NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE

Halliburton, the world's second-largest oil-field services company, said fourth-quarter profits increased 4.9 percent as it continued to expand in fast-growing regions outside North America.

Net income rose to $690 million, or 75 cents a share, from $658 million, or 64 cents, a year earlier, Halliburton — with maintains headquarters in Houston and Dubai — said in a statement today. Revenues jumped 19 percent to $4.2 billion for the October-December period.

"Our international growth is providing the strength to offset the challenging North American market, with over 55 percent of our fourth quarter revenue coming from outside North America," said Dave Lesar, Halliburton's chairman and chief executive.

Analysts, on average, expected Halliburton to earn 69 cents per share on revenue of $4.06 billion during the fourth quarter, according to a survey by Thomson Financial.

Wow...this story is starting to sound like a country song that goes "I've got friends in high places." I swear Halliburton has to be the luckiest company on the face of the Earth.
Regions outside North America....could we be speaking of Iraq and possibly next Iran?
I am sure DICK had nothing to do with the increasing profit margins that Halliburton is pulling in.
Ohh Nooo! What am I thinking.
Government influence to help influence the profitability of a company to which the Vice-President is the former CEO. Could DICK still be tied to Halliburton through stock options. No. He is a straight shooter. (EXCEPT WHEN QUAIL HUNTING!!!)
Shame on me for thinking that Washington could someone be linked to Halliburtons no-bid contracts on running the oil ministries in Iraq or running the mess halls for the soldiers.
Do the words "war profiteering" come to anyone else's mind.