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Noble Corp. plc: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 27 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 lowered, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net loss against prior-quarter profit: Net loss was $37 million, or $(0.23) per diluted share, against $121 million net income in the first quarter. Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.01. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA fell sequentially: Adjusted EBITDA was $212 million, down from $277 million in the first quarter and $282 million a year earlier. Source
  • Revenue and EBITDA ranges lowered: Full-year revenue range is $2,800-$2,900 million and Adjusted EBITDA range is $850-$925 million. Capital expenditure range is kept at $615-$665 million. Source
  • Backlog stands at $6.8 billion: Backlog as of July 27, 2026 was $6.8 billion, excluding mobilization and demobilization revenue. Backlog was $7.5 billion in the prior quarter. Source
  • Free cash flow was negative: Operating cash flow was $144 million and capital expenditures were $205 million, giving free cash flow of $(59) million, against $107 million a year earlier. Source
  • June bond refinancing completed: Refinanced $800 million of existing bonds with 6.250% notes due 2034. The quarter includes an $18 million loss on debt extinguishment. Management expects meaningful cash benefits. Source
  • Dividend held at $0.50: Board approved a $0.50 per share interim dividend for the third quarter, matching the second quarter. Payment is set for September 24, 2026. Source

“Our second quarter was adversely impacted by $43 million due to the operational suspension of both of our rigs in Brazil, while operational and financial performance was otherwise strong across the board.”

Robert W. Eifler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Noble

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFull year 2026$2,800-$2,900 millionLowered from $2,800-$3,000 million
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFull year 2026$850-$925 millionLowered from $940-$1,020 million
Capital expenditures SourceFull year 2026$615-$665 millionKept
Quarterly dividend SourceThird quarter 2026$0.50 per shareKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance lowered: Full-year 2026 revenue guidance cut to $2,800-$2,900 million from $2,800-$3,000 million. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Full-year 2026 Adjusted EBITDA guidance cut to $850-$925 million from $940-$1,020 million. Source
  • Guidance kept: Full-year 2026 capital expenditure guidance was kept at $615-$665 million. Source
  • New: Noble Viking won a six-well Asia Pacific contract, scheduled to start in early 2028. Source
  • New: Noble Claus Bachmann won a three-well contract with bp in the UK North Sea. Source
  • New: Refinanced $800 million of existing bonds with 6.250% senior unsecured notes due 2034. Source
  • New: Operational suspensions of two Brazil rigs, Noble Faye Kozack and Noble Courage, reduced revenue by about $43 million. Source
  • Ended: The Noble Globetrotter I contract in the Black Sea concluded during the quarter. Source
  • Ended: Idle semisubmersible Ocean Apex was sold for scrapping in July, with a $42 million impairment taken in the quarter. Source

Second-quarter results

  • Net loss against prior-quarter profit: Net loss was $37 million, or $(0.23) per diluted share, against $121 million net income in the first quarter. Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.01. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA fell sequentially: Adjusted EBITDA was $212 million, down from $277 million in the first quarter and $282 million a year earlier. Source
  • Contract drilling revenue declined: Contract drilling services revenue was $679 million, down from $743 million, mainly from the Brazil suspensions and the Globetrotter I contract conclusion. Source

Full-year 2026 guidance revision

  • Revenue and EBITDA ranges lowered: Full-year revenue range is $2,800-$2,900 million and Adjusted EBITDA range is $850-$925 million. Capital expenditure range is kept at $615-$665 million. Source
  • Reasons given for the revision: Management attributed the revision mainly to reduced revenue from the two Brazil rigs and to re-sequenced second-half backlog for two named rigs. Source

“Additionally, we completed a highly successful debt refinancing, which is expected to drive meaningful cash benefits going forward.”

