Noble Corporation Reports Q4 Results Amid Market Challenges
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 11 2026
0mins
Should l Buy NE?
Source: PRnewswire
Noble Corporation's stock fell 5.56% as it crossed below the 5-day SMA, reflecting broader market weakness with the Nasdaq-100 down 1.78% and S&P 500 down 1.16%.
The company reported Q4 2025 revenue of $764 million, down from $798 million in the previous quarter, primarily due to decreased contract drilling services revenue. Despite a net income recovery to $87.6 million from a loss in the prior quarter, the adjusted EBITDA fell to $232 million, indicating ongoing profitability pressures. The Board approved a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, reflecting confidence in free cash flow, but the 2026 revenue guidance of $2.8 billion to $3 billion is below market consensus, suggesting challenges ahead.
These results highlight Noble's operational efficiency but also underscore the difficulties faced in a fluctuating market. The lower-than-expected guidance may impact investor sentiment, especially amid a backdrop of declining stock prices.
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Analyst Views on NE
Wall Street analysts forecast NE stock price to fall
5 Analyst Rating
1 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Hold
Current: 43.470
Low
32.00
Averages
33.20
High
36.00
Current: 43.470
Low
32.00
Averages
33.20
High
36.00
About NE
Noble Corporation plc is an offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry, which owns and operates technically advanced fleets in the offshore drilling industry. The Company performs, through its subsidiaries, contract drilling services with a fleet of offshore drilling units focused on ultra-deepwater and high specification jackup drilling opportunities in both established and emerging regions worldwide. It provides contract drilling services to the international oil and gas industry with its global fleet of mobile offshore drilling units. The mobile offshore drilling units comprising its offshore rig fleet operate in a global market for contract drilling services, and its customers consist primarily of large, integrated, independent, and government-owned or controlled oil and gas companies throughout the world. Its fleet of approximately 31 drilling rigs consists of 25 floaters and 6 jackups. Its fleet includes Noble Faye Kozack, Noble Venturer, Noble Viking, and others.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Surge in Trading Volume: Today's trading volume reached 80.8 million shares, approximately 98% above the three-month average of 40.9 million shares, indicating heightened market interest and active trading in Transocean's stock.
- Acquisition Impact Analysis: The $5.8 billion acquisition of Valaris is expected to yield cost synergies and position Transocean as the world's largest offshore drilling contractor with over 70 rigs and an estimated $10 billion backlog, although shareholder concerns about stock dilution and potential legal issues persist.
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- Surge in Trading Volume: The company's trading volume reached 102.9 million shares, which is 159% above its three-month average, indicating heightened market interest in its acquisition and new contracts, potentially impacting future liquidity and investor confidence.
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See More
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- Shareholder Return Program: The company returned an additional $80 million to shareholders through a $0.50 per share quarterly dividend in Q4, with the Board declaring the same dividend for the current quarter, reflecting a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
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- Optimistic Future Outlook: Management anticipates total revenue between $2.8 billion and $3 billion for 2026, with adjusted EBITDA projected between $940 million and $1.02 billion, suggesting that strategic investments in high-spec deepwater markets will drive future cash flow growth.
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- Payment Schedule: The dividend is payable on March 19, with a record date of March 4 and an ex-dividend date also on March 4, ensuring shareholders receive timely returns.
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See More
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- Stock Price Fluctuation: Transocean closed at $6.14, down 6.12%, primarily due to profit-taking after last week's 52-week high and reassessment of its all-stock acquisition of Valaris, raising investor concerns.
- Surge in Trading Volume: Today's trading volume reached 80.8 million shares, approximately 98% above the three-month average of 40.9 million shares, indicating heightened market interest and active trading in Transocean's stock.
- Acquisition Impact Analysis: The $5.8 billion acquisition of Valaris is expected to yield cost synergies and position Transocean as the world's largest offshore drilling contractor with over 70 rigs and an estimated $10 billion backlog, although shareholder concerns about stock dilution and potential legal issues persist.
- Investor Focus: Investors will closely monitor Transocean's Q4 earnings report on February 19, particularly regarding the financial details of the Valaris deal, to assess future profitability and market performance.
