Core Laboratories Past Earnings Performance
Past criteria checks 3/6
Core Laboratories has been growing earnings at an average annual rate of 8.7%, while the Energy Services industry saw earnings growing at 44.6% annually. Revenues have been growing at an average rate of 3.2% per year. Core Laboratories's return on equity is 10.7%, and it has net margins of 5.5%.
Key information
8.66%
Earnings growth rate
8.08%
EPS growth rate
| Energy Services Industry Growth | 23.71% |
| Revenue growth rate | 3.16% |
| Return on equity | 10.75% |
| Net Margin | 5.53% |
| Last Earnings Update | 31 Mar 2026 |
Recent past performance updates
Recent updates
Narrative Update • May 23
CLB: Middle East Disruptions Will Shape Undervalued Shares And Future P/E
Analysts have kept their $22.00 price target for Core Laboratories unchanged, citing updated assumptions that include a slightly higher discount rate and revenue growth outlook, along with a marginally lower profit margin and P/E expectation. What's in the News Core Laboratories revised its first quarter 2026 guidance, now expecting revenue between US$119,000,000 and US$123,000,000, operating income ex-items of US$5,700,000 to US$7,100,000, and EPS ex-items of US$0.05 to US$0.07, citing impacts from geopolitical conflict in the Middle East, client project delays, travel limits, and supply chain disruptions (Key Developments).
Narrative Update • Apr 28
CLB: Fair Outlook Balances Middle East Disruptions And Governance Changes
Analysts have raised their price target on Core Laboratories from about $14.00 to roughly $16.33, citing updated views on fair value, discount rate, revenue growth, profit margins, and future P/E assumptions. What's in the News Core Laboratories revised its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance, citing client driven project delays, travel constraints, and supply chain disruptions linked to geopolitical conflict in the Middle East, and now expects revenue of US$119,000,000 to US$123,000,000 and EPS, ex items, of US$0.05 to US$0.07 for the period (Key Developments).Narrative Update • Apr 14
CLB: Fair Value View Will Rely On Middle East Risk And P/E Assumptions
Analysts have raised their price target on Core Laboratories from $18 to $22, citing updated assumptions around revenue growth, profit margins, and a slightly higher future P/E multiple as key drivers of the change. What's in the News Core Laboratories revised its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance, citing client driven project delays, travel constraints, and supply chain disruptions linked to geopolitical conflict in the Middle East, and now expects revenue of US$119,000,000 to US$123,000,000, operating income ex items of US$5,700,000 to US$7,100,000, and Earnings Per Share ex items of US$0.05 to US$0.07 (Key Developments).Seeking Alpha • Mar 26
Core Laboratories: Profit Margins Are Too Small To Get Excited About
Summary Core Laboratories remains a HOLD due to persistently low profit margins and unattractive free cash flow yields. Recent Middle East disruptions have significantly impacted CLB’s higher-margin Reservoir Description segment, prompting a downward revision of Q1 EPS guidance. CLB’s capital allocation will continue with a 50/50 split between debt reduction and shareholder returns, targeting leverage below 1.0x. The current valuation at 14x EBITDA is not justified given flat revenues, low margins, and increased operational risks. The stock is valued at low single digit free cash flow yields. Read the full article on Seeking AlphaNarrative Update • Jan 26
CLB: Fair Value View Will Rely On Stable Margins And P/E Assumptions
Analysts held their price target on Core Laboratories steady at US$18.00, citing only small tweaks to inputs such as discount rate, revenue growth, profit margin and future P/E assumptions, rather than any major shift in their overall view of the company. Valuation Changes Fair Value: Held steady at US$18.00, indicating no change in the core valuation output.Narrative Update • Jan 11
CLB: Fair Value View Will Rely On Stabilizing Margins And EPS
Analysts kept their Core Laboratories fair value estimate around $18.00. The updated price target mainly reflects slightly adjusted assumptions for discount rate, revenue growth, profit margin, and future P/E rather than a major shift in their view of the stock.Narrative Update • Dec 14
CLB: Future Earnings And Margins Are Expected To Gradually Stabilize
Analysts have modestly reduced their price target on Core Laboratories by 1 dollar to 18 dollars. This reflects a slightly lower fair value despite improved expectations for revenue growth, profit margin, and a less demanding future price to earnings multiple.Analysis Article • Nov 21
A Look At The Fair Value Of Core Laboratories Inc. (NYSE:CLB)
Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Core Laboratories fair value estimate is US$14.45 Core...Narrative Update • Sep 10
Middle East And Asia Pacific Markets Will Secure Energy Success
With both the discount rate and future P/E ratio remaining essentially stable, the consensus analyst price target for Core Laboratories was unchanged at $14.00. What's in the News Core Laboratories issued third quarter 2025 guidance, expecting revenue of $127.5–134.5 million, operating income of $13.6–16.2 million, operating margin of approximately 11%, and EPS of $0.18–0.22.Analysis Article • Sep 10
Core Laboratories Inc.'s (NYSE:CLB) 25% Jump Shows Its Popularity With Investors
Core Laboratories Inc. ( NYSE:CLB ) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month...Analysis Article • Jul 24
We Think Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB) Is Taking Some Risk With Its Debt
David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the...Analysis Article • Jul 03
Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB) Will Be Hoping To Turn Its Returns On Capital Around
When it comes to investing, there are some useful financial metrics that can warn us when a business is potentially in...Analysis Article • Jun 12
Is There An Opportunity With Core Laboratories Inc.'s (NYSE:CLB) 49% Undervaluation?
