Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Receives Average Recommendation of “Reduce” from Brokerages

Shares of Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) have earned an average rating of “Reduce” from the seventeen analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $28.7133.

A number of brokerages recently commented on EQNR. TD Cowen increased their price target on Equinor ASA from $25.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Equinor ASA in a report on Thursday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded Equinor ASA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Equinor ASA from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Bank of America cut shares of Equinor ASA from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equinor ASA

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in shares of Equinor ASA by 11.1% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 148,723 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,932,000 after purchasing an additional 14,913 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Equinor ASA during the 1st quarter valued at $263,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in Equinor ASA by 1.9% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 112,194 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,968,000 after buying an additional 2,112 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Equinor ASA in the first quarter worth $816,000. Finally, Creative Planning boosted its stake in Equinor ASA by 80.9% during the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 149,533 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,759,000 after buying an additional 66,874 shares during the period. 5.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Equinor ASA Stock Up 2.6%

Shares of EQNR stock opened at $41.58 on Monday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $29.27 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $25.71. Equinor ASA has a 52 week low of $21.41 and a 52 week high of $42.06. The stock has a market cap of $122.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.88 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.21. Equinor ASA had a return on equity of 15.23% and a net margin of 4.74%.The firm had revenue of $25.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.31 billion. Analysts predict that Equinor ASA will post 3.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Equinor ASA Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This is an increase from Equinor ASA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. Equinor ASA’s payout ratio is presently 64.21%.

Key Stories Impacting Equinor ASA

Here are the key news stories impacting Equinor ASA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Equinor announced a new oil discovery in the Norwegian Barents Sea tied to the Johan Castberg area, which increases near-field resource potential and supports tie‑back development upside. Equinor Expands Barents Sea Potential With New Oil Discovery
• Positive Sentiment: Equinor published its 2025 annual report showing record production and solid financial results, reinforcing cash‑flow strength that supports dividends and capital returns. Equinor’s annual report for 2025
• Positive Sentiment: Higher crude prices driven by Middle East supply‑risk have pushed investors into upstream and LNG names; this macro tailwind is boosting Equinor’s outlook as an oil & gas producer. Wall Street Is Buying These 3 LNG Stocks After Iran Missiles Hit Qatar’s Gas Facilities
• Positive Sentiment: Equinor’s 2026 capital-return plan, including an active share‑buyback that started in February, adds technical and fundamental support for the stock amid rising commodity prices. Equinor jumps as oil prices stay elevated amid Middle East supply fears
• Neutral Sentiment: Equinor was a big mover on higher-than-average volume and momentum indicators; earnings estimate revisions could support near‑term upside, but this is momentum-driven rather than fundamental news. Equinor (EQNR) Soars 5.1%: Is Further Upside Left in the Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader analyst coverage has been active (sector upgrades and lists of LNG/energy stocks getting interest); these flows help sentiment but do not change Equinor’s fundamentals by themselves. 5 Stocks Wall Street Is Rushing to Upgrade as Iran Conflict Reshapes Global Energy Markets
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen maintained a Hold rating and set a $37 price target (recently raised from $25), which is below the current share level and signals some analyst caution on upside from here. Equinor: Strong Run and Stable Norwegian Growth Pipeline Justify Neutral Stance Despite Higher Commodity Price Outlook

About Equinor ASA

Equinor ASA (NYSE: EQNR) is a Norway-based integrated energy company headquartered in Stavanger. Historically established as Statoil in the 1970s to develop Norway’s petroleum resources, the company changed its name to Equinor in 2018 to reflect a strategic shift toward a broader energy portfolio. Equinor’s operations span the full upstream value chain, including exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas, alongside trading and marketing activities that support its global commercial operations.

In recent years Equinor has pursued a transition strategy that combines continued development of conventional oil and gas resources with growing investments in low‑carbon energy.