Service firms' 1Q earnings seen setting pace for remainder of year

摘要

After serving up the salad for this year's earnings upturn banquet with fourth quarter results,the US oilfield services sector appears ready to deliver the main course with first quarter results,as analysts predict a sumptuous meal for the rest of the year.A P/atts survey of 25 key companies shows analysts are projecting a combined 77% increase in earnings/share for the quarter ended Mar 31 compared with the same period last year and a 74% boost for the full year.That survey covers contract drillers as well as equipment providers and found only one of them-Transocean-anticipating less than a double-digit increase in earnings for the quarter,according to consensus projections compiled by First Call/Thomson Financial.