Nokia (NYSE:NOK) Shares Up 2.6% After Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Argus upgraded Nokia to a "Buy" with a $15 price target, sending shares up about 2.6% (intraday high $11.30) and boosting volume ~145% above the average session.
• The analyst backdrop is mixed-but-positive: 11 Buys, 5 Holds and 1 Sell, giving a MarketBeat average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $9.71, below Argus's outlook.
• Institutional interest is rising—large stakes reported from investors like Nvidia and Howard Marks/Oaktree and multiple funds increasing positions—while Nokia also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.0468 (annualized $0.19, ~1.7% yield).

Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK - Get Free Report)'s stock price shot up 2.6% during mid-day trading on Monday after Argus upgraded the stock from a hold rating to a buy rating. Argus now has a $15.00 price target on the stock. Nokia traded as high as $11.30 and last traded at $10.7350. 140,874,982 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 145% from the average session volume of 57,503,570 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.46.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Santander upgraded shares of Nokia from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Nordea Equity Research upgraded shares of Nokia from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Danske lowered shares of Nokia from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Nokia from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Nokia in a research report on Monday, February 9th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $8.00 target price on the stock. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $9.71.

Key Nokia News

Here are the key news stories impacting Nokia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Argus upgraded Nokia to a "Buy" with a $15 price target, calling AI-driven demand in network infrastructure a re-rating catalyst and highlighting upside versus prior coverage — a direct analyst endorsement that can lift sentiment and flows. Argus Upgrades Nokia to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Large strategic investors are increasing credibility: Nvidia holds a meaningful Nokia stake (reported as ~8% of an NVDA 13F allocation / ~166M ADRs) and previously invested ~$1B — signalling potential commercial/alignment benefits and attracting momentum buyers. Nvidia's Nokia Stake
• Positive Sentiment: Billionaire investor Howard Marks / Oaktree has disclosed a multi-million share position, which retail and institutional investors may interpret as a vote of confidence and a catalyst for additional interest. Howard Marks Likes Nokia
• Positive Sentiment: Nokia's AI/5G commercial momentum (Q1 strength cited in coverage) and new alliances with Orange and RUCKUS to co-develop AI-driven RAN and Wi‑Fi7/fiber solutions support a narrative of revenue re-rating as hyperscalers and enterprises increase spending. Nokia Alliances With Orange And RUCKUS
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry media coverage and podcasts (e.g., Telecoms.com) are discussing Nokia's tech roadmap and partnerships — useful for sentiment but unlikely to move fundamentals on their own. Telecoms.com Podcast
• Negative Sentiment: Comparisons with peers — notably Ciena — highlight that CIEN currently shows stronger AI/hyperscaler-driven revenue growth, a larger backlog and fresher momentum; this comparative narrative could temper upside for NOK if investors rotate into names with clearer near-term revenue trajectories. Ciena vs. Nokia Comparison

Institutional Trading of Nokia

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in NOK. Analog Century Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Nokia during the 4th quarter worth approximately $104,244,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in shares of Nokia by 50.0% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 43,424,695 shares of the technology company's stock worth $208,873,000 after acquiring an additional 14,482,665 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its position in shares of Nokia by 35,010.3% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 12,655,143 shares of the technology company's stock worth $60,871,000 after acquiring an additional 12,619,099 shares in the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Nokia by 17.0% during the 3rd quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 80,329,917 shares of the technology company's stock worth $386,387,000 after acquiring an additional 11,667,677 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. boosted its position in shares of Nokia by 171.0% during the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 17,490,101 shares of the technology company's stock worth $113,161,000 after acquiring an additional 11,035,002 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.28% of the company's stock.

Nokia Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The firm has a market cap of $61.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 67.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.77. The company's 50-day moving average is $8.58 and its 200-day moving average is $7.20.

Nokia (NYSE:NOK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The technology company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Nokia had a net margin of 4.02% and a return on equity of 9.22%. The business had revenue of $5.21 billion for the quarter. Equities research analysts predict that Nokia Corporation will post 0.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Nokia Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 28th will be given a $0.0468 dividend. This is an increase from Nokia's previous quarterly dividend of $0.04. This represents a $0.19 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 28th. Nokia's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 56.25%.

Nokia Company Profile

Nokia Corporation, headquartered in Espoo, Finland, is a global telecommunications and technology company with roots dating back to 1865. Over its long history the company moved from forestry and cable operations into electronics and telecommunications, becoming widely known in the 1990s and 2000s for its mobile phones. In recent years Nokia refocused its business toward network infrastructure, software and technology licensing, and research and development, following the divestiture of its handset manufacturing business and the acquisition of Alcatel‑Lucent in 2016, which brought Bell Labs into its portfolio.

Today Nokia's core activities center on designing, building and supporting communications networks and related software.

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