China Oilfield Services Limited (02883) saw its stock price plummet by 5.06% during intraday trading on Wednesday, following the release of its interim results. The sharp decline reflects investor concerns over mixed performance indicators and potential headwinds in the company's core business segments.
According to the company's interim report, China Oilfield Services posted a 3.51% year-over-year increase in revenue, reaching RMB 23.32 billion. Profit attributable to owners rose by 23.33% to RMB 1.964 billion, with basic earnings per share of 41.16 cents. However, these overall positive figures were overshadowed by specific areas of concern. CICC's research report highlighted that the company's oil technical services revenue declined by 3.5% year-over-year to RMB 12.38 billion, while the operating profit margin remained flat at 17%. More worryingly, the report suggested that the parent company's oil technical services order volume may have decreased slightly compared to the previous year.
Despite the negative market reaction, there were some bright spots in the company's performance. The drilling segment showed significant recovery, with its operating profit margin increasing by 4 percentage points year-over-year to 9%. Operating days in the second quarter rose by 11% year-over-year to 5,017 days, with semi-submersible utilization days increasing by 12% year-over-year. Looking ahead, CICC believes that the impact of Middle East drilling vessel suspension has largely subsided, and the company's contracts in Southeast Asia and Brazil are expected to generate higher day rates and strong profits. However, these positive factors were not enough to offset investor concerns in the short term, resulting in the significant stock price drop.