Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at DZ Bank

DZ Bank upgraded shares of Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Wednesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on EQNR. Pareto Securities cut shares of Equinor ASA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Equinor ASA from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $40.40 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised shares of Equinor ASA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Equinor ASA from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Equinor ASA in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $35.61.

Equinor ASA Stock Performance

NYSE:EQNR opened at $36.92 on Wednesday. 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 has a 12-month low of $22.26 and a 12-month high of $43.46. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $37.42 and a 200 day moving average price of $29.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $108.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.07.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.47. Equinor ASA had a return on equity of 20.33% and a net margin of 5.30%.The company had revenue of $28.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.73 billion. Equities research analysts forecast that Equinor ASA will post 4.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Equinor ASA Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Equinor ASA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 64.21%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equinor ASA

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of EQNR. Blair William & Co. IL raised its stake in Equinor ASA by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 14,837 shares of the company’s stock valued at $351,000 after purchasing an additional 389 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Equinor ASA by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 37,331 shares of the company’s stock worth $910,000 after buying an additional 428 shares in the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Equinor ASA by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 9,039 shares of the company’s stock worth $220,000 after buying an additional 434 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI increased its holdings in shares of Equinor ASA by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 39,045 shares of the company’s stock worth $952,000 after buying an additional 437 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of Equinor ASA by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,148 shares of the company’s stock valued at $145,000 after buying an additional 445 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 5.51% of the company’s stock.

Equinor ASA News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings beat — Equinor reported higher net income and an EPS beat (adjusted EPS ~$1.48) despite mixed top‑line figures; profits and production rose, supporting earnings momentum. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Share buy‑back — Equinor is launching a second 2026 buy‑back tranche (up to ~$375M), which is shareholder‑friendly and can support the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend confirmed — Board declared a $0.39 quarterly cash dividend (ex‑date/record/pay dates announced), implying a ~4.3% yield that supports income‑oriented holders. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Geopolitical support for pricing — Equinor says the Iran war has driven stronger demand for Norwegian petroleum/LNG from Asia‑Pacific, helping near‑term pricing and export interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target nudged up — TD Cowen raised its price target from $38 to $40 (hold), a modest vote of confidence that leaves limited upside but reduces downside risk. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue & guidance signals mixed — Q1 revenue was slightly below some estimates and down year‑over‑year (reported ~ $27.8–28.4B across sources), leaving questions on topline momentum even as margins held. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: European gas storage outlook — Equinor warned Europe is unlikely to hit an 80% pre‑winter gas storage target, a structural market note that could keep volatility and seasonally higher prices. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Cash flow and liquidity deterioration — Operating cash generation fell sharply (reported declines ~40% YoY) and cash balances are down, while liabilities ticked up, increasing near‑term balance‑sheet sensitivity. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Large institutional reductions — Data shows several big managers trimmed EQNR positions materially last quarter, which can increase selling pressure or reduce natural buying support. Read More.

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.