Halliburton, Schlumberger, SoFi, Procter, Gilead Trending

Analysts are intrested in these 5 stocks: ( (HAL) ), ( (SLB) ), ( (SOFI) ), ( (PG) ) and ( (GILD) ). Here is a breakdown of their recent ratings and the rationale behind them.

Halliburton is starting 2026 on a more cautious footing in the eyes of Wall Street. Evercore ISI’s Stephen Richardson has downgraded the oilfield services group from Outperform to In Line (essentially a Hold) and set a new target price of $35 per share, up from $28 but close to where the stock is already trading. The call reflects a view that much of the good news is now priced in: Halliburton delivered what the analyst was looking for in 2025, including clearer visibility on free cash flow and a plan to hold 2026 capital spending at about $1 billion. At around a 7% expected 2026 free-cash-flow yield, the valuation is now seen as fair rather than compelling.

A key concern for Halliburton is its heavy exposure to North America, and particularly U.S. onshore activity, which makes up roughly 40% of its revenue—far more than peers like SLB and Baker Hughes. Richardson expects North American spending to decline in 2026 as shale operators consolidate, squeeze more efficiency from existing assets, and face a softer supply–demand balance. That backdrop could continue to pressure Halliburton’s pressure pumping business even as the company trims fleets and cuts costs. While international and Middle East markets are improving, the analyst believes the domestic drag is enough to cap near‑term upside and justify a more neutral stance despite lifting 2027 earnings estimates and valuing Halliburton at a 14.5x price‑to‑earnings multiple.

By contrast, Schlumberger (now branding itself as SLB) is back in favor with analysts as the international oilfield cycle regains momentum. Evercore ISI’s Stephen Richardson upgraded SLB from In Line to Outperform and raised his conviction that the company is better positioned than it has been in over two years. The recently closed ChampionX acquisition, along with SLB’s reduced exposure to higher‑risk asset‑heavy ventures such as its APS business (including the Palliser exit), have refocused the company squarely on wellhead and production-related services. With a stronger footprint in the Middle East and other international markets—and only limited exposure to U.S. land—SLB is expected to benefit disproportionately from an upswing in global spending.

Richardson sees early signs of that upswing already emerging from Saudi Aramco and other Gulf national oil companies, where tender activity is picking up after a softer second half of 2025. The analyst argues that a mix of gas and oil projects, plus significant investment to power data centers in the Gulf, will support more stable and higher demand for SLB’s services. His $54 price target is based on a 16x multiple of 2027 earnings, a premium to the roughly 14x where the stock has traded in recent years but in line with its historical range during stronger cycles. The real opportunity, in his view, is not just earnings growth but a re‑rating of the stock’s valuation as investors gain confidence that this international cycle is durable, potentially driving further upside beyond his base case.

Fintech favorite SoFi is facing a tougher reception despite its high growth profile. Bank of America analyst Mihir Bhatia has resumed coverage with an Underperform (Sell) rating and a price objective of $20.50 per share, well below the recent market price around $29. SoFi has raised over $3 billion of equity capital in 2025—$1.7 billion in the third quarter and another $1.5 billion via a December share offering—to strengthen its balance sheet, reduce expensive debt, and fuel growth. While Bhatia calls the additional capital a modest positive, he argues that the current share price already implies very optimistic expectations, leaving limited upside and potentially meaningful downside if growth or profitability disappoint.

The analyst sees merger and acquisition activity as a real possibility for SoFi but expects any deals to be targeted rather than transformative. He highlights crypto and blockchain as likely focus areas following SoFi’s relaunch of crypto trading and the roll‑out of products such as blockchain‑based SoFi Pay and the SOFIUSD stablecoin. Bhatia also points to prediction markets as a potential niche where SoFi could expand its in‑app offerings, as well as continued investment in lending capacity, brand building, and the Galileo technology platform. Even so, his valuation—based on a 22x multiple of 2027 earnings—comes out below the current market level, leading him to maintain a cautious stance despite acknowledging the company’s strong growth runway and product innovation.

Procter & Gamble, the blue‑chip consumer staples giant, is viewed more as a steady hold than a near‑term outperformer. Piper Sandler’s Michael Lavery has initiated coverage with a Neutral rating and a $150 price target, implying only modest upside from current levels. He applies about a 20x multiple to his 2027 earnings estimate of $7.49, slightly below PG’s current valuation. Lavery notes that the company’s strategy—built around brand superiority, productivity, constructive disruption, and a focused portfolio—remains sound and should support gradual organic sales growth of 1–2% and earnings growth of 3–4% annually. However, he believes that a clear catalyst for faster growth, particularly in the U.S., is still some distance away.

Roughly half of Procter & Gamble’s sales come from the U.S., where category growth has slowed from 3–4% in early 2025 to slightly negative recently, with Europe also losing momentum. In this environment, Lavery expects PG to lean on innovation and marketing rather than broad price increases or heavy discounting to drive consumer value. The company’s consistent $2 billion a year in productivity savings—mainly from supply chain efficiencies and lower selling and marketing costs—helps fund these initiatives. New technologies such as AI‑enabled “unattended” shifts in manufacturing are being rolled out globally and could support margins over the next four to five years. Even so, with macro and competitive pressures still evident, the analyst sees the stock as fairly valued and better suited for investors seeking stability than those chasing rapid upside.

In healthcare, Gilead Sciences is emerging as a name to watch for growth‑oriented investors. UBS analyst Michael Yee has assumed coverage with a Buy rating and a notably bullish $145 price target, based on a 15x multiple of 2027 earnings of $9.49—higher than Gilead’s historical valuation but in line with faster‑growing peers. The core of his thesis is the launch of Yeztugo, a long‑acting HIV pre‑exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment, which he believes can drive meaningful revenue and earnings surprises. Strong physician and patient feedback suggests growing uptake and switching, supported by expanding education efforts and direct‑to‑consumer campaigns.

Yee also flags a favorable reimbursement environment as a key pillar of the story. Gilead has secured a most‑favored‑nation pricing arrangement for certain older HIV drugs, and U.S. payors continue to cover PrEP with essentially zero co‑pay under preventive care rules, reducing patient friction. With no major patent expiries until at least 2036, many of the concerns that weighed on Gilead’s valuation—ranging from pricing pressure and policy risk to competition—appear less pressing. The stock currently trades at about 13x expected 2027 earnings, and Yee sees room not only for earnings growth but also for multiple expansion.

Looking a bit further out, Gilead’s pipeline of long‑acting HIV treatment drugs could provide an additional leg to the story. While long‑acting PrEP currently represents around 10% of its HIV business, that share could rise to about 20%, and long‑acting treatments could eventually reshape the much larger treatment market, which accounts for 80–90% of HIV revenues. Upcoming Phase II and III data in 2026–2027 will be critical; positive results could support a re‑rating of Gilead’s valuation from roughly 15x earnings toward 17–20x, according to Yee. For investors, that combination of near‑term launch momentum and longer‑term pipeline optionality makes Gilead one of the more intriguing large‑cap healthcare ideas heading into 2026.