But then there’s this:
Schlumberger up 0.8% on earnings beat, dividend hike
Published: Jan 15, 2015 4:36 p.m. ET
By Claudia Assis
Energy reporter
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Schlumberger Ltd. SLB, -2.25% on Thursday reported fourth-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street expectations on record revenue in North America due to efficiencies and new technology. The oil-field services giant said fourth-quarter adjusted earnings came to $1.50 a share, compared with consensus of $1.45 a share, according to FactSet, and earnings of $1.35 a share in the fourth quarter of 2013. Fourth-quarter sales rose 6% to $12.6 billion, in line with analyst expectations. The company said it will raise its dividend by 25%, paying 50 cents a share on April 10, 2015 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 11. Shares of the company rose 0.8% in after-hours, after ending Thursday down 2.3%.
It’s about time. Since last July the company’s lost a third of its value —the share price fell from $117 to the current $77.