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SLB Limited: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 23 January 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 2 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter revenue rose 9% sequentially: Revenue of $9.75 billion rose 9% sequentially and 5% year on year. GAAP diluted EPS was $0.55, up 10% sequentially and down 29% year on year. Source
  • EPS excluding charges fell 15% year on year: EPS excluding charges and credits was $0.78, up 13% sequentially and down 15% year on year. Net income attributable to SLB was $824 million. Source
  • Revenue rose in all four geographies: Revenue rose sequentially in all four geographic areas for the first time since the second quarter of 2024. International rose 8% and North America 15%. Source
  • Production Systems grew on ChampionX: Production Systems revenue of $4.08 billion rose 17% sequentially and 30% year on year, including $874 million from ChampionX. Excluding the acquisition, it rose 11% sequentially. Source
  • Full-year EBITDA and margin declined: Full-year adjusted EBITDA was $8.46 billion, down 7%, with a margin of 23.7%, down 129 basis points. Fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA margin was 23.9%. Source
  • Production and recovery demand rising: Management said customers are prioritizing production and recovery to unlock barrels at the lowest cost, raising demand for intervention, artificial lift, production chemicals and OneSubsea. Source
  • Data Center Solutions grew 121%: Data Center Solutions revenue was $460 million for 2025, up 121%, from modular data center manufacturing for hyperscalers. Source
  • Full-year free cash flow was $4.11 billion: Full-year cash flow from operations was $6.49 billion and free cash flow $4.11 billion, including $276 million of acquisition-related payments. Source
  • ChampionX impact to accelerate in 2026: ChampionX contributed $1.5 billion of revenue with accretive margins since its July 2025 closing. Management expects its impact to accelerate in 2026 through synergies. Source

“As we move into 2026, we believe that the headwinds we experienced in key regions in 2025 are behind us.”

SLB Chief Executive Officer Olivier Le Peuch

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Capital investment Sourcefull-year 2026approximately $2.5 billionNew
Shareholder returns Source2026more than $4 billionNew
Quarterly cash dividend Sourcefrom the dividend payable April 2, 2026$0.295 per shareRaised from $0.285

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Full-year 2026 capital investment guidance of about $2.5 billion was given in this release. Source
  • New guidance: A 2026 commitment to return more than $4 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases was stated. Source
  • New: Board approved a 3.5% increase in the quarterly cash dividend, to $0.295 per share from $0.285. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Fourth-quarter revenue rose 9% sequentially: Revenue of $9.75 billion rose 9% sequentially and 5% year on year. GAAP diluted EPS was $0.55, up 10% sequentially and down 29% year on year. Source
  • EPS excluding charges fell 15% year on year: EPS excluding charges and credits was $0.78, up 13% sequentially and down 15% year on year. Net income attributable to SLB was $824 million. Source
  • Full-year revenue and EPS declined: Full-year revenue was $35.71 billion, down 2%. GAAP EPS was $2.35, down 24%, and EPS excluding charges and credits was $2.93, down 14%. Source
  • ChampionX added revenue for 2025: ChampionX, acquired in the third quarter of 2025, contributed $879 million of revenue in the fourth quarter, with a full quarter included. The company reported $1.46 billion for the year. Source

Regions and geographic revenue

  • Revenue rose in all four geographies: Revenue rose sequentially in all four geographic areas for the first time since the second quarter of 2024. International rose 8% and North America 15%. Source
  • Middle East & Asia fell year on year: Middle East & Asia revenue was $3.23 billion, up 7% sequentially and down 7% year on year, as lower Saudi Arabia activity outweighed gains in East Asia, Iraq and other markets. Source
  • Latin America rose on Brazil completions: Latin America revenue of $1.68 billion rose 12% sequentially on completions and subsea sales in Brazil and the resumed Ecuador APS projects. Year on year it fell 1%. Source
  • North America rose on offshore activity: On a pro forma basis, North America revenue of $2.21 billion rose 4% sequentially on offshore activity and drilling. It fell 4% year on year after the Canadian APS divestiture. Source

“We expect that Data Center Solutions will be our fastest growing business for years to come, and Digital will continue to grow at highly accretive margins.”

