Equitable (NYSE:EQH) Sets New 1-Year Low – Here’s Why

Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:EQH)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $36.53 and last traded at $36.4810, with a volume of 1163850 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $38.53.

Trending Headlines about Equitable

Here are the key news stories impacting Equitable this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods initiated coverage on EQH with an “Outperform” rating and a $53 price target (roughly 50% upside vs. current levels), which may attract buyers looking for upside from the merger play. Benzinga: KBW starts coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Equitable and Corebridge announced a $22B all‑stock merger to create a retirement/wealth company with ~ $1.5T AUM/AUA; EQH shareholders will receive 1.55516 shares of the combined company and are expected to own ~49% — scale and product diversification are strategic positives. Reuters: Equitable, Corebridge to merge
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple mainstream outlets (WSJ, FT, Proactive) reported on the definitive merger terms and valuation; these items largely reiterate deal facts but keep investor focus on merger approvals, integration risk, and pro forma metrics. WSJ: Corebridge Financial, Equitable Holdings to Merge
• Negative Sentiment: Kahn Swick & Foti (KSF) opened an investigation into the merger, signaling potential shareholder litigation over deal terms or process — this increases execution risk and could pressure the stock. Business Wire: KSF Investigates
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple other law firms (Rowley Law, Halper Sadeh, The Ademi Firm, Monteverde & Associates/ M&A Class Action Firm) announced investigations into whether the board obtained a fair price or breached fiduciary duties — a cluster of plaintiffs firms raises the odds of litigation and deal delays/costs. PR Newswire: Rowley Law alert
• Negative Sentiment: Class‑action and fiduciary‑duty claims may force renegotiation, proxy fights, or settlement costs — short‑term volatility and downside pressure are likely while litigation and regulatory approvals play out. PR Newswire: M&A Class Action Firm alert

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on EQH. Raymond James Financial set a $60.00 price target on Equitable in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Equitable from $59.00 to $54.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Equitable from $60.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Equitable from $60.00 to $57.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Equitable in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.55.

Equitable Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $9.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.34, a PEG ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.12. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $42.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $46.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.42, a current ratio of 0.13 and a quick ratio of 0.13.

Equitable Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th were paid a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 4th. Equitable’s dividend payout ratio is -22.41%.

Equitable announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, February 11th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to buy up to 7.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Equitable

In other Equitable news, insider Nick Lane sold 30,000 shares of Equitable 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 99,958 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,762,998.70. The trade was a 23.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Mark Pearson sold 39,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.20, for a total transaction of $1,834,140.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 652,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,166,059. This represents a 5.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 76,490 shares of company stock valued at $3,587,184 in the last quarter. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

About Equitable

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.