Erste Group Bank Expects Increased Earnings for Equinor ASA

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank raised Equinor’s FY2026 EPS forecast to $5.63 from $5.28, above the $5.49 consensus estimate, and projects FY2027 EPS of $4.18.
• Equinor’s latest quarterly results fell slightly short of expectations, with EPS of $1.33 versus the $1.39 consensus, while revenue of $34.02 billion was essentially in line with forecasts.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus “Hold” rating and average price target of $43.47; the company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, implying a 3.6% yield.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR - Free Report) - Analysts at Erste Group Bank upped their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Equinor ASA in a research report issued on Thursday, October 8th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $5.63 for the year, up from their prior estimate of $5.28. The consensus estimate for Equinor ASA's current full-year earnings is $5.49 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Equinor ASA's FY2027 earnings at $4.18 EPS.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.39 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $34.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.03 billion. Equinor ASA had a return on equity of 23.60% and a net margin of 7.92%.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on EQNR. Morningstar cut Equinor ASA to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Equinor ASA from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 12th. SEB Equity Research restated a "sell" rating on shares of Equinor ASA in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Berenberg Bank restated a "hold" rating on shares of Equinor ASA in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Equinor ASA from an "underperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $43.47.

Equinor ASA Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE EQNR opened at $43.91 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $42.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $39.11. Equinor ASA has a one year low of $22.26 and a one year high of $45.84. The firm has a market cap of $104.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.13.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equinor ASA

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of Equinor ASA by 599.3% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 12,966,671 shares of the company's stock valued at $547,194,000 after purchasing an additional 11,112,362 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in shares of Equinor ASA during the 1st quarter worth $8,745,000. Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new position in shares of Equinor ASA during the 1st quarter worth $8,582,000. Readystate Asset Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Equinor ASA during the 1st quarter worth $4,544,000. Finally, DJE Kapital AG bought a new stake in shares of Equinor ASA during the 1st quarter worth $2,913,000. Institutional investors own 5.51% of the company's stock.

Equinor ASA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 25th. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. Equinor ASA's dividend payout ratio is currently 34.88%.

Equinor ASA News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Higher earnings estimates: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS forecast for Equinor to $5.63 from $5.28, above the current consensus estimate of $5.49. The bank also increased its FY2027 forecast to $4.18 from $4.09, indicating improved expectations for profitability. Equinor analyst earnings estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Share buyback underway: Equinor reported transactions under the third tranche of its 2026 share-repurchase program. Continued buybacks can support earnings per share and signal management confidence in the company’s valuation. Equinor 2026 share buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Improved analyst price target: Barclays raised its target for Equinor’s stock to NOK 380 from NOK 368, adding to the constructive analyst sentiment around the company. Barclays raises Equinor target
• Positive Sentiment: Gas sales agreement: Equinor and Eneco signed a five-year gas delivery deal, providing longer-term commercial visibility and reinforcing Equinor’s position as a European energy supplier. Equinor and Eneco gas delivery deal
• Positive Sentiment: Portfolio and momentum support: Shell’s planned purchase of a 30% stake in Canada’s Bay du Nord project highlights Equinor’s efforts to share development costs while retaining exposure to long-term growth. Zacks also added EQNR to its Strong Buy, value, income and momentum lists. Shell and Equinor Bay du Nord deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher crude prices and supply risks are favorable for Equinor’s upstream earnings, but they also make the outlook dependent on volatile commodity markets. Energy stocks and oil supply risks

About Equinor ASA

Equinor ASA is a Norwegian energy company engaged in the exploration, development, production, processing, transportation, marketing and trading of oil and natural gas. The company also operates in renewable energy and other lower-carbon activities, including offshore wind, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen initiatives.

Equinor's operations are centered on the Norwegian continental shelf, where it is one of the leading producers of oil and natural gas. The company also has international exploration, production and energy projects across regions including Europe, North America, South America and Africa.

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