UBS Group Downgrades Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) to Sell

UBS Group lowered shares of Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR - Free Report) from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat reports.

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on EQNR. Morgan Stanley lowered Equinor ASA from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $22.70 target price on the stock. in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Berenberg Bank lowered Equinor ASA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $26.44 target price on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Kepler Capital Markets downgraded shares of Equinor ASA from a "hold" rating to a "reduce" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Redburn Atlantic cut shares of Equinor ASA from a "buy" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded shares of Equinor ASA from a "sector perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Equinor ASA presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $22.71.

Equinor ASA Stock Up 2.7%

Equinor ASA stock traded up $0.68 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $25.92. 5,000,753 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,773,830. The company's 50-day moving average is $24.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $24.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 1.37. Equinor ASA has a 52-week low of $21.41 and a 52-week high of $29.03. The firm has a market cap of $72.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.20, a PEG ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 0.58.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The company reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.83 by ($0.17). The company had revenue of $27.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $27.16 billion. Equinor ASA had a net margin of 8.07% and a return on equity of 18.44%. On average, analysts predict that Equinor ASA will post 3.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Equinor ASA Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 28th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th were issued a $0.304 dividend. This represents a $1.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. Equinor ASA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.61%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Equinor ASA by 725.4% in the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 974 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 856 shares in the last quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC lifted its position in Equinor ASA by 254.5% in the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 1,372 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 985 shares during the period. Montag A & Associates Inc. bought a new position in Equinor ASA during the 1st quarter valued at $53,000. Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Equinor ASA during the 1st quarter valued at $54,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Equinor ASA during the 1st quarter valued at $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.51% of the company's stock.

About Equinor ASA

Equinor ASA, an energy company, engages in the exploration, production, transportation, refining, and marketing of petroleum and other forms of energy in Norway and internationally. It operates through Exploration & Production Norway; Exploration & Production International; Exploration & Production USA; Marketing, Midstream & Processing; Renewables; and Other segments.