Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Downgraded by Pareto Securities to Hold

Pareto Securities downgraded shares of Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Friday,Zacks.com reports.

EQNR has been the topic of several other reports. Zacks Research upgraded Equinor ASA from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Equinor ASA in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Equinor ASA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Bank of America downgraded shares of Equinor ASA from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Equinor ASA from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $40.40 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $34.61.

Equinor ASA Trading Up 1.0%

NYSE:EQNR opened at $41.55 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $122.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.87 and a beta of 0.35. Equinor ASA has a 52 week low of $21.41 and a 52 week high of $42.06. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $30.85 and a 200 day moving average of $26.26.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $25.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.31 billion. Equinor ASA had a net margin of 4.74% and a return on equity of 15.23%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Equinor ASA will post 3.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Equinor ASA Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This is a boost from Equinor ASA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. Equinor ASA’s dividend payout ratio is presently 64.21%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equinor ASA

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in shares of Equinor ASA by 1,794.0% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,269 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,202 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its position in Equinor ASA by 86.2% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,318 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 610 shares during the period. McIlrath & Eck LLC purchased a new position in Equinor ASA in the second quarter valued at $36,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its position in shares of Equinor ASA by 119.2% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 1,876 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 1,020 shares during the period. Finally, Arax Advisory Partners raised its position in shares of Equinor ASA by 78.6% in the fourth quarter. Arax Advisory Partners now owns 2,377 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 1,046 shares during the period. 5.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Equinor ASA News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Equinor from “Hold” to “Strong Buy”, boosting investor sentiment toward the name and supporting momentum into the tape. Zacks Research Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple Zacks pieces this week placed EQNR on top lists (momentum, income and value), reinforcing buy-side interest from retail and quant flows that follow Zacks Rank #1 recommendations. Are You Looking for a Top Momentum Pick? Why Equinor (EQNR) is a Great Choice
• Positive Sentiment: Operational progress: Equinor has begun drilling at the Raia project in Brazil (a ~$9B development) — a long‑duration gas project expected to start in 2028 that strengthens future gas production and revenue visibility. Equinor Begins Drilling at Raia, Strengthens Brazil’s Gas Supply
• Positive Sentiment: Another broker note: Morgan Stanley reportedly raised Equinor’s rating, adding institutional endorsement that can attract fund flows. Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Stock Rating Upgraded by Morgan Stanley
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider-related sale: Magnus Andreas Vadheim, a close associate of board member Geir Leon Vadheim, sold 25 shares at NOK 399 on March 27. The sale is very small in size and appears immaterial to company fundamentals, but it was disclosed under notifiable trading rules. Equinor ASA: Notifiable trading

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.