Halliburton Company (HAL), Cameron International Corporation (CAM): Is Schlumberger Limited. (SLB) Destined for Greatness?

Last quarter, rig counts in the U.S. dropped more than 3%, impeding the growth of these two drilling-dependent companies. Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL), at the least, received $637 million in compensation for the 2010 Gulf disaster, which has helped it to rebound somewhat. It’s probably better if Schlumberger avoids such disasters entirely, but Halliburton shares have produced twice the total return as its rival’s over the past three years. On the other hand, Schlumberger currently trades at a P/E of 18, which seems to be a decent bargain compared to Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL)’s P/E of 21.

Putting the pieces together

Today, Schlumberger has many of the qualities that make up a great stock, but no stock is truly perfect. Digging deeper can help you uncover the answers you need to make a great buy — or to stay away from a stock that’s going nowhere.

The article Is Schlumberger Destined for Greatness? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Alex Planes.

Fool contributor Alex Planes has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Halliburton.

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