Core Laboratories Inc. (NYSE:CLB) Short Interest Update

Core Laboratories Inc. (NYSE:CLB) was the target of a large drop in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 4,023,689 shares, a drop of 32.6% from the June 30th total of 5,971,336 shares. Approximately 8.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 1,615,519 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days.

Trending Headlines about Core Laboratories

Here are the key news stories impacting Core Laboratories this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Core Laboratories reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.11, above the $0.08 analyst consensus. Production Enhancement performance helped offset weakness in the Reservoir Description business. Core Laboratories Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Decline Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Operating income excluding special items increased 42% sequentially, while adjusted EPS rose 85% from the prior quarter. The company also repurchased 214,712 shares for $2.7 million, supporting per-share value. Core Lab Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management and analysts described the earnings call as indicating a gradual recovery, with sequential revenue and profitability improvement providing a potential foundation for a broader turnaround. Core Laboratories Earnings Call Signals Gradual Recovery
• Neutral Sentiment: Core Laboratories declared a $0.01 quarterly dividend, payable August 31 to shareholders of record August 10. The dividend provides income support, but its annualized yield is only about 0.4%.
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter revenue fell 4.3% year over year to $124.6 million, below the roughly $126.3 million consensus, while adjusted EPS declined from $0.19 a year earlier. Free cash flow was modest at $3.1 million. Is CLB Stock Attractive After Its Sharp Selloff and Mixed Q2 Results?
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter EPS guidance of $0.12–$0.20 is broad and includes a level below the $0.17 consensus estimate. The company expects revenue of $128.5–$135.5 million, signaling only a gradual recovery. Analysts also remain cautious after a sharp six-month selloff and ongoing geopolitical pressure.

Core Laboratories Stock Up 2.9%

CLB stock opened at $10.65 on Friday. Core Laboratories has a 52-week low of $9.72 and a 52-week high of $20.36. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $12.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 2.12 and a quick ratio of 1.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $490.87 million, a P/E ratio of 19.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.00.

Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The oil and gas company reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.09 by $0.02. Core Laboratories had a net margin of 5.10% and a return on equity of 10.03%. The business had revenue of $124.61 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $126.26 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.19 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Core Laboratories has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.120-0.200 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Core Laboratories will post 0.53 EPS for the current year.

Core Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a $0.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Core Laboratories’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.14%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in Core Laboratories by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 27,893 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $418,000 after acquiring an additional 1,170 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in Core Laboratories by 14.3% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 133,033 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,533,000 after acquiring an additional 16,677 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP increased its holdings in shares of Core Laboratories by 343.7% in the 2nd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 17,520 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $202,000 after purchasing an additional 13,571 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. acquired a new position in shares of Core Laboratories in the 2nd quarter valued at about $231,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in shares of Core Laboratories by 6.2% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 17,932 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $207,000 after purchasing an additional 1,040 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.81% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Core Laboratories from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings lowered Core Laboratories from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Core Laboratories currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Core Laboratories Company Profile

Core Laboratories N.V. is a global provider of proprietary and patented reservoir description and production enhancement services to the oil and gas industry. The company applies specialized expertise in core and fluid analysis, advanced petrophysical interpretation, and reservoir engineering to optimize hydrocarbon recovery. By integrating laboratory testing with field services and digital analytics, Core Laboratories delivers insights that help operators maximize production and extend the life of their assets.

The company’s portfolio spans two primary service lines: reservoir description and production enhancement.