SLB, the world's largest oilfield services company, reported third-quarter results on Friday that exceeded Wall Street estimates, as resilient drilling activity in the Middle East and offshore markets offset weakness in North American shale. The Houston- and Paris-based group reaffirmed its shareholder return commitments.

Analysts polled by LSEG had expected adjusted earnings of roughly 90 cents per share on revenue near $9.3 billion. SLB has leaned on international and deepwater contracts in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Brazil for several quarters to counter softer US land spending, where lower oil prices have curbed rig counts.

Chief Executive Olivier Le Peuch has emphasised the company's digital and production-focused divisions as higher-margin growth engines. SLB is continuing to integrate its ChampionX acquisition, which expanded its production chemicals and artificial-lift business.

Management guided to continued margin expansion and reiterated plans to return more than $4 billion to shareholders in 2026 through dividends and buybacks. The results arrived as oil prices hovered around multi-year lows, with Brent crude trading near the low $70s following coordinated reserve releases.

Weaker crude has pressured exploration budgets, and SLB's performance is viewed by investors as a bellwether for global upstream spending. Rivals Halliburton and Baker Hughes report in the coming days. Shares of SLB, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, have lagged the broader energy sector this year amid concerns over North American softness, making the quarter's international strength central to investor sentiment.