SM Energy (NYSE:SM) Stock Price Target Lowered at Wells Fargo & Company

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) had its price target lowered by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $47.00 to $46.00 in a report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the energy company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price objective suggests a potential upside of 46.27% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on SM. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of SM Energy in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings raised SM Energy from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on SM Energy from $43.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on SM Energy in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Mizuho set a $39.00 target price on SM Energy in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $40.53.

SM Energy Trading Up 1.2%

SM opened at $31.45 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $7.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.63 and a beta of 0.80. SM Energy has a one year low of $17.45 and a one year high of $41.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.62. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $37.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $30.46.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 3rd. The energy company reported $1.95 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $2.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.04 billion. SM Energy had a return on equity of 21.49% and a net margin of 13.69%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 167.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.33 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that SM Energy will post 8.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at SM Energy

In related news, EVP James Barker Lebeck sold 17,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.02, for a total transaction of $647,850.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 14,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $544,379.10. This trade represents a 54.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Ashwin Venkatraman sold 3,650 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.28, for a total transaction of $139,722.00. Following the sale, the director owned 12,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $479,457. This trade represents a 22.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.45% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SM Energy

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in SM Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $1,025,229,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of SM Energy in the second quarter worth about $378,288,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of SM Energy by 79.5% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 9,995,353 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $311,678,000 after acquiring an additional 4,426,751 shares in the last quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. acquired a new position in shares of SM Energy in the second quarter worth about $199,602,000. Finally, Webs Creek Capital Management LP purchased a new position in SM Energy in the second quarter valued at about $53,257,807. 94.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

SM Energy News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting SM Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue rose 167% year over year to $2.16 billion, beating estimates, while operating cash flow reached $1.1 billion. The company used cash to redeem $417 million of debt and return $133 million to shareholders; merger synergies also reached $400 million. SM Energy Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined fourth-quarter production expectations and is targeting low-1x leverage by year-end 2026, supporting the outlook for continued production and balance-sheet improvement. SM Energy outlines Q4 production and leverage target
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the revenue beat, adjusted earnings of $1.95 per share missed analyst expectations of about $2.01. The shortfall contributed to selling pressure, and shares crossed below their 50-day moving average, a potentially negative technical signal. SM Energy share price crosses below 50-day moving average following weak earnings
• Negative Sentiment: SM Energy may temporarily shift drilling away from the Uinta Basin in early 2027 because of regional constraints. A change in drilling location could create uncertainty around the near-term operating plan. SM Energy may shift drilling amid Uinta Basin constraints

About SM Energy

SM Energy Company is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its activities include acquiring prospective acreage, drilling and completing wells, and managing producing properties in U.S. onshore oil and gas basins.

The company’s operations are primarily concentrated in Texas, including the Midland Basin in West Texas and the Eagle Ford shale region in South Texas. SM Energy focuses on development of unconventional resources and uses horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies to produce hydrocarbons from shale and other tight-rock formations.

Founded in 1908 as St.