Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Upgraded at Royal Bank Of Canada

Key Points

• Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Equinor ASA from “underperform” to “sector perform,” adding to a mixed analyst backdrop that still centers on a consensus Hold rating.
• Equinor’s latest quarter showed mixed results: EPS of $1.33 came in slightly below expectations, while revenue was essentially in line at $34.02 billion. The company still posted solid profitability, with a net margin of 5.30% and return on equity of 20.01%.
• The company continues to emphasize shareholder returns, keeping its quarterly dividend at $0.39 per share and launching the next tranche of its 2026 buyback program. Recent strength in oil prices and tighter European gas markets are also supporting its earnings outlook.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from an "underperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a research report issued on Thursday.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on EQNR. DZ Bank raised shares of Equinor ASA from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen cut Equinor ASA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Equinor ASA from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Pareto Securities cut shares of Equinor ASA from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Equinor ASA from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, May 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $38.70.

Equinor ASA Price Performance

Equinor ASA stock opened at $40.06 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.24. The firm has a market cap of $117.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.37, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.06. The business's fifty day moving average is $35.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $33.80. Equinor ASA has a 52 week low of $22.26 and a 52 week high of $43.46.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.38 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $34.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.03 billion. Equinor ASA had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 20.01%. Equities research analysts forecast that Equinor ASA will post 4.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equinor ASA

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its holdings in Equinor ASA by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 14,837 shares of the company's stock worth $351,000 after purchasing an additional 389 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its stake in Equinor ASA by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 39,045 shares of the company's stock valued at $952,000 after purchasing an additional 437 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Equinor ASA by 7.8% in 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. TD Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in Equinor ASA by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 9,711 shares of the company's stock valued at $229,000 after buying an additional 501 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC increased its position in Equinor ASA by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 11,657 shares of the company's stock worth $492,000 after buying an additional 503 shares during the period. 5.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Equinor ASA News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Equinor’s Q2 results showed a sharp jump in profitability, with adjusted operating income of $11.48 billion and adjusted EPS of $1.33, driven by stronger oil and gas realizations and improved trading conditions. Equinor second quarter 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: The company kept its quarterly dividend at $0.39 per share and launched the third tranche of its 2026 buyback program, reinforcing its capital-return story for shareholders. Equinor ASA: Key information relating to cash dividend for second quarter 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Higher oil prices and tighter European gas markets are improving the earnings backdrop for Equinor and other large upstream energy producers. Equinor profit soars on wartime oil and gas prices
• Neutral Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha analyst downgraded the shares to Hold, arguing the recent rally has pushed valuation closer to fair value despite strong operations and buybacks. Equinor: Strategic Importance Isn't Enough At This Valuation (Downgrade)
• Neutral Sentiment: Equinor’s CEO said Europe is unlikely to meet its gas-storage target, highlighting continued tightness in the regional gas market. Europe unlikely to reach 80% gas storage target, Equinor CEO says
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the stronger headline results, EPS came in slightly below analyst expectations, which may temper some of the enthusiasm around the quarter. Equinor earnings report

About Equinor ASA

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.

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