Noble Corporation plc filed its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2026, with the SEC on October 27, 2026, reporting a net loss of $117.0 million for the third quarter and a year-to-date net loss of $33.0 million, driven by a heavy income tax provision.

Key Highlights

  • Q3 2026 net loss: Noble reported a net loss of $117,024 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2026, compared to a net loss of $21,095 thousand in the same period of 2025.
  • Q3 tax provision: The company recorded an income tax provision of $133,047 thousand for the third quarter of 2026, versus $31,731 thousand in Q3 2025, converting a pre-tax income of $16,023 thousand into a net loss.
  • Q3 operating revenues: Total operating revenues were $728,764 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2026, down from $798,017 thousand in the prior-year quarter.
  • Nine-month operating income: Operating income for the nine months ended September 30, 2026 was $315,866 thousand, compared to $372,992 thousand for the same period in 2025.
  • Loss on debt extinguishment: The filing disclosed a loss on extinguishment of debt, net, of $17,603 thousand for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, with no comparable charge in the prior-year period.
  • Shares outstanding: Noble reported 159,661,815 ordinary shares outstanding as of October 23, 2026.
  • Long-term debt: Long-term debt stood at $1,888,681 thousand as of September 30, 2026, down from $1,975,791 thousand at December 31, 2025.

Noble Corporation Q3 2026 Financial Results: Tax Provision Drives Quarterly Net Loss

According to the filing, Noble Corporation plc (NYSE:NE) generated total operating revenues of $728,764 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2026, a decrease from $798,017 thousand in the third quarter of 2025. Contract drilling services revenues were $683,650 thousand for the quarter, compared to $757,405 thousand a year earlier. Operating income for the quarter was $60,083 thousand, up from $50,400 thousand in Q3 2025, reflecting lower contract drilling costs and the absence of impairment charges that totaled $60,702 thousand in the prior-year period.

The company reported a pre-tax income of $16,023 thousand for the third quarter of 2026. However, an income tax provision of $133,047 thousand resulted in a net loss of $117,024 thousand for the quarter, or $(0.73) per basic and diluted share. For the nine months ended September 30, 2026, the company reported a net loss of $32,983 thousand, or $(0.21) per share, compared to net income of $130,080 thousand, or $0.82 per basic share, for the same period in 2025. The nine-month period also included a loss on impairment of $42,270 thousand and a loss on extinguishment of debt, net, of $17,603 thousand, according to the filing.

On the balance sheet, total assets were $7,158,133 thousand as of September 30, 2026, down from $7,529,767 thousand at December 31, 2025. Cash and cash equivalents declined to $337,186 thousand from $471,399 thousand at year-end 2025. Net cash provided by operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2026 was $561,916 thousand, compared to $764,553 thousand for the same period in 2025. Capital expenditures for the nine-month period were $500,362 thousand, up from $367,776 thousand in the prior-year period. Retained earnings fell to $9,600 thousand at September 30, 2026, from $286,630 thousand at December 31, 2025.

What Was Disclosed

Noble Corporation plc filed a Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, disclosing a net loss of $117,024 thousand for the quarter and $32,983 thousand for the nine-month period, with a $133,047 thousand income tax provision as the primary driver of the quarterly net loss.