** Oilfield services company Halliburton HAL.N beat fourth-quarter profit estimates on Wednesday, on the back of steady demand for its services and equipment in international markets

** Company adds it would look to re-enter Venezuela as soon as commercial and legal terms, including payment certainty, are resolved in the South American country

** The company forecast international revenue to be flat to up modestly in 2026; expects 2026 North America revenue to decline in the high single digits compared to 2025

** In 2025, HAL was up ~4%

ANALYSTS PERCEIVE THE OUTLOOK AS GLASS-HALF-FULL

** J.P. Morgan ("Overweight"; PT: $35) says, "We expect the company's top line to decline by 2% in 2026, with a 1.9% increase in international markets and a 7.6% decline in North America markets"

** RBC Capital Markets ("Outperform"; PT: $38) views growth from increased oil extraction in Venezuela to remain a "potential wild card"

** Adds, "the outlook is generally in line with the Street, though we might have thought North America would be a bit better."

** Stifel ("Buy"; PT: $36) expects rebound in 2027 for North America

(Reporting by Dharna Bafna in Bengaluru)

((Dharna.bafna@thomsonreuters.com))