SM Energy (NYSE:SM) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded SM Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $40.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, March 20th. Susquehanna decreased their price objective on SM Energy from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on SM Energy from $20.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of SM Energy from $35.00 to $29.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of SM Energy from $36.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $33.31.

SM Energy Stock Up 1.8%

NYSE SM traded up $0.51 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $29.32. 425,688 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,909,072. SM Energy has a 12-month low of $17.45 and a 12-month high of $33.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.69 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $6.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.18 and a beta of 0.78. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $25.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $22.04.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The energy company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $704.92 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $764.40 million. SM Energy had a net margin of 20.55% and a return on equity of 13.47%. The company’s revenue was down 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.91 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that SM Energy will post 8.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SM Energy

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Summit Global Investments increased its holdings in SM Energy by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 46,417 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $868,000 after buying an additional 489 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming boosted its stake in shares of SM Energy by 22.2% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 2,748 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 499 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of SM Energy by 36.3% during the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 2,010 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 535 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its position in shares of SM Energy by 62.9% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,386 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 535 shares during the period. Finally, First National Advisers LLC increased its stake in shares of SM Energy by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. First National Advisers LLC now owns 12,604 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $315,000 after purchasing an additional 578 shares in the last quarter. 94.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key SM Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded SM to a Strong Buy, adding the stock to its April 8th strong-buy/value/income lists — a near-term positive catalyst for demand. Zacks Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp has been raising multi-quarter and FY estimates and carries an Overweight rating with a $39 price target, signaling higher expected earnings that support the bullish case. KeyCorp Forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets have reported upward earnings-estimate revisions and momentum commentary this week — these revisions raise expectations for future beats and are supportive for the stock longer term. Zacks Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: SM’s recent debt tender and related disclosures clarified the post‑merger balance sheet and financial flexibility, which reduces capital-structure risk. Debt Tender
• Neutral Sentiment: Roth MKM reaffirmed a neutral rating but raised its price target to $33, implying upside from current levels — mixed signal (rating neutral, target positive). Roth MKM Note
• Neutral Sentiment: SM has scheduled Q1 results for May 6 (release) with a conference call May 7 — an upcoming report that could be a major volatility driver. Q1 Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Legislative proposal H.R.8034 would improve tax treatment for small oil & gas producers; if enacted it could benefit industry economics (timing and impact uncertain). H.R.8034 Bill
• Negative Sentiment: Roth Capital issued a downgrade on SM today, which directly pressures sell-side sentiment and likely contributed to weaker trading. Roth Capital Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction to a reported US‑Iran ceasefire led to a drop in oil volatility/prices and a rapid share decline; that geopolitical headline is the immediate driver of today’s selling. Geopolitical Move

SM Energy Company Profile

SM Energy Company (NYSE: SM) is an independent energy firm engaged in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. The company focuses on identifying and exploiting unconventional onshore basins, leveraging advanced drilling and completion techniques to optimize resource recovery. SM Energy’s operations are supported by an integrated approach to reservoir management and strategic midstream partnerships, enabling efficient transportation and marketing of hydrocarbons.

The company’s core asset areas include prolific basins such as the Permian, Eagle Ford, and the Rocky Mountain region.