 | $7.40B | $4.59B | $22.84B |
| Year 6 | Stage 2 | $7.84B | $4.43B | $27.27B |
| Year 7 | Stage 2 | $8.31B | $4.27B | $31.54B |
| Year 8 | Stage 2 | $8.81B | $4.11B | $35.65B |
| Year 9 | Stage 2 | $9.34B | $3.96B | $39.61B |
| Year 10 | Stage 2 | $9.90B | $3.82B | $43.43B |
| Terminal | — | TV=$135.3B | PV(TV)=$52.2B (55% of EV) | EV=$95.6B |
| Intrinsic Value | — | — | EV $95.6B − Net Debt → Equity / Shares | $61 |
| WACC \ gT | 1.5% | 2.0% | 2.5% | 3.0% | 3.5% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.0% | $53 | $56 | $60 | $64 | $69 |
| 8.5% | $49 | $51 | $54 | $57 | $61 |
| 9.0% | $45 | $47 | $49 | $52 | $55 |
| 9.5% | $42 | $43 | $45 | $48 | $50 |
| 10.0% | $39 | $40 | $42 | $44 | $46 |
| 10.5% | $36 | $37 | $39 | $40 | $42 |
| 11.0% | $34 | $35 | $36 | $37 | $39 |
| 11.5% | $32 | $33 | $34 | $35 | $36 |
| 12.0% | $30 | $31 | $32 | $33 | $34 |
Green = >10% above current price. Red = >10% below. Gold = within ±10%.
Log-linear trend fitted to full price history. ±1.5σ bands. Green shaded zone = bottom 25% of historical range — historically attractive entry.
| Company | Ticker | P/E (Fwd) | EV/EBITDA | FCF Yield | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLB N.V. | SLB | 17.5× | 11.8× | 5.3% | Current — world #1 OFS |
| Halliburton | HAL | 12.8× | 8.5× | 7.2% | Completions focused |
| Baker Hughes | BKR | 16.2× | 10.2× | 6.1% | Diversified energy tech |
| TechnipFMC | FTI | 18.4× | 12.1× | 5.8% | Subsea specialist |
| NOV Inc | NOV | 14.1× | 7.8× | 8.4% | Rig equipment; lower margin |
| SLB 5-yr avg | — | 18.5× | 11.5× | 4.5% | Own history |
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual DPS | $1.140 |
| Current Yield | 2.22% |
| Consecutive Growth Years | 5 |
| 1-yr DPS CAGR | +3.6% |
| 3-yr DPS CAGR | +31.6% |
| 5-yr DPS CAGR | +18.0% |
| 10-yr DPS CAGR | — |
| Payout Ratio (DPS/EPS) | 48.5% |
| FCF Payout Ratio | 37.5% |
| Sustainability Verdict | Safe |
| Year | Low / Actual | Avg | High | # Analysts | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1.32 | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2022 | $2.39 | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2023 | $2.91 | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2024 | $3.11 | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2025 | $2.35 | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2026 | $2.67 | $2.94 | $3.38 | 31 | Estimate |
| 2027 | $2.84 | $3.40 | $4.34 | 31 | Estimate |
| Year | Low / Actual | Avg | High | # Analysts | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $22.9B | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2022 | $28.1B | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2023 | $33.1B | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2024 | $36.3B | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2025 | $35.7B | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2026 | $35.2B | $37.4B | $39.4B | 31 | Estimate |
| 2027 | $36.1B | $39.5B | $45.8B | 31 | Estimate |
| Analyst | Firm | Rating | PT | Upside |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neil Mehta | Goldman Sachs | Strong Buy | $60 | +16.8% |
| Lloyd Byrne | Jefferies | Strong Buy | $58 | +12.9% |
| Scott Gruber | Citigroup | Strong Buy | $56 | +9.0% |
| Guillaume Delaby | Bernstein | Buy | $56 | +9.0% |
| David Anderson | Barclays | Buy | $49 | -4.7% |
| Quarter | EPS Act vs Est | EPS Beat/Miss | Rev Act vs Est | Rev Beat/Miss | Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4 2025 | $0.72 vs $0.71 | +$0.01 ✅ | $9.3B vs $9.2B | +$0.1B ✅ | Cautious on E&P spending outlook |
| Q3 2025 | $0.62 vs $0.61 | +$0.01 ✅ | $9.2B vs $9.1B | +$0.1B ✅ | In-line |
| Q2 2025 | $0.56 vs $0.55 | +$0.01 ✅ | $9.1B vs $9.1B | +$0.1B ✅ | Maintained |
| Q1 2025 | $0.45 vs $0.44 | +$0.01 ✅ | $9.1B vs $9.1B | +$0.1B ✅ | Cautious |
- Global offshore cycle intact: Offshore sanctioning is at multi-decade highs as IOCs and NOCs pursue supply security projects with long lead times. SLB's offshore exposure generates higher-margin contracts with 3-5 year terms — providing durable revenue visibility even if oil prices soften.
