Core Laboratories Inc. (CLB)
Quantitative Summary
DeterministicCLB trades at 27.2x earnings, roughly in line with its sector average of 34.8x. Financial health metrics are strong: Piotroski 7/9, Altman Z 3.4 (above 3.0 safe zone threshold).
Generated deterministically from quant metrics and financial statements. Not a recommendation.
Algorithmic Teardown
AI-GeneratedThe fundamental economics of Core Laboratories Inc. present a capital efficiency challenge, evidenced by an ROIC-WACC spread of -1.7%, indicating the firm is currently generating returns below its cost of equity. Despite this compression in value creation potential, the balance sheet remains robust with an Altman Z-Score of 3.4 and strong financial health signals from a Beneish M-Score of -2.57, while operational stability is further supported by a high Piotroski F-Score of 7/9. The DuPont decomposition reveals that profitability is driven primarily by gross margins at 17.9%, though net margins have contracted to just 5.6% amid stagnant revenue growth of only 0.5% year-over-year, suggesting the company relies on margin retention rather than top-line expansion to sustain earnings quality.
Valuation metrics suggest a modest discount relative to peers but imply significant downside risk based on intrinsic models. The current P/E ratio of 27.2x trades below the sector average of 30.5x, potentially reflecting market skepticism regarding future growth trajectories in the energy space rather than superior value. However, this multiple appears disconnected from a DCF-derived fair value estimate of $13, which implies that the market is pricing in limited upside given the current trajectory of revenue stagnation and capital return inefficiencies. The divergence between the trading price and the model's implied target highlights a scenario where earnings power may not be sufficient to justify existing multiples if growth does not accelerate materially.
Risk parameters indicate a mixed profile for risk-adjusted returns, characterized by low fraud risk but high sensitivity to sector cyclicality. While the negative ROIC spread signals potential value destruction over time, the strong governance scores mitigate concerns regarding financial manipulation or balance sheet fragility. Investors must weigh whether the current valuation discount adequately compensates for the lack of organic growth momentum and suboptimal capital allocation efficiency against the backdrop of a stable operational foundation.
Generated by LLM from quantitative data inputs. May contain inaccuracies. Not investment advice.
DCF Sandbox
InteractiveSensitivity Matrix
| TG ↓ / WACC → | 9% | 11% | 13% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2% | $15 | $11 | $9 |
| 3% | $18 | $13 | $9 |
| 4% | $21 | $14 | $10 |
Center = base case. Green = >10% upside, Red = >10% downside vs —.
Pre-computed DCF: WACC=11.0%, terminal growth 3%. Fair value $13 (+0.0%). Not investment advice.
Valuation Context
Price Chart with Moving Averages
Quant Health Deep Dive
Profitability & Value Creation
✅ Conservative payout — room for dividend increases.
Balance Sheet Health
Earnings Surprise History
EPS estimates vs actuals for the most recent reported quarters. Source: yfinance.
Underwater (Drawdown from Peak)
How far below the all-time high the price has been over time. Deeper = more pain for holders.
Rolling 60-Day Beta vs S&P 500 (VOO)
How the stock's sensitivity to market moves changes over time. β > 1 = more volatile than the market.
Fundamentals
Passive Flow Attribution
ETF Draft EffectWhen investors buy or sell ETFs like XES or SLYV, the fund manager is mechanically forced to buy or sell CLB shares regardless of Core Laboratories Inc.'s individual fundamentals. We estimate $19M of passive capital is structurally linked to CLB through 5 tracked ETFs. Passive flows have a limited but growing influence on CLB's daily trading dynamics.
Passive exposure = Σ (ETF AUM × stock weight in ETF) across 5 tracked ETFs. Actual passive ownership is larger (includes mutual funds). Not investment advice.
ETF Contagion Visualizer
Simulate a price drop in Core Laboratories Inc. to visualize passive redemption contagion across ETFs and collateral stocks.
