Core Laboratories Inc. /DE/
CLB · Oil & Gas Field Services, NEC · 46.1M shares · +1%/yr ↑ shares · EDGAR filings ↗
Net buyback after stock comp: -$12M (gross $2M, SBC $14M)
Grade
B74Niche, IP-rich oilfield reservoir-description specialist with above-average returns and margins, tempered by cyclicality and geopolitical risk.
Strengths
- ROA 5.1% (84th pct), operating margin 10.7% (82nd), net margin 5.6% (77th)
- Proprietary/patented reservoir technology and global lab network provide differentiation
- Healthy interest coverage (5.3x) and current ratio 2.0
Risks
- Highly cyclical oil & gas demand; revenue essentially flat (+0.5%)
- Direct Middle East exposure amid escalating regional conflict
- Low cash balance (~$23M) limits buffer in a downturn
Notable findings
- Revenue declineRevenue -11.9% YoY
Quarterly revenue
Last 4 quarters · from SEC filings.
Key metrics
Gross margin
20.7%
Operating margin
10.7%
Net margin
5.6%
Return on equity
11.2%
Return on assets
5.1%
ROIC
11.9%
Revenue growth (QoQ)
-11.9%
Net-income growth
-5.5%
Debt / equity
0.4×
Net debt / EBITDA
1.2×
Interest coverage
5.3×
Current ratio
2.0×
Free cash flow
$26M
EBITDA
$71M
Tangible book value
$153M
Cash & investments
$23M
Stock comp / revenue
1.4%
Notable events (8-K)
| Date | Items | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-13 | Shareholder vote | filing ↗ |
| 2026-04-29 | ResultsReg FDExhibits | filing ↗ |
| 2026-03-23 | Reg FDExhibits | filing ↗ |
| 2026-03-17 | Results | filing ↗ |
| 2026-03-05 | 5.03Exhibits | filing ↗ |
| 2026-02-04 | ResultsReg FDExhibits | filing ↗ |
| 2025-10-22 | ResultsReg FDExhibits | filing ↗ |
| 2025-07-23 | Material agreementResultsDebt obligationReg FDExhibits | filing ↗ |
Recent filings
| Form | Filed | Period | Accession |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8-K | 2026-05-13 | 2026-05-12 | 0001193125-26-221857 ↗ |
| 10-Q | 2026-05-01 | 2026-03-31 | 0001193125-26-198109 ↗ |
| 8-K | 2026-04-29 | 2026-04-29 | 0001193125-26-192018 ↗ |
| 8-K | 2026-03-23 | 2026-03-23 | 0001193125-26-119934 ↗ |
| 10-K | 2026-03-23 | 2025-12-31 | 0001193125-26-118177 ↗ |
| 8-K/A | 2026-03-17 | 2026-02-04 | 0001193125-26-109251 ↗ |
| 8-K | 2026-03-05 | 2026-02-27 | 0001193125-26-093962 ↗ |
| 8-K | 2026-02-04 | 2026-02-04 | 0001193125-26-037789 ↗ |
| 10-Q | 2025-10-23 | 2025-09-30 | 0001193125-25-248736 ↗ |
| 8-K | 2025-10-22 | 2025-10-22 | 0001193125-25-246793 ↗ |
| 10-Q | 2025-07-25 | 2025-06-30 | 0000950170-25-098473 ↗ |
| 8-K | 2025-07-23 | 2025-07-22 | 0000950170-25-097897 ↗ |