(HAL) - topped analysts' expectations by an average margin of 29% over the past five consecutive quarters

Halliburton Co. (HAL), which has topped analysts' expectations by an average margin of 29% over the past five consecutive quarters, will release financial results for the second quarter on July 21, 2006. In mid-April, HAL reported first-quarter income from continuing operations of 90 cents per share, which exceeded the consensus estimate by roughly 2% and outperformed the previous year's result. Full Analysis Halliburton Co. is one of the world's largest providers of products and services to the petroleum and energy industries. The company serves its customers with a broad range of products and services through its Energy Services Group and KBR. It operates in six segments: Production Optimization, Fluid Systems, Drilling and Formation Evaluation, Digital and Consulting Solutions, Government and Infrastructure, and Energy and Chemicals. The company has topped analysts' expectations by an average margin of 29% over the past five consecutive quarters. Earnings per share grew 18% over the past five years and are forecasted to grow 12.5% over the next 3-5 years. On May 17, 2006, The Board of Directors at HAL finalized the terms of the previously announced two-for-one common stock split that will occur in mid July. The company also declared a second-quarter dividend of 15 cents per share on the company's common stock. The company has a current dividend yield of almost 1% and a five-year average dividend yield of 1.97%. Halliburton Co. will release financial results for the second quarter on July 21, 2006. On April 20, 2006, HAL reported first-quarter income from continuing operations of 90 cents per share, which exceeded the consensus estimate by roughly 2% and outperformed the previous year's result. Dave Lesar, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Halliburton said, "I am pleased to report another record quarter for the Energy Services Group. We continue to benefit from our strength in North America, where our customers' spending is most concentrated. Our investment in key Eastern Hemisphere markets is also resulting in quality growth." Analysts have been issuing upward revisions for both the next quarter and full year earnings forecasts. Current second-quarter estimates of 98 cents per share compare to 96 cents three months ago. Expectations of $4.11 per share for the 2006 are 13 cents ahead of the three months-ago levels. Note: The Zacks Rank is a very sensitive indicator that can change frequently for an individual stock. The ranks are updated every Monday morning on Zacks.com. As such, it is prudent to check the site for the latest Zacks Rank on the stocks highlighted in this section. Simply click the link for the stock or enter the symbol in the ticker entry box in the upper left hand corner of the web site. Content Courtesy: Zacks Investment Research #1 Ranked Stocks Highlight Archive To truly take advantage of the Zacks Rank, you need to first understand how it works. That is why we created the free special report: Zacks Rank Guide: Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate Revisions. Blog Home