Equitable (NYSE:EQH) Coverage Initiated at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Research analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods started coverage on shares of Equitable (NYSE:EQH) in a note issued to investors on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm set an “outperform” rating and a $53.00 price target on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ target price would suggest a potential upside of 49.86% from the stock’s previous close.

EQH has been the topic of a number of other research reports. 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. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Equitable from $67.00 to $66.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Equitable in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Zacks Research lowered Equitable from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $60.00 target price on Equitable in a report on Monday, January 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Equitable has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $59.55.

Equitable Price Performance

Equitable stock opened at $35.37 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.42. The company has a market cap of $9.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.34, a PEG ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.12. Equitable has a 12 month low of $35.21 and a 12 month high of $56.61. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $42.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.24.

Equitable announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, February 11th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 7.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Equitable news, CEO Mark Pearson sold 39,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.20, for a total transaction of $1,834,140.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 652,945 shares in the company, valued at $30,166,059. This trade represents a 5.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Jeffrey J. Hurd sold 6,790 shares of Equitable stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.65, for a total value of $323,543.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 55,023 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,621,845.95. The trade was a 10.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 76,490 shares of company stock valued at $3,587,184 over the last quarter. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equitable

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Equitable in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in Equitable by 124.7% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 728 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 404 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in Equitable during the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. Hilltop National Bank acquired a new stake in Equitable in the 3rd quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Equitable during the third quarter valued at $38,000. 92.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Equitable News Summary

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

Equitable Company Profile

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.