Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Given Average Recommendation of “Reduce” by Analysts

Shares of Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the seventeen analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $24.7133.

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating on shares of Equinor ASA in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Zacks Research cut Equinor ASA from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded Equinor ASA from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Equinor ASA from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Pareto Securities raised shares of Equinor ASA from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday.

Equinor ASA News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Equinor ASA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Equinor raised its quarterly dividend to $0.39 (5.4% increase vs. prior quarter), with an annualized yield around 5.6% and an ex-dividend date of May 15 — boosts income appeal for yield-focused investors.
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat estimates as higher liquids and gas production lifted EPS despite year-over-year revenue decline; this operational beat supports near-term earnings momentum. Equinor Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates on Higher Production Volumes
• Positive Sentiment: Management set a target of ~3% production growth for 2026 while cutting capital expenditures by about $4B — signaling improved capital discipline and potentially higher free cash flow. Equinor targets 3% production growth in 2026 while reducing CapEx by $4B amid market volatility
• Positive Sentiment: Pareto Securities upgraded Equinor from “hold” to “strong-buy,” adding buy-side pressure and validating the earnings/dividend story (report referenced via Zacks).
• Positive Sentiment: Signed a five‑year gas supply agreement with Dutch utility Eneco — a multi-year commercial win that supports contracted volumes and cash flow in Europe. Equinor signs gas deal with Eneco in the Netherlands
• Neutral Sentiment: Allocations of bonus shares to certain insiders under Equinor’s share savings plan were reported — a retention/compensation action that is informational but not necessarily directional. Equinor ASA: Notifiable trading
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript and presentation were posted (useful for deeper read-through of drivers, hedging and guidance). Equinor ASA 2025 Q4 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America downgraded Equinor from “buy” to “neutral,” which could temper buying momentum from institutional investors.
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target to $25 but maintained a “hold” rating — the PT sits below current levels, suggesting analysts still see valuation risk even after operational improvements. Finviz (TD Cowen price target note)

Institutional Trading of Equinor ASA

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Equinor ASA by 86.2% in the 4th 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 purchased a new position in shares of Equinor ASA in the second quarter valued at about $36,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its stake in shares of Equinor ASA by 119.2% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 1,876 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 1,020 shares during the period. New Millennium Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Equinor ASA during the third quarter worth about $57,000. Finally, MAI Capital Management raised its stake in Equinor ASA by 55.6% during the 2nd 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 period. 5.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Equinor ASA Price Performance

Shares of Equinor ASA stock opened at $27.55 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The firm has a market cap of $81.13 billion, a PE ratio of 14.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 0.38. Equinor ASA has a 12-month low of $21.41 and a 12-month high of $28.26. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $24.19 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $24.30.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.21. Equinor ASA had a net margin of 4.74% and a return on equity of 15.23%. The business had revenue of $25.30 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.31 billion. As a group, equities analysts expect that Equinor ASA will post 3.46 EPS 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 $0.39 dividend. This is a boost from Equinor ASA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Equinor ASA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 64.21%.

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.