NOBLE CORPORATION PLC ANNOUNCES SECOND QUARTER 2025 RESULTS

Core Viewpoint - Noble Corporation reported its second quarter 2025 results, highlighting resilient earnings and free cash flow despite macro volatility, with a focus on integration targets and backlog expansion [3]. Financial Performance - Total revenue for Q2 2025 was $849 million, a decrease from $874 million in Q1 2025 and an increase from $693 million in Q2 2024 [2]. - Contract drilling services revenue was $812 million in Q2 2025, down from $832 million in Q1 2025 and up from $661 million in Q2 2024 [2][3]. - Net income for Q2 2025 was $43 million, down from $108 million in Q1 2025 and $195 million in Q2 2024 [2][3]. - Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 2025 was $282 million, down from $338 million in Q1 2025 but up from $271 million in Q2 2024 [2][3]. - Basic and diluted earnings per share were both $0.27 for Q2 2025, compared to $0.68 and $0.67 respectively in Q1 2025 and $1.37 and $1.34 in Q2 2024 [2][3]. Cash Flow and Capital Expenditures - Net cash provided by operating activities in Q2 2025 was $216 million, with capital expenditures of $117 million and free cash flow of $107 million [3][34]. - The company reported total debt of $2 billion and cash equivalents of $338 million as of June 30, 2025 [4]. Dividend and Shareholder Returns - An interim quarterly cash dividend of $0.50 per share was approved for Q3 2025, with total capital returned to shareholders exceeding $1.1 billion since Q4 2022 [5][7]. Operational Highlights - The marketed fleet utilization for floaters was 70% in Q2 2025, down from 78% in Q1 2025, while jackup utilization was 61%, down from 74% in the previous quarter [3][8]. - The backlog as of August 5, 2025, stands at $6.9 billion, with approximately $380 million in new contract awards since April 2025 [6][9]. Guidance and Outlook - The company updated its 2025 guidance, reducing total revenue expectations to $3,200 to $3,300 million while increasing adjusted EBITDA guidance to $1,075 to $1,150 million [11][12]. - Management noted encouraging indicators of increasing demand in the deepwater market by late 2026 and into 2027, particularly in South America and Africa [12].