Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Upgraded by Zacks Research to Strong-Buy Rating

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Equinor ASA (EQNR) from "hold" to "strong‑buy," though MarketBeat shows a mixed analyst picture with a consensus "Reduce" and an average target price of $34.61 (2 Strong Buy, 10 Hold, 5 Sell).
• Recent results and valuation: Equinor beat Q4 estimates with $0.81 EPS vs. $0.60 expected and $25.3B revenue, and the stock is trading near its 52‑week high (~$41.11) with a market cap of about $121B and a P/E of ~21.6.
• Material project and financing news: Equinor and Shell’s Adura JV secured $3B in lending for North Sea operations and Equinor has started drilling the ~$9B Raia project in Brazil targeting first gas in 2028, both of which could boost future gas volumes.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. DZ Bank raised shares of Equinor ASA from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. UBS Group raised Equinor ASA from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Equinor ASA in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Equinor ASA from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Bank of America downgraded shares of Equinor ASA from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $34.61.

Equinor ASA Price Performance

Shares of EQNR opened at $41.11 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $30.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of $26.14. Equinor ASA has a 52-week low of $21.41 and a 52-week high of $42.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.04 billion, a PE ratio of 21.63 and a beta of 0.35.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.21. Equinor ASA had a net margin of 4.74% and a return on equity of 15.23%. The firm had revenue of $25.30 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.31 billion. Sell-side analysts predict that Equinor ASA will post 3.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equinor ASA

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of Equinor ASA by 1,437.7% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,286,328 shares of the company's stock valued at $55,741,000 after acquiring an additional 2,137,642 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Equinor ASA by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 1,827,302 shares of the company's stock valued at $44,550,000 after purchasing an additional 39,524 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in Equinor ASA by 30.5% during the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 108,633 shares of the company's stock worth $2,731,000 after purchasing an additional 25,361 shares during the period. Mirabella Financial Services LLP acquired a new position in Equinor ASA during the third quarter worth approximately $7,314,000. Finally, ABC Arbitrage SA increased its position in Equinor ASA by 100.8% during the third quarter. ABC Arbitrage SA now owns 515,544 shares of the company's stock worth $12,569,000 after buying an additional 258,767 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.51% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Equinor ASA

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks has added EQNR to several Rank #1 lists (momentum, strong buy, income and value), boosting investor interest and momentum positioning for the stock. New Strong Buy Stocks for March 26th
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley upgraded EQNR (per coverage), an analyst action that can prompt buy flows and validate valuation upside for institutional investors. Equinor ASA Stock Rating Upgraded by Morgan Stanley
• Positive Sentiment: Equinor and Shell’s Adura Energy JV secured $3B in lending support for North Sea operations — this large financing package lowers project funding risk and signals bank confidence in regional production plans. Shell-Equinor JV Secures $3B Lending Support for North Sea Operations
• Positive Sentiment: Equinor has begun drilling at the Raia project in Brazil, a ~$9B development targeting first gas in 2028 — successful execution would materially increase gas volumes to meet rising Brazilian demand. Equinor Begins Drilling at Raia, Strengthens Brazil's Gas Supply
• Neutral Sentiment: Equinor CEO commented that the EU is unlikely to increase Russian gas imports amid Middle East supply disruption — a macro view that may support European suppliers like Equinor but also reflects broader geopolitical uncertainty. CERAWEEK: Equinor CEO says EU unlikely to increase Russian gas imports
• Neutral Sentiment: Market data shows unusually high options activity in EQNR, indicating elevated speculative or hedging interest; this can amplify intraday moves but is not a direct signal of fundamentals. Equinor ASA Target of Unusually High Options Trading
• Neutral Sentiment: Equinor awarded a helicopter contract in Bergen to bolster offshore transport capacity — an operational detail that supports safe, reliable field logistics but has limited direct equity impact. Equinor Bolsters Helicopter Capacity in Bergen

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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