Key Insights The projected fair value for Core Laboratories is US$23.89 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Core...Analysis Article • Apr 04
Core Laboratories Inc.'s (NYSE:CLB) Price In Tune With Earnings
With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 20x Core Laboratories Inc. ( NYSE:CLB ) may be sending bearish signals at...Analysis Article • Jan 21
Is Core Laboratories Inc. (NYSE:CLB) Trading At A 27% Discount?
Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Core Laboratories fair value estimate is US$27.00 Core...Analysis Article • Jan 03
Core Laboratories Inc. (NYSE:CLB) Not Lagging Market On Growth Or Pricing
When close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 18x, you may...Analysis Article • Dec 09
Returns On Capital At Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB) Paint A Concerning Picture
To avoid investing in a business that's in decline, there's a few financial metrics that can provide early indications...Analysis Article • Nov 12
Is Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB) Using Too Much Debt?
Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of...
New Narrative • Sep 24
New Product Launches And Deleveraging To Propel Growth Amidst Geopolitical Challenges
Diversification in geographical markets and services strengthens revenue by expanding market presence and targeting regions with growing demand.Analysis Article • Sep 19
Is Core Laboratories Inc. (NYSE:CLB) Trading At A 38% Discount?
Key Insights The projected fair value for Core Laboratories is US$29.58 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity...Analysis Article • Aug 14
What You Can Learn From Core Laboratories Inc.'s (NYSE:CLB) P/E
When close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 17x, you may...Analysis Article • Jul 15
We Think Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB) Can Stay On Top Of Its Debt
Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of...Analysis Article • Jun 25
These Return Metrics Don't Make Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB) Look Too Strong
To avoid investing in a business that's in decline, there's a few financial metrics that can provide early indications...Analysis Article • May 02
It's Unlikely That Core Laboratories Inc.'s (NYSE:CLB) CEO Will See A Huge Pay Rise This Year
Key Insights Core Laboratories' Annual General Meeting to take place on 8th of May Salary of US$886.9k is part of CEO...Analysis Article • Mar 26
Is Core Laboratories Inc. (NYSE:CLB) Trading At A 25% Discount?
Key Insights The projected fair value for Core Laboratories is US$22.93 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Core...Analysis Article • Mar 02
Why We're Not Concerned About Core Laboratories Inc.'s (NYSE:CLB) Share Price
Core Laboratories Inc.'s ( NYSE:CLB ) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 19.8x might make it look like a sell right...Revenue & Expenses Breakdown
Revenue & Expenses Breakdown
How Core Laboratories makes and spends money. Based on latest reported earnings, on an LTM basis.
