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

Shares of Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) have been given an average rating of “Reduce” by the seventeen research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $28.7133.

EQNR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Equinor ASA from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Pareto Securities raised Equinor ASA from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. UBS Group upgraded Equinor ASA from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Bank of America cut shares of Equinor ASA from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Equinor ASA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th.

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

Equinor ASA Price Performance

EQNR stock opened at $41.58 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $122.43 billion, a PE ratio of 21.88 and a beta of 0.35. Equinor ASA has a 12 month low of $21.41 and a 12 month high of $42.06. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $29.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $25.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64.

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

Equinor ASA Increases Dividend

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EQNR. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in Equinor ASA by 1,794.0% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,269 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,202 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its position in Equinor ASA by 86.2% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,318 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 610 shares in the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Equinor ASA in the 2nd quarter worth $36,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Equinor ASA by 119.2% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 1,876 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 1,020 shares during the period. Finally, Arax Advisory Partners grew its position in shares of Equinor ASA by 78.6% during the 4th quarter. Arax Advisory Partners now owns 2,377 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 1,046 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 5.51% of the company’s stock.

Equinor ASA Company Profile

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.