- Delfi digital platform = valuation re-rating catalyst: SLB's AI-driven energy data platform is transitioning from a services business to a recurring software revenue model. Digital/Integration revenues grew 8% in FY2025 despite overall revenue declining. If Delfi achieves scale, the market will re-rate SLB toward technology multiples.
- Strong FCF inflection: FCF has stabilized at $4.2-4.4B over FY2023-2025 (12%+ FCF margin) — a structural improvement from pre-COVID levels. Management committed to $4.1B+ capital return to shareholders in 2025 ($1.6B dividends + $2.5B buybacks).
- Aggressive buyback at depressed price: SLB repurchased $2.5B in FY2025 at prices near current levels — management's clearest signal that shares are undervalued. FCF yield at current price: 8.3%.
- Energy transition optionality: SLB's geothermal, CCUS, and hydrogen businesses represent free optionality on the energy transition. Even modest success in these areas provides a growth pillar beyond traditional E&P services.
Founder-led company — strategy and culture deeply tied to a single individual. Succession planning is a material risk.
Compensation: Equity-based compensation present
SLB's CEO is Olivier Le Peuch, appointed in Aug 2019, has a tenure of 6.58 years. total yearly compensation is $17.35M, comprised of 9.5% salary and 90.5% bonuses, including company stock and options. directly owns 0.0
SLB's CEO is Olivier Le Peuch, appointed in Aug 2019, has a tenure of 6.33 years. total yearly compensation is $17.31M, comprised of 9.5% salary and 90.5% bonuses, including company stock and options. directly owns 0.0
SLB's CEO is Olivier Le Peuch, appointed in Aug 2019, has a tenure of 6.5 years. total yearly compensation is $17.31M, comprised of 9.5% salary and 90.5% bonuses, including company stock and options. directly owns 0.09
SLB acquired ChampionX Corporation ... lithium production, hydrogen, geothermal, energy storage, and critical minerals, allocating capital to 55 high-impact sustainability projects in 2023....
President, Sales & Commercial, May 2019 to March 2023. ... Resources, February 2019 to March 2022. ... Controller, October 2017 to June 2022. ... Chief Accounting Officer, since July 2005. ... Director, Mergers and Acqu
- work-life balance
- recommend
How satisfied are employees working at SLB?76% of SLB employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews. Employees also rated SLB 3.4 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.9 for culture and values a
1,716 reviews from SLB employees about SLB culture, salaries, benefits, work-life balance, management, job security, and more.
Jan 30, 2025 · Scrum master · Former employee, more than 5 years · Pune · Recommend · CEO approval · Business Outlook · Pros · Diverse and Inclusive Culture. Work-Life Balance: Cons · Job Security is big issue when industry
| Tier | Price | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — Starter | ≤$38 | Begin position |
| Tier 2 — Add | ≤$32 | Add on weakness |
| Tier 3 — Full | ≤$24 | Full allocation |
| Sell Alert | ≥$52 | Above fair value — consider trimming |
At $51.39, SLB trades at 17.4× forward EPS and 8.3% FCF yield — a compelling entry for the world's premier oilfield services technology company. With 20 analysts at Strong Buy/Buy and $4.1B in annual capital returns, the downside is protected while upside to Base DCF of ~$52-55 is modest but growing.
Hold / Accumulate on weakness. At current price SLB is essentially at fair value per our Base DCF. Add aggressively below $45 (Bear IV). Bull case $75+ requires offshore cycle continuation + Delfi monetization. Key risk: oil demand destruction from recession or accelerated EV adoption.
| Assumption | Rationale / Notes |
|---|---|
| Model Selection | DCF chosen: FCF payout 37.5% — dividend understates value. SLB returns the other 62.5% of FCF via buybacks. Total capital return yield (dividends + buybacks) is 5.6% at current price — far more than the 2.2% dividend yield alone. |
| FCF Base | Used $4,250M normalized FCF (average of FY2023-2025: $4.19B, $4.19B, $4.37B). Very stable FCF despite revenue declining slightly in FY2025. This confirms structural FCF improvement from pre-2023 levels ($1.5B in FY2022). |
| WACC Build | Rf=4.3%, Beta=1.20, ERP=5.5% → Ke=10.9%. Market cap $73.8B, total debt $11.6B. Kd post-tax=4.4%. We=86.4%, Wd=13.6%. WACC=10.0%. |
| EPS vs FCF | FY2025 EPS of $2.35 is depressed vs FY2024's $3.11 due to higher D&A and one-time items. FCF is more stable. Consensus recovery to $2.94 in 2026 reflects normalization. FCF/share ($3.04) > EPS — typical for asset-heavy businesses. |
| Sanity Check | Target: Base IV near analyst consensus $52.11. WACC=10%, FCF base=$4.25B, g1=5% should yield approximately $48-55. Reasonable for current oil cycle conditions. |