Robert W. Eifler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Noble

Fleet utilization and rig segments

  • Floater contracting fell: Floater contracting was 61% in the second quarter across 24 marketed floaters, down from 68% in the prior quarter. Source
  • Jackup utilization rose to 80%: Five marketed ultra harsh jackups ran at 80% utilization, up from 66% in the prior quarter. Source
  • Fleet utilization at 64%: Utilization across 29 marketed rigs was 64%, down from 68%. Including cold-stacked rigs, average utilization was 65%, against 69% in the first quarter. Source

Costs, dayrates and margins

  • Contract drilling costs slightly lower: Contract drilling services costs were $446 million, against $450 million in the first quarter, while contract drilling revenue fell by $64 million. Source
  • Floater and jackup dayrates moved: Average floater dayrate was $412,650 per day, against $422,076 in the first quarter. Average jackup dayrate rose to $197,380 from $184,807. Source

“Despite these near-term revenue headwinds, the market outlook continues to look promising in 2027 and beyond for both deepwater and harsh environment rigs, as demonstrated by recent contract fixtures at increasing dayrates.”

Robert W. Eifler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Noble

Backlog and new contracts

  • Backlog stands at $6.8 billion: Backlog as of July 27, 2026 was $6.8 billion, excluding mobilization and demobilization revenue. Backlog was $7.5 billion in the prior quarter. Source
  • About $200 million in new contracts: Contracts with approximately $200 million total value were added after the April fleet status report, including a six-well and a three-well award. Source
  • Floater backlog and dayrates rising: Recent awards added about 16 months of floater backlog, and leading-edge Tier-1 drillship dayrates rose to the mid $400,000s. Source

Balance sheet, cash and shareholder returns

  • Free cash flow was negative: Operating cash flow was $144 million and capital expenditures were $205 million, giving free cash flow of $(59) million, against $107 million a year earlier. Source
  • June bond refinancing completed: Refinanced $800 million of existing bonds with 6.250% notes due 2034. The quarter includes an $18 million loss on debt extinguishment. Management expects meaningful cash benefits. Source
  • Debt and cash at quarter-end: Total debt principal was $1.9 billion and cash was $456 million at June 30, 2026, against $663 million at March 31. Source
  • Dividend held at $0.50: Board approved a $0.50 per share interim dividend for the third quarter, matching the second quarter. Payment is set for September 24, 2026. Source

Fleet changes and asset sales

  • Ocean Apex sold for scrapping: Idle semisubmersible Ocean Apex was sold for scrapping in July, with about $5 million of net proceeds, against a $42 million impairment taken in the second quarter. Source
  • Third Blackships BOP buy-out completed: Third of four Blackships BOP lease buy-outs was completed for $18 million in the second quarter. The last buy-out is expected in the fourth quarter. Source

Market view for 2027 and beyond

  • Offshore investment supports rig demand: Management said offshore investment supports rig demand, with tight high-spec drillship markets lifting leading-edge dayrates to the mid $400,000s per day. Source
  • 2027 and beyond seen as promising: Management said the market for deepwater and harsh environment rigs continues to look promising for 2027 and beyond, citing recent contract fixtures at increasing dayrates. Source

Coming up, as management said on 27 July 2026

  • Last Blackships BOP buy-out due Q4: Buy-out of the last remaining Blackships BOP system is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026 for $18 million. Source
  • Future dividends subject to Board: Future quarterly dividends and other shareholder returns depend on Board of Directors approval. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Production volumes (operating days) Source1,986 operating days in Q2 2026, against 2,130 in Q1 2026
Realized prices (average dayrate) Source$342,080 per day total average dayrate in Q2 2026
Capital expenditure Source$205 million in Q2 2026
Unit costs (contract drilling costs) Source$446 million in Q2 2026
Shareholder returns (dividend per share) Source$0.50 per share for Q3 2026

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The third of four Blackships BOP buy-outs was completed in the second quarter for $18 million, as planned in the prior quarter. Source
  • Not stated: Management kept the full-year capital expenditure range unchanged at $615-$665 million. Source
  • Not stated: Management said the dividend declaration maintains its consistent return of capital program. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.