Topic: How To Invest

Pat: Can I have your quick opinion on drillers Schlumberger, Baker Hughes and Halliburton? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Schlumberger Ltd., $72.09, symbol SLB on New York (Shares outstanding: 1.3 billion; Market cap: $91.2 billion; www.slb.com), is the world’s leading oilfield services firm. It works with oil and gas producers from the exploration stage through to production. Schlumberger feels its North American business is now bottoming out, although it doesn’t expect to see a big near-term rebound. Its earnings won’t likely begin improving until 2016, although that will depend on the direction of oil and gas prices and drilling activity. To maintain its profits, Schlumberger has cut 20,000 jobs so far this year and lowered its capital spending. Meanwhile, the company is taking advantage of the downturn to buy oilfield equipment maker Cameron International (New York symbol CAM), a maker of valves, blowout preventers and other gear for controlling pressure at drill sites, for $14.8 billion. The stock trades at 22.5 times this year’s forecast earnings of $3.20 a..