Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Upgraded by UBS Group to “Neutral” Rating

UBS Group upgraded shares of Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a report released on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings raised Equinor ASA from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Equinor ASA in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Zacks Research raised Equinor ASA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Bank of America downgraded Equinor ASA from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Equinor ASA from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and seven have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Equinor ASA presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $28.71.

Equinor ASA Stock Performance

Equinor ASA stock opened at $41.58 on Friday. Equinor ASA has a 1-year low of $21.41 and a 1-year high of $42.06. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $122.43 billion, a PE ratio of 21.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.35. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $29.27 and its 200 day simple moving average is $25.69.

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

Equinor ASA Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This is a positive change from Equinor ASA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. Equinor ASA’s payout ratio is 67.37%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of EQNR. Mirabella Financial Services LLP bought a new position in shares of Equinor ASA during the 3rd quarter valued at about $730,757,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in shares of Equinor ASA by 30.2% in the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 15,759,942 shares of the company’s stock worth $384,227,000 after purchasing an additional 3,659,611 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in shares of Equinor ASA by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,250,933 shares of the company’s stock worth $218,600,000 after buying an additional 493,801 shares in the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Equinor ASA by 10.3% in the fourth quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 4,288,512 shares of the company’s stock worth $101,338,000 after buying an additional 401,424 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in Equinor ASA by 0.7% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,852,448 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,923,000 after buying an additional 25,250 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 5.51% of the company’s stock.

Key Equinor ASA News

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.