The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence

[DewDiligence]

CLB hammered (-12%) on lowered 2Q14 and full-year guidance:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/core-lab-issues-updated-guidance-060000759.html

…due to unexpected disappointing results in April, Core now projects second quarter 2014 EPS guidance in the $1.32 – 1.35 range with revenue ranging from $265,000,000 to $270,000,000. [The old 2Q14 guidance was EPS of $1.48-1.53 on revenue of $280-286M; hence, at the midpoints of the ranges, the new 2Q14 guidance has been lowered by 11% for EPS and 5.5% for revenue.]

The lowered second quarter 2014 revenue and EPS guidance are primarily caused by North American clients that now project sampling and analyzing less than previously expected levels of reservoir fluids from established unconventional plays in the Marcellus, Bakken, Montney, Niabrara and Eagle Ford formations… The core footage cut in all of these markets, which the Company meticulously tracks, indicates that it has not lost market share for targeted core analyses jobs [see my postscript below].

…For full year 2014, Core projects EPS ranging from $5.80 to $6.00 and revenue of approximately $1,100,000,000. [The old full-year guidance was EPS of $6.00-6.25 on revenue of $1.155-1.755B; hence, at the midpoints of the ranges, the new full-year guidance has been lowered by 4% for EPS and 6% for revenue.]

What makes today’s lowered guidance so bearish is that CLB lowered full-year guidance for 2014 by 200 basis points only three weeks ago when reporting 1Q14 results (#msg-101014003).

CLB is now trading 24% below its 12-month high of $221 set less than one month ago.

p.s. I’ll bet Charlie is skeptical of the claim cited above that CLB has not lost any market share.