SLB Chief Executive Officer Olivier Le Peuch

Divisions and segments

  • Digital revenue rose 25% sequentially: Digital revenue of $825 million rose 25% sequentially and 17% year on year, with Digital Exploration sales a main driver. Pretax operating margin was 34%. Source
  • Production Systems grew on ChampionX: Production Systems revenue of $4.08 billion rose 17% sequentially and 30% year on year, including $874 million from ChampionX. Excluding the acquisition, it rose 11% sequentially. Source
  • Well Construction revenue fell 10%: Well Construction revenue of $2.95 billion fell 1% sequentially and 10% year on year. Pretax operating margin of 19% was down 219 basis points year on year. Source
  • Reservoir Performance margin rose sequentially: Reservoir Performance revenue of $1.75 billion rose 4% sequentially. Pretax operating margin of 20% expanded 105 basis points sequentially on higher uptake of premium technologies. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Well Construction margin compressed: Management attributed the Well Construction margin decline to widespread drilling reductions and pricing headwinds in North America and several international markets. Source
  • Reservoir margin hit by pricing: Reservoir Performance pretax operating margin contracted 89 basis points year on year, attributed to an unfavorable activity mix and pricing effects. Source
  • Full-year EBITDA and margin declined: Full-year adjusted EBITDA was $8.46 billion, down 7%, with a margin of 23.7%, down 129 basis points. Fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA margin was 23.9%. Source
  • All Other pretax income fell: All Other pretax income fell $102 million year on year, from lower APS contribution after the Canadian divestiture and an operating loss on an SLB Capturi project. Source

“Although 2025 presented a challenging backdrop for the industry - with lower commodity prices, geopolitical uncertainty and an oversupplied oil market - we continued to build resilience across our portfolio by accelerating our strategy.”

SLB Chief Executive Officer Olivier Le Peuch

Demand, activity and contracts

  • Production and recovery demand rising: Management said customers are prioritizing production and recovery to unlock barrels at the lowest cost, raising demand for intervention, artificial lift, production chemicals and OneSubsea. Source
  • Middle East rig activity expected to rise: Management expects rig activity in the Middle East to increase from current levels, and says the 2025 headwinds in key regions are behind it. Source
  • Aramco stimulation award in Saudi Arabia: Aramco awarded SLB a five-year stimulation contract for unconventional gas fields, part of a broader multi-billion dollar contract. Source

Digital and data center business

  • Digital annualized recurring revenue passed $1 billion: Digital annualized recurring revenue exceeded $1 billion at year-end, up 15% year on year. Full-year Digital revenue rose 9% with a 35% adjusted EBITDA margin. Source
  • Data Center Solutions grew 121%: Data Center Solutions revenue was $460 million for 2025, up 121%, from modular data center manufacturing for hyperscalers. Source
  • Shreveport site expanded: The Shreveport, Louisiana, facility's footprint nearly doubled and its manufacturing capacity for data center equipment increased to support hyperscaler demand. Source

Cash flow, capital and debt

  • Full-year free cash flow was $4.11 billion: Full-year cash flow from operations was $6.49 billion and free cash flow $4.11 billion, including $276 million of acquisition-related payments. Source
  • Fourth-quarter cash generation: Fourth-quarter cash flow from operations was $3.01 billion and free cash flow $2.29 billion, including $71 million of ChampionX acquisition-related payments. Source
  • Net debt reduced in the quarter: Net debt was $7.42 billion at year-end, down from $9.18 billion at September 30, 2025. Source

Strategy, technology and new energy

  • ChampionX impact to accelerate in 2026: ChampionX contributed $1.5 billion of revenue with accretive margins since its July 2025 closing. Management expects its impact to accelerate in 2026 through synergies. Source
  • Tela agentic AI assistant launched: SLB launched the Tela agentic-AI assistant, embedded in its applications and platforms and used through a conversational interface. Source
  • Geothermal collaboration with Ormat: SLB and Ormat agreed to fast-track integrated geothermal assets, including enhanced geothermal systems, with an EGS pilot planned at an Ormat site. Source
  • AI production optimization launched with ADNOC: ADNOC and SLB launched an AI-powered production system optimization platform, with initial deployment across eight fields. Source

Charges and workforce reductions

  • Workforce reductions charged in quarter: Fourth-quarter pretax charges included $126 million of workforce reductions, with $109 million after tax and noncontrolling interests. Source
  • Goodwill impairment recorded: Fourth-quarter charges included a $210 million goodwill impairment, classified in Impairments in the income statement. Source

Coming up, as management said on 23 January 2026

  • Activity expected to improve through 2026: Management anticipates activity will gradually improve in its key markets during the year, which it said gives confidence in strong cash flow in 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Capital investment Source$2.4 billion in 2025
Shares repurchased Source60 million shares for $2.41 billion in 2025
Cash returned to shareholders Source$4.0 billion in 2025
Free cash flow Source$4.11 billion in 2025

Risks management discussed

  • External: Management cited a challenging 2025 backdrop of lower commodity prices, geopolitical uncertainty and an oversupplied oil market. Source
  • Demand: U.S. land drilling activity fell sharply in the year, partly offset by Data Center Solutions growth. Source
  • Operational: Ecuador APS production had been disrupted by a pipeline issue in the prior quarter and resumed in the fourth quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Prior release expected fourth-quarter revenue growth from international markets, Digital and a full ChampionX quarter. Fourth-quarter revenue rose 9% sequentially.
  • Not stated: Prior release expected 2025 capital investment of about $2.4 billion. This release reports 2025 capital investment of $2.4 billion.

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.