Erste Group Bank Lifts Earnings Estimates for Equinor ASA

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) – Equities researchers at Erste Group Bank boosted their FY2026 EPS estimates for shares of Equinor ASA in a note issued to investors on Thursday, October 8th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $5.63 per share for the year, up from their previous 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.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on EQNR. Weiss Ratings raised Equinor ASA from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised Equinor ASA from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Zacks Research raised Equinor ASA from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Bank of America upgraded Equinor ASA from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $49.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, September 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Equinor ASA from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Equinor ASA currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $43.47.

Equinor ASA Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:EQNR opened at $43.91 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $42.35 and a 200-day moving average of $39.11. The company has a market capitalization of $104.97 billion, a PE ratio of 11.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.18. Equinor ASA has a 52-week low of $22.26 and a 52-week high of $45.84.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $1.33 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.39 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $34.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.03 billion. Equinor ASA had a net margin of 7.92% and a return on equity of 23.60%.

Equinor ASA Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Trading of Equinor ASA

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Equinor ASA during the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in shares of Equinor ASA by 130.2% in the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,036 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 586 shares during the last quarter. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Equinor ASA in the second quarter valued at about $35,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Equinor ASA during the first quarter worth about $79,000. Finally, Arlington Trust Co LLC raised its position in shares of Equinor ASA by 1,581.9% during the second quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 2,136 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 2,009 shares during the last quarter. 5.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Equinor ASA

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

Equinor ASA Company Profile

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.