Earnings and Revenue History
| Date | Revenue | Earnings | G+A Expenses | R&D Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 26 | 525 | 29 | 45 | 0 |
| 31 Dec 25 | 527 | 30 | 44 | 0 |
| 30 Sep 25 | 518 | 32 | 43 | 0 |
| 30 Jun 25 | 517 | 30 | 41 | 0 |
| 31 Mar 25 | 518 | 28 | 40 | 0 |
| 31 Dec 24 | 524 | 31 | 39 | 0 |
| 30 Sep 24 | 523 | 26 | 38 | 0 |
| 30 Jun 24 | 514 | 24 | 39 | 0 |
| 31 Mar 24 | 511 | 38 | 34 | 0 |
| 31 Dec 23 | 510 | 37 | 39 | 0 |
| 30 Sep 23 | 509 | 41 | 39 | 0 |
| 30 Jun 23 | 510 | 39 | 40 | 0 |
| 31 Mar 23 | 503 | 24 | 41 | 0 |
| 31 Dec 22 | 490 | 19 | 38 | 0 |
| 30 Sep 22 | 487 | 15 | 40 | 0 |
| 30 Jun 22 | 479 | 9 | 45 | 0 |
| 31 Mar 22 | 477 | 10 | 48 | 0 |
| 31 Dec 21 | 470 | 20 | 44 | 0 |
| 30 Sep 21 | 459 | 31 | 28 | 0 |
| 30 Jun 21 | 446 | 33 | 22 | 0 |
| 31 Mar 21 | 443 | 19 | 21 | 0 |
| 31 Dec 20 | 487 | -97 | 33 | 0 |
| 30 Sep 20 | 530 | -101 | 47 | 0 |
| 30 Jun 20 | 598 | -80 | 50 | 0 |
| 31 Mar 20 | 651 | -55 | 50 | 0 |
| 31 Dec 19 | 668 | 94 | 47 | 0 |
| 30 Sep 19 | 685 | 92 | 63 | 0 |
| 30 Jun 19 | 694 | 90 | 65 | 0 |
| 31 Mar 19 | 700 | 96 | 68 | 0 |
| 31 Dec 18 | 701 | 80 | 63 | 0 |
| 30 Sep 18 | 698 | 93 | 50 | 0 |
| 30 Jun 18 | 678 | 91 | 48 | 0 |
| 31 Mar 18 | 661 | 87 | 47 | 0 |
| 31 Dec 17 | 648 | 81 | 48 | 0 |
| 30 Sep 17 | 627 | 75 | 45 | 0 |
| 30 Jun 17 | 608 | 71 | 41 | 0 |
| 31 Mar 17 | 598 | 67 | 41 | 0 |
| 31 Dec 16 | 590 | 65 | 39 | 0 |
| 30 Sep 16 | 628 | 64 | 43 | 0 |
| 30 Jun 16 | 682 | 81 | 47 | 0 |
| 31 Mar 16 | 738 | 99 | 48 | 0 |
| 31 Dec 15 | 798 | 115 | 50 | 0 |
| 30 Sep 15 | 893 | 166 | 49 | 0 |
| 30 Jun 15 | 972 | 199 | 49 | 0 |
Quality Earnings: CLB has a large one-off gain of $9.5M impacting its last 12 months of financial results to 31st March, 2026.
Growing Profit Margin: CLB's current net profit margins (5.5%) are higher than last year (5.4%).
Free Cash Flow vs Earnings Analysis
Past Earnings Growth Analysis
Earnings Trend: CLB's earnings have grown by 8.7% per year over the past 5 years.
Accelerating Growth: CLB's earnings growth over the past year (3.6%) is below its 5-year average (8.7% per year).
Earnings vs Industry: CLB earnings growth over the past year (3.6%) exceeded the Energy Services industry -26.2%.
Return on Equity
High ROE: CLB's Return on Equity (10.7%) is considered low.
Return on Assets
Return on Capital Employed
Discover strong past performing companies
Company Analysis and Financial Data Status
| Data | Last Updated (UTC time) |
|---|---|
| Company Analysis | 2026/05/26 06:21 |
| End of Day Share Price | 2026/05/22 00:00 |
| Earnings | 2026/03/31 |
| Annual Earnings | 2025/12/31 |
Data Sources
The data used in our company analysis is from S&P Global Market Intelligence LLC. The following data is used in our analysis model to generate this report. Data is normalised which can introduce a delay from the source being available.
| Package | Data | Timeframe | Example US Source * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company Financials | 10 years |
| |
| Analyst Consensus Estimates | +3 years |
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| Market Prices | 30 years |
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| Ownership | 10 years |
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| Management | 10 years |
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| Key Developments | 10 years |
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* Example for US securities, for non-US equivalent regulatory forms and sources are used.
Unless specified all financial data is based on a yearly period but updated quarterly. This is known as Trailing Twelve Month (TTM) or Last Twelve Month (LTM) Data. Learn more.
Analysis Model and Snowflake
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Learn about the world class team who designed and built the Simply Wall St analysis model.
Industry and Sector Metrics
Our industry and section metrics are calculated every 6 hours by Simply Wall St, details of our process are available on Github.
Analyst Sources
Core Laboratories Inc. is covered by 30 analysts. 2 of those analysts submitted the estimates of revenue or earnings used as inputs to our report. Analysts submissions are updated throughout the day.
| Analyst | Institution |
|---|---|
| James West | Barclays |
| Nicholas Green | Bernstein |
| Saurabh Pant | BofA Global Research |