See More
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- Quarterly Earnings Performance: Noble Corp reported earnings of 9 cents per share for Q4, missing the analyst consensus estimate of 21 cents, indicating a shortfall in profitability that may affect investor confidence.
- Sales Beat Expectations: The company achieved quarterly sales of $764.412 million, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $734.951 million, demonstrating strong sales performance that could lay the groundwork for future growth.
- Future Sales Guidance: Noble Corp projects FY2026 sales between $2.800 billion and $3.000 billion, which is below market estimates of $3.012 billion, potentially raising concerns about its long-term growth prospects.
- Analyst Rating Adjustments: Following the earnings announcement, both Susquehanna and Evercore ISI Group maintained a Neutral rating on Noble while raising their price targets to $45 from $32 and $36 respectively, reflecting a cautiously optimistic outlook on the company's future performance.
See More
Transocean's Valaris Acquisition Boosts Stock Performance
- Acquisition Boosts Stock: Transocean's stock rose 0.50% to $6.03 on Thursday, driven by its $5.8 billion acquisition of Valaris and new contract awards, which significantly enhance the company's backlog and long-term earnings potential.
- Surge in Trading Volume: The company saw a trading volume of 102.9 million shares, approximately 159% above the three-month average of 39.8 million shares, indicating strong market interest in its acquisition and contract developments.
- Market Consolidation Impact: This acquisition will create one of the world's largest deepwater drilling fleets for Transocean, likely enhancing pricing power and revenue visibility in an increasingly tightening offshore market.
- Divergent Analyst Views: While BTIG raised its price target reflecting scale benefits and contract momentum, Fearnley Fonds downgraded the stock due to valuation and balance sheet risks, prompting investors to monitor whether the merger can effectively convert increased scale and backlog into sustained cash flow.
See More
Transocean's Valaris Acquisition Boosts Stock Performance
- Acquisition Boost: Transocean's $5.8 billion acquisition of Valaris led to a 0.50% increase in stock price to $6.03, reflecting positive investor sentiment regarding future earnings potential stemming from this strategic move.
- Surge in Trading Volume: The company's trading volume reached 102.9 million shares, which is 159% above its three-month average, indicating heightened market interest in its acquisition and new contracts, potentially impacting future liquidity and investor confidence.
- Increased Backlog: The signing of new contracts increased Transocean's backlog by approximately $184 million, enhancing the company's pricing power and revenue visibility in a tightening offshore market, which may support future cash flow.
- Divergent Analyst Views: While BTIG raised its price target citing scale benefits and contract momentum, Fearnley Fonds downgraded the stock due to valuation and balance-sheet risks, highlighting market concerns about post-merger integration and sustainable cash flow generation.
See More
Noble Corporation Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights
- Strong Financial Performance: Noble Corporation reported an adjusted EBITDA of $232 million and free cash flow of $35 million for Q4 2025, with full-year adjusted EBITDA slightly above the $1.1 billion guidance midpoint, demonstrating resilience amid market fluctuations.
- Shareholder Return Program: The company returned an additional $80 million to shareholders through a $0.50 per share quarterly dividend in Q4, with the Board declaring the same dividend for the current quarter, reflecting a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
- Significant Contract Growth: Noble secured a three-year, $473 million contract with Aker BP in Norway and a two-year, $292 million contract with Exxon in Nigeria, increasing total backlog to $7.5 billion, indicating robust market demand recovery.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Management anticipates total revenue between $2.8 billion and $3 billion for 2026, with adjusted EBITDA projected between $940 million and $1.02 billion, suggesting that strategic investments in high-spec deepwater markets will drive future cash flow growth.
See More
Noble Corporation Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.50
- Quarterly Dividend Declaration: Noble Corporation has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, consistent with previous distributions, indicating the company's stable cash flow and commitment to shareholder returns.
- Dividend Yield: The forward yield of 4.77% reflects the company's attractiveness in the current market environment, potentially drawing more investor interest.
- Payment Schedule: The dividend is payable on March 19, with a record date of March 4 and an ex-dividend date also on March 4, ensuring shareholders receive timely returns.
- Financial Performance Overview: Although Noble's latest earnings report showed a non-GAAP EPS of $0.09, missing expectations by $0.06, its revenue of $764.41M exceeded forecasts by $31.67M, highlighting the company's potential for revenue growth.
See More
