Equitable (NYSE:EQH) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods started coverage on shares of Equitable (NYSE:EQH) in a research note published on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm issued an outperform rating and a $53.00 price objective on the stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Equitable from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Equitable from $60.00 to $57.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $60.00 target price on Equitable in a report on Monday, January 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Equitable from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Equitable from $58.00 to $57.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Equitable currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.55.

Equitable Trading Up 0.9%

EQH opened at $38.53 on Thursday. Equitable has a fifty-two week low of $36.58 and a fifty-two week high of $56.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.42, a current ratio of 0.13 and a quick ratio of 0.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.99, a PEG ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.12. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $42.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.36.

Equitable Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th were given a dividend of $0.27 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Equitable’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -22.41%.

Equitable announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, February 11th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 7.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Nick Lane sold 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.65, for a total transaction of $1,429,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 99,958 shares in the company, valued at $4,762,998.70. The trade was a 23.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, COO Jeffrey J. Hurd sold 6,790 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.65, for a total transaction of $323,543.50. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 55,023 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,621,845.95. This represents a 10.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 76,490 shares of company stock worth $3,587,184 in the last quarter. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equitable

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Equitable in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in Equitable by 124.7% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 728 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 404 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Equitable in the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. Hilltop National Bank acquired a new stake in Equitable in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Equitable in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Institutional investors own 92.70% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Equitable

Here are the key news stories impacting Equitable this week:

• Positive Sentiment: All‑stock merger announced with Corebridge Financial creating an insurer/asset manager with about $1.5T AUM and a combined enterprise value near $22B — deal rationale cited scale in retirement, life, wealth and asset management. Corebridge Financial and Equitable Holdings announce $22B all-stock merger
• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods initiated coverage with an “outperform” rating and $53 price target, implying meaningful upside from current levels — this can attract momentum buyers and institutional interest. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Widespread media coverage (Reuters, WSJ, Investing) has confirmed and amplified deal details and valuation, providing broad market visibility but not changing the underlying terms. Equitable, Corebridge to merge in $22 billion all-stock deal (Reuters)
• Neutral Sentiment: The Wall Street Journal also reported on the transaction; these placements help ensure regulatory and investor scrutiny but are informational rather than decisive for deal completion. Corebridge Financial, Equitable Holdings to Merge (WSJ)
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple shareholder law firms (Rowley Law) are investigating potential securities‑law violations related to the proposed merger, signaling potential litigation risk that could delay closing or increase transaction costs. ALERT: Rowley Law PLLC is Investigating Proposed Merger of Equitable Holdings, Inc.
• Negative Sentiment: Additional class‑action firms (Monteverde & Associates, Halper Sadeh, Ademi LLP) announced investigations into whether EQH shareholders are receiving a fair price or if there were fiduciary breaches — more filings could follow, increasing legal uncertainty. Shareholder Alert: The M&A Class Action Firm Announces An Investigation of Equitable Holdings, Inc.
• Negative Sentiment: Halper Sadeh and Ademi LLP also publicized probes specifically about deal fairness and fiduciary duty — investors should watch for shareholder complaints, demand letters, or litigation filings that could affect timing or terms. EQH Stock Alert: Halper Sadeh LLC is Investigating Whether Equitable Holdings, Inc. is Obtaining a Fair Price for its Shareholders

Equitable Company Profile

Equitable Holdings, Inc (NYSE: EQH) is a leading provider of life insurance, annuities and retirement plan services in the United States. Through its insurance subsidiary, AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company, the firm offers a broad range of permanent and term life insurance products designed to help individuals and families manage risk and build wealth. In addition, Equitable provides fixed, variable and indexed annuity solutions to support income planning in retirement, as well as a suite of group retirement and pension plan services for employers and plan sponsors.

The company also maintains an asset management arm that delivers investment strategies across equities, fixed income and alternative asset classes for both retail and institutional clients.