Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Downgraded to “Neutral” Rating by Bank of America

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) was downgraded by analysts at Bank of America from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report issued on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on EQNR. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating on shares of Equinor ASA in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings upgraded Equinor ASA from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. DZ Bank cut Equinor ASA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Equinor ASA in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Equinor ASA from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and nine have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $24.71.

Equinor ASA Price Performance

Equinor ASA stock opened at $26.84 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $24.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $24.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $79.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.72, a PEG ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 0.38. Equinor ASA has a 52-week low of $21.41 and a 52-week high of $28.26.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.21. Equinor ASA had a return on equity of 14.34% and a net margin of 5.27%.The company had revenue of $25.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.31 billion. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Equinor ASA will post 3.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. McIlrath & Eck LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Equinor ASA during the second quarter worth approximately $36,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its position in shares of Equinor ASA by 119.2% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 1,876 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,020 shares during the last quarter. New Millennium Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Equinor ASA during the third quarter worth about $57,000. MAI Capital Management increased its holdings in Equinor ASA by 55.6% in the second quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 2,339 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 836 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC raised its stake in Equinor ASA by 20.6% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,051 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 522 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.51% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Equinor ASA

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat — Equinor reported adjusted EPS of $0.81 and revenue of $25.3B, topping analyst estimates and showing stronger operating performance than feared; this drove much of the positive market reaction. Equinor fourth quarter and full year 2025 results
• Positive Sentiment: Capitalised on US gas price spike — Equinor sold ~30% of its U.S. gas volumes on the spot market in January to capture higher prices, lifting near‑term cash flow. Equinor sold about 30% of its US gas on spot market during January price spike
• Positive Sentiment: Argentina onshore divestment — Equinor agreed to sell Vaca Muerta onshore assets to Vista Energy for $1.1B, improving liquidity while keeping offshore exposure — a tidy non‑core monetization. Equinor Divests Argentina Onshore Assets to Vista Energy for $1.1B
• Positive Sentiment: Buy‑back tranche starts — Equinor will commence the first tranche (up to $375M) of its $1.5B 2026 buy‑back programme on Feb 5, supporting shareholder returns. Equinor to commence first tranche of the 2026 share buy-back programme
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend proposal — The company proposed a Q4 cash dividend of $0.39 (subject to AGM approval), which is supportive for income investors but not unexpected. Equinor ASA: Key information relating to proposed cash dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Profit decline but better than feared — Q4 profit fell year‑on‑year as oil & gas prices weakened, yet results came in slightly ahead of expectations, tempering the negative reaction. Equinor Q4 profit falls, but less than expected
• Negative Sentiment: Reduced buy‑back headline — Coverage noted Equinor scaled back share‑repurchases relative to prior programs after quarterly profit weakness, which can be read as reduced shareholder return capacity. Equinor Reduces Share Buyback as Quarterly Earnings Tumble
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings slide & cost response — Management flagged weaker oil & gas prices, a slide in earnings and plans for ~10% operating‑cost cuts and lower capex, highlighting near‑term margin pressure. Equinor Posts Earning Slide, Targets Cost Cuts in 2026

Equinor ASA Company Profile

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.