Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-three brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, fifteen have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $36.0476.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on HAL. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Halliburton from $25.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $39.00 price target on shares of Halliburton in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $35.00 price target on shares of Halliburton in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Halliburton from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on Halliburton from $39.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd.

Key Stories Impacting Halliburton

Here are the key news stories impacting Halliburton this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Halliburton agreed to acquire Sekal AS to accelerate drilling automation and digitally optimize well construction and safety — a strategic buy that could expand HAL’s automation product suite, improve operational efficiency and support higher-margin services over time. Halliburton Buys Sekal To Turbocharge Drilling Automation
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs highlighted Halliburton among top dividend-paying energy names, which can attract income-focused and institutional buyers and supports demand for the stock over the medium term. Goldman Sachs Is Very Bullish on 5 Dividend-Paying Energy Superstars
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage noted Halliburton anchoring an oilfield lifecycle services position inside an S&P 500-focused fund — index/fund inclusion can provide steady passive inflows and visibility. Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) Anchors Oilfield Lifecycle Services In S&P 500 Fund
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage flagged that Halliburton hit a new 52-week high late last week, indicating strong momentum prior to today’s pullback and suggesting some investors booked profits. Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) Hits New 52-Week High – Here’s What Happened
• Neutral Sentiment: General company profiles and broader coverage (CNN, Moneycontrol) provide background on operations and aren’t new catalysts but useful for fundamentals review. Halliburton Company
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative analyses of Halliburton vs. peers offer context on valuation, margins and capital structure but do not represent immediate share-moving news. Financial Contrast: Halliburton (HAL) and The Competition
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks reports the stock slid despite a rising market session, pointing to profit-taking or sector rotation as the likely cause; elevated volume suggests active repositioning by traders. This explains today’s downward move even as company-specific news is largely constructive. Halliburton (HAL) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade

Halliburton Trading Down 2.6%

Shares of Halliburton stock opened at $37.98 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a current ratio of 2.04. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $35.33 and a 200-day moving average of $29.85. Halliburton has a 52-week low of $18.72 and a 52-week high of $41.18. The stock has a market cap of $31.81 billion, a PE ratio of 25.15, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.73.

Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 21st. The oilfield services company reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.14. Halliburton had a net margin of 5.78% and a return on equity of 19.77%. The business had revenue of $5.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.39 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.73 earnings per share. Halliburton’s revenue for the quarter was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Halliburton will post 2.64 EPS for the current year.

Halliburton Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th were given a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Halliburton’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Halliburton news, VP Timothy Mckeon sold 3,846 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.37, for a total transaction of $132,187.02. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 81,631 shares in the company, valued at $2,805,657.47. This represents a 4.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, COO Jeffrey Shannon Slocum sold 5,441 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.82, for a total transaction of $184,014.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 187,423 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,338,645.86. The trade was a 2.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 357,053 shares of company stock valued at $12,178,682 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.56% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Halliburton

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Nvest Wealth Strategies Inc. bought a new stake in Halliburton during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased its stake in shares of Halliburton by 196.4% in the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 981 shares of the oilfield services company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 650 shares during the last quarter. Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Halliburton during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Halliburton during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Finally, DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in Halliburton in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.23% of the company’s stock.

About Halliburton

Halliburton is one of the world’s largest providers of products and services to the energy industry, offering a broad portfolio that supports the lifecycle of oil and gas reservoirs from exploration and drilling through production and abandonment. Founded in 1919 by Erle P. Halliburton as an oil-well cementing company, the firm is headquartered in Houston, Texas and has developed into an integrated oilfield services company serving upstream operators globally.

The company’s activities encompass drilling and evaluation, well construction and completion, production enhancement and well intervention.