If Core Laboratories Inc. (CLB) experiences a significant drawdown, ETF redemptions can create collateral selling pressure on co-held stocks. Our model identifies Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) as the most exposed collateral stock, sharing 1 ETFs with CLB. This is the "Passive Contagion" effect described in the Inelastic Market Hypothesis.
Contagion model based on shared ETF exposure and constituent weights across 5 tracked ETFs. Estimated selling pressure is a simplified model — actual impact depends on market liquidity, ETF redemption mechanics, and market-maker activity.
CLB Ownership Dynamics
ETFs with Highest CLB Exposure
Float lock-up computed from 5 ETFs tracked by SecuritiesDB. Actual passive ownership is higher (includes mutual funds, pension funds, etc.).
CLB Capital Efficiency
How efficiently does Core Laboratories Inc. convert operating profits into free cash? The FCF Conversion ratio measures the gap between accounting earnings and real cash generation.
Core Laboratories Inc. converts 31% of its EBITDA into free cash flow, a moderate conversion rate — significant EBITDA is consumed by capital expenditures, working capital changes, or interest payments. The 69% reinvestment rate signals aggressive capacity expansion. However, the ROIC-WACC spread is negative (-1.7%), suggesting reinvested capital is destroying shareholder value.
Capital efficiency = Free Cash Flow ÷ EBITDA. Reinvestment = (EBITDA − FCF) ÷ EBITDA. Metrics from latest annual filings. Not investment advice.
Fails-to-Deliver (FTD) History
SEC-reported settlement failures. Elevated FTDs can indicate high short-selling pressure, operational settlement issues, or naked shorting activity.
| Date | Failed Shares | Close Price | Notional Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-14 | 4 | $13.13 | $52.52 |
| 2026-04-16 | 1,704 | $16.46 | $28,047.84 |
| 2026-04-13 | 10,341 | $16.51 | $170,729.91 |
| 2026-04-08 | 2,371 | $17.26 | $40,923.46 |
| 2026-04-07 | 49 | $16.61 | $813.89 |
| 2026-04-01 | 7,732 | $16.79 | $129,820.28 |
| 2026-03-24 | 397 | $16.87 | $6,697.39 |
| 2026-03-11 | 75 | $16.33 | $1,224.75 |
| 2026-03-05 | 572 | $16.54 | $9,460.88 |
| 2026-02-23 | 353 | $18.42 | $6,502.26 |
| 2026-02-20 | 2,182 | $18.63 | $40,650.66 |
| 2026-02-06 | 37,011 | $18.78 | $695,066.58 |
| 2026-01-30 | 495 | $19.64 | $9,721.8 |
| 2026-01-23 | 923 | $19.63 | $18,118.49 |
| 2026-01-22 | 616 | $19.53 | $12,030.48 |
| 2026-01-15 | 2 | $19.43 | $38.86 |
| 2026-01-09 | 1,462 | $18.88 | $27,602.56 |
| 2026-01-07 | 10,812 | $18.16 | $196,345.92 |
| 2025-12-31 | 27 | $16.12 | $435.24 |
| 2025-12-24 | 967 | $16.61 | $16,061.87 |
| 2025-12-22 | 14,309 | $16.24 | $232,378.16 |
| 2025-12-12 | 400 | $17.01 | $6,804 |
| 2025-12-04 | 8,628 | $16.42 | $141,671.76 |
| 2025-12-01 | 3,862 | $15.10 | $58,316.2 |
| 2025-11-26 | 5,338 | $15.04 | $80,283.52 |
| 2025-11-25 | 3,234 | $14.74 | $47,669.16 |
| 2025-11-24 | 268 | $14.72 | $3,944.96 |
| 2025-11-07 | 120 | $15.29 | $1,834.8 |
| 2025-11-06 | 2,280 | $15.70 | $35,796 |
Source: SEC Regulation SHO FTD data. Data is reported with a ~30 day delay. High FTD quantities relative to average daily volume may indicate settlement stress.
Compare CLB to Peers
Quant metrics computed deterministically from financial statements and price data. Updated: N/A.
SecuritiesDB provides programmatic data aggregation for informational purposes only. None of the metrics, summaries, or algorithmic flags constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any security.