SM Energy (NYSE:SM) Stock Price Target Lowered at Wells Fargo & Company

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) had its price objective lowered by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $47.00 to $46.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the energy company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 46.27% from the company’s previous close.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. UBS Group boosted their price objective on SM Energy from $36.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Zacks Research raised SM Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Susquehanna boosted their price target on SM Energy from $32.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of SM Energy in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of SM Energy from $43.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $40.53.

SM Energy Stock Performance

Shares of SM stock opened at $31.45 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.62. SM Energy has a one year low of $17.45 and a one year high of $41.56. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $37.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $30.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.63 and a beta of 0.80.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The energy company reported $1.95 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.06). SM Energy had a return on equity of 21.49% and a net margin of 13.69%. The firm had revenue of $2.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.33 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 167.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that SM Energy will post 8.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at SM Energy

In related news, EVP James Barker Lebeck sold 17,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.02, for a total transaction of $647,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 14,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $544,379.10. This represents a 54.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Ashwin Venkatraman sold 3,650 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.28, for a total transaction of $139,722.00. Following the sale, the director owned 12,525 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $479,457. The trade was a 22.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.45% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of SM Energy during the second quarter valued at $1,025,229,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in shares of SM Energy in the second quarter worth $378,288,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of SM Energy by 79.5% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 9,995,353 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $311,678,000 after buying an additional 4,426,751 shares during the period. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. purchased a new position in shares of SM Energy during the second quarter valued at $199,602,000. Finally, Webs Creek Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of SM Energy during the second quarter valued at $53,257,807. Institutional investors own 94.56% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting SM Energy

Here are the key news stories impacting SM Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue rose 167% year over year to $2.16 billion, beating estimates, while operating cash flow reached $1.1 billion. The company used cash to redeem $417 million of debt and return $133 million to shareholders; merger synergies also reached $400 million. SM Energy Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined fourth-quarter production expectations and is targeting low-1x leverage by year-end 2026, supporting the outlook for continued production and balance-sheet improvement. SM Energy outlines Q4 production and leverage target
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the revenue beat, adjusted earnings of $1.95 per share missed analyst expectations of about $2.01. The shortfall contributed to selling pressure, and shares crossed below their 50-day moving average, a potentially negative technical signal. SM Energy share price crosses below 50-day moving average following weak earnings
• Negative Sentiment: SM Energy may temporarily shift drilling away from the Uinta Basin in early 2027 because of regional constraints. A change in drilling location could create uncertainty around the near-term operating plan. SM Energy may shift drilling amid Uinta Basin constraints

SM Energy Company Profile

SM Energy Company is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its activities include acquiring prospective acreage, drilling and completing wells, and managing producing properties in U.S. onshore oil and gas basins.

The company’s operations are primarily concentrated in Texas, including the Midland Basin in West Texas and the Eagle Ford shale region in South Texas. SM Energy focuses on development of unconventional resources and uses horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies to produce hydrocarbons from shale and other tight-rock formations.

Founded in 1908 as St.