JPMorgan Chase & Co. Upgrades SM Energy (NYSE:SM) to “Overweight”

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) was upgraded by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note issued on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm presently has a $40.00 target price on the energy company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price would indicate a potential upside of 33.10% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on SM Energy from $20.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Susquehanna cut their price objective on SM Energy from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 26th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on SM Energy from $36.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Mizuho set a $34.00 target price on SM Energy in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded SM Energy from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 16th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $31.09.

SM Energy Price Performance

NYSE:SM opened at $30.05 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The firm has a market cap of $3.44 billion, a PE ratio of 5.32 and a beta of 1.03. SM Energy has a 12 month low of $17.45 and a 12 month high of $32.26. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $22.06 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.69.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The energy company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.10. SM Energy had a net margin of 20.55% and a return on equity of 13.47%. The company had revenue of $704.92 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $764.40 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.91 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 17.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that SM Energy will post 8.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. NBC Securities Inc. boosted its position in SM Energy by 160.5% in the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,347 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 830 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of SM Energy by 10,461.5% during the fourth quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 1,373 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 1,360 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of SM Energy by 62.9% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,386 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 535 shares during the period. First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in shares of SM Energy during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in SM Energy in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.56% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting SM Energy

Here are the key news stories impacting SM Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Global oil-risk rally lifts upstream names — renewed Middle East conflict fears and targeted strikes on gas infrastructure have driven WTI and Brent sharply higher this month, boosting expectations for higher cash flow at U.S. E&P companies like SM. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Company deleveraging and shareholder-return steps are supporting the rally — SM agreed to sell South Texas assets for ~$950M, has an upsized $1.0B senior note sale to fund a tender offer for 2028 notes, and raised its base dividend by 10%. Management says proceeds will prioritize debt reduction, improving financial flexibility and payout credibility. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgrade — the firm moved SM from Neutral to Overweight with a $40 price target, providing a notable buy-side analyst catalyst and signaling confidence in the company’s outlook and capital-plan execution. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst activity — Wells Fargo raised its target to $25 (Equal Weight) while TD Cowen set a $30 target; Street sentiment remains varied (consensus = Hold), so analyst noise could keep intraday swings elevated. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor commentary and valuation narratives — recent pieces (e.g., Seeking Alpha) argue SM remains a value/bargain play versus peers, which can attract longer-term buyers but may have limited near-term impact vs. macro-driven moves. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Large institutional rebalancing — Q4 2025 filings show several big managers materially reduced positions, even as some funds added shares; concentrated selling by a few large holders could add volatility if continued. Article Title

SM Energy Company Profile

SM Energy Company (NYSE: SM) is an independent energy firm engaged in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. The company focuses on identifying and exploiting unconventional onshore basins, leveraging advanced drilling and completion techniques to optimize resource recovery. SM Energy’s operations are supported by an integrated approach to reservoir management and strategic midstream partnerships, enabling efficient transportation and marketing of hydrocarbons.

The company’s core asset areas include prolific basins such as the Permian, Eagle Ford, and the Rocky Mountain region.