Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Upgraded by Morgan Stanley to Equal Weight Rating

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) was upgraded by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday. The firm currently has a $40.40 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 1.26% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on EQNR. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Equinor ASA in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating for the company. UBS Group upgraded Equinor ASA from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Zacks Research raised Equinor ASA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings raised Equinor ASA from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Pareto Securities upgraded shares of Equinor ASA from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $34.61.

Equinor ASA Stock Performance

NYSE EQNR traded up $0.53 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $39.90. The company had a trading volume of 9,254,033 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,245,899. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The firm has a market cap of $117.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.01 and a beta of 0.35. Equinor ASA has a fifty-two week low of $21.41 and a fifty-two week high of $42.06. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $29.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.82.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) last announced its quarterly 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 company 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%. Equities analysts predict that Equinor ASA will post 3.46 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equinor ASA

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

Equinor ASA News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Equinor expanded the first tranche of its 2026 share buy‑back, raising treasury holdings to 2.51% — supports EPS accretion and reduces float. Equinor ASA: Share buy-back – first tranche for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Shell‑Equinor JV Adura secured a $3 billion reserve‑based lending facility for UK North Sea operations — improves project financing and lowers execution risk for the JV’s production assets. Shell-Equinor JV Adura secures $3 billion lending facility
• Positive Sentiment: Equinor unveiled the 230 MW Esquina do Vento wind project in Brazil targeting 2028 start — expands renewables pipeline and supports longer‑term decarbonization/growth thesis. EQNR Expands Brazil Footprint With Esquina do Vento Wind Project
• Positive Sentiment: Equinor has started drilling producer and injector wells for the Raia gas project in Brazil and plans further Santos Basin exploration in 2027 — potential near‑term gas production upside. Equinor starts drilling at Brazil’s Raia, eyes new Santos Basin exploration in 2027
• Positive Sentiment: UBS issued an upgrade on Equinor — a broker upgrade can spur buying interest from institutional investors. Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Upgraded at UBS Group
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note Equinor is expanding its global energy presence amid industry transitions — useful narrative but less likely to move price immediately. Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Expands Global Energy Presence Amid Evolving Industry
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually large put option buying was observed ( ~5,193 puts), which can signal short‑term bearish positioning or hedging by traders. Unusually large options trading
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst consensus across brokerages currently shows a “Reduce” recommendation — this creates headwinds from sell‑side sentiment even as some banks upgrade. Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Reduce” from Brokerages

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.