Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Upgraded at UBS Group

UBS Group upgraded shares of Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a research note released on Friday morning, MarketBeat reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Equinor ASA from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Equinor ASA in a report on Thursday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. TD Cowen upped their price objective on Equinor ASA from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Bank of America lowered shares of Equinor ASA from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Equinor ASA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and seven have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $28.71.

Equinor ASA Stock Up 2.6%

EQNR 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 business has a fifty day moving average price of $29.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $25.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $122.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.88 and a beta of 0.35.

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

Equinor ASA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Shareholders 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%. This is a boost from Equinor ASA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Equinor ASA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 64.21%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in Equinor ASA by 1,794.0% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,269 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 1,202 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Equinor ASA by 86.2% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,318 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 610 shares during the period. McIlrath & Eck LLC bought a new stake in Equinor ASA during the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased 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 valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 1,020 shares during the period. Finally, MAI Capital Management grew its stake in Equinor ASA by 55.6% in the second quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 2,339 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 836 shares during the last quarter. 5.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Equinor ASA

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 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.