Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Equinor ASA has a consensus analyst rating of Hold, with 10 of 14 covering firms at hold and an average 1-year price target of $39.20.
• Recent analyst actions were mixed but somewhat more positive, including upgrades from Wall Street Zen to Buy and Royal Bank of Canada to Sector Perform, while TD Cowen raised its target price to $38.
• The company reported Q2 EPS of $1.33, below estimates, while revenue was essentially in line; Equinor also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, yielding about 3.9%.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Hold" by the fourteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $39.20.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on EQNR. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Equinor ASA from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised Equinor ASA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised Equinor ASA from an "underperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday. DZ Bank upgraded Equinor ASA from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn raised Equinor ASA from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th.

Equinor ASA Price Performance

Shares of Equinor ASA stock opened at $40.38 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.12. The company has a market cap of $118.91 billion, a PE ratio of 11.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.06. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $35.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $33.96. Equinor ASA has a fifty-two week low of $22.26 and a fifty-two week high of $43.46.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.39 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $34.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.03 billion. Equinor ASA had a return on equity of 23.60% and a net margin of 7.92%. Analysts expect that Equinor ASA will post 4.85 EPS for the current year.

Equinor ASA Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 27th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Equinor ASA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.88%.

Key Equinor ASA News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street Zen raised Equinor ASA NYSE: EQNR to Buy, which could support sentiment if investors see more upside from current levels. Equinor ASA NYSE: EQNR Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Equinor ASA NYSE: EQNR to Sector Perform, a modestly better stance than a lower-rated view and a sign that some analysts see the shares as reasonably valued. Equinor ASA NYSE: EQNR Raised to Sector Perform at Royal Bank Of Canada
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target on Equinor ASA NYSE: EQNR from $37 to $38, suggesting some analysts still expect the stock to hold near its current range even after recent volatility. EQNR Q2 Earnings Miss Estimates, Revenues Rise Y/Y on Higher Output

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equinor ASA

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EQNR. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in shares of Equinor ASA by 1,794.0% in 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 in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Equinor ASA by 86.2% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,318 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 610 shares in the last quarter. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Equinor ASA during the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. Eastern Bank bought a new stake in Equinor ASA in the second quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC bought a new stake in Equinor ASA in the second quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.51% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.