SLB N.V. (SLB) Faced Headwinds from a Challenging Macro- Economic Environment

Ariel Investments, an investment management company, released its “Ariel Focus Fund” third-quarter investor letter.  A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. US equities increased significantly in the third quarter, driven by the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut, strong corporate earnings growth, and broadening market participation. In this environment, the fund increased by 20.76%, outperforming the 5.33% gain for the Russell 1000 Value Index and the 8.12% return for the S&P 500 Index. In addition, please check the fund’s top five holdings to know its best picks in 2025.

In its third-quarter 2025 investor letter, Ariel Focus Fund highlighted stocks such as SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB). Headquartered in Houston, Texas, SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB) is a leading provider of technology solutions for the energy industry. The one-month return of SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB) was 9.57%, and its shares lost 16.99% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On November 12, 2025, SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB) stock closed at $36.07 per share, with a market capitalization of $53.886 billion.

Ariel Focus Fund stated the following regarding SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB) in its third quarter 2025 investor letter:

"Lastly, SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB) traded lower during the quarter, pressured by a challenging macroeconomic environment. OPEC+ supply increases and heightened geopolitical uncertainty weighed on oil prices, dampening upstream investment activity. Revenue softness and margin pressure in the Reservoir Performance and Well Construction segments impacted results, despite solid contributions from Digital and Production Systems services. Looking ahead, we see medium-term tailwinds as national oil companies accelerate investment in long-cycle projects to offset expected production declines. With unmatched scale, broad technical capabilities, and strong exposure to resilient international markets, we believe SLB remains the best-positioned oilfield services provider to meet rising global energy demand."

SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. According to our database, 63 hedge fund portfolios held SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB) at the end of the second quarter, compared to 68 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

In another article, we covered SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB) and shared the list of best undervalued stocks to buy under $50. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q3 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.