DOWLING & PARTN Forecasts Weaker Earnings for Equitable

Key Points

• DOWLING & PARTN lowered Equitable’s FY2027 EPS forecast to $8.70 from $8.80, while projecting FY2028 EPS of $10.15—still above the current-year consensus estimate of $7.20.
• Equitable’s latest quarter beat earnings expectations, reporting $1.70 EPS versus $1.65 expected, but revenue fell 29.8% year over year to $1.66 billion.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with a $63.18 average price target, compared with the stock’s $52.82 opening price; the company also pays a $0.30 quarterly dividend yielding about 2.3%.

Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:EQH - Free Report) - DOWLING & PARTN decreased their FY2027 EPS estimates for Equitable in a report issued on Tuesday, October 13th. DOWLING & PARTN analyst J. Hurwitz now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $8.70 for the year, down from their prior forecast of $8.80. The consensus estimate for Equitable's current full-year earnings is $7.20 per share. DOWLING & PARTN also issued estimates for Equitable's FY2028 earnings at $10.15 EPS.

Equitable (NYSE:EQH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.84 billion. Equitable had a positive return on equity of 511.35% and a negative net margin of 8.72%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 29.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.10 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also commented on EQH. Mizuho cut their price objective on Equitable from $67.00 to $66.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Equitable from $64.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $66.00 target price on shares of Equitable in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Zacks Research upgraded Equitable from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Wolfe Research lowered Equitable from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $63.18.

Equitable Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:EQH opened at $52.82 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $52.11 and a 200-day simple moving average of $46.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.42 billion, a P/E ratio of -15.96, a PEG ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.10. Equitable has a 1 year low of $35.19 and a 1 year high of $55.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.75, a quick ratio of 0.15 and a current ratio of 0.15.

Equitable Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 3rd. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Equitable's dividend payout ratio is -36.25%.

Insider Activity at Equitable

In related news, Director Bertram Scott sold 2,780 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.35, for a total value of $151,093.00. Following the sale, the director owned 23,685 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,287,279.75. This trade represents a 10.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Charles Stonehill sold 7,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.54, for a total transaction of $386,550.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 34,357 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,770,759.78. The trade was a 17.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 72,516 shares of company stock valued at $3,658,629. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of EQH. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Equitable during the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Equitable by 64.1% in the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 888 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 347 shares during the last quarter. Essential Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Equitable by 245.2% in the 1st quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 1,084 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 770 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP acquired a new stake in shares of Equitable in the 2nd quarter valued at $55,000. Finally, CX Institutional boosted its holdings in Equitable by 30.2% in the second quarter. CX Institutional now owns 1,282 shares of the company's stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. 92.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Equitable

Equitable Holdings, Inc is a financial services company that provides retirement, protection and investment management solutions to individuals, businesses and institutions. Its businesses operate primarily in the United States and serve clients through financial professionals, employer-sponsored retirement plans and institutional relationships.

Through its Equitable business, the company offers life insurance, annuities, individual retirement products and employee benefits. Its offerings are designed to help customers accumulate and protect assets, generate retirement income and address long-term financial planning needs.

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