SM Energy (NYSE:SM) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) was upgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts also recently commented on SM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of SM Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $40.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Susquehanna cut their price target on SM Energy from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Roth Mkm restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $33.00 price objective (up from $24.00) on shares of SM Energy in a research report on Wednesday. Mizuho set a $34.00 price objective on SM Energy in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Siebert Williams Shank cut SM Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $33.31.

SM Energy Trading Down 8.3%

Shares of NYSE:SM opened at $28.75 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $25.25 and a 200 day moving average of $22.04. The company has a market cap of $6.85 billion, a PE ratio of 5.09 and a beta of 0.78. SM Energy has a 12-month low of $17.45 and a 12-month high of $33.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The energy company reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $704.92 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $764.40 million. SM Energy had a net margin of 20.55% and a return on equity of 13.47%. The firm’s revenue was down 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.91 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that SM Energy will post 8.1 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of SM Energy in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in SM Energy by 316.7% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,200 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 912 shares in the last quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in SM Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. NBC Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 160.5% during the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,347 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 830 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 10,461.5% during the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 1,373 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 1,360 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.56% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting SM Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple sell‑side upgrades and estimate raises have pushed near‑term earnings expectations materially higher (KeyCorp lifted Q1–Q4 and FY2026/FY2027 EPS forecasts and carries an Overweight/$39 target), which supports a higher valuation if results track.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks notes rising earnings estimate revisions for SM, and SM was added to several Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) lists for April (general, income, and value‑style lists), highlighting momentum among quant/value screens — a reason some buyers may still be accumulating. Earnings Estimates Rising for SM Energy (SM) New Strong Buy Stocks for April 8th
• Positive Sentiment: SM clarified a debt‑tender process tied to the recent merger, which management says improves the post‑merger balance sheet and flexibility — this reduces a key financing/credit risk that had weighed on the stock. SM Energy Debt Tender Clarifies Post Merger Balance Sheet And Flexibility
• Neutral Sentiment: Roth MKM reaffirmed a “neutral” rating while raising its price target to $33 from $24 — the higher PT is constructive, but the neutral stance tempers upside expectations. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: SM scheduled its Q1 2026 results release and conference call for May 6–7; the approaching report is likely increasing short‑term volatility as traders position ahead of the print. SM Energy Schedules First Quarter 2026 Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Proposed legislation (H.R.8034) would improve tax treatment for small oil & gas producers starting in 2027; it’s potentially positive for industry cash flow but remains early stage and uncertain. H.R.8034 Bill Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Consensus analyst coverage still reads as a “Hold” overall, which can limit broad institutional buying despite pockets of bullish upgrades. SM Given Consensus Rating of Hold
• Negative Sentiment: SM’s most recent quarter showed a Y/Y revenue decline and a revenue miss versus consensus, leaving some investors wary that upside will need to come primarily from margin expansion and higher commodity realizations. (See company recent results and MarketBeat summary.) MarketBeat SM Summary
• Negative Sentiment: SM had risen recently (Zacks noted momentum), and elevated intraday volume suggests profit‑taking and position‑rebalancing may be driving today’s sell‑off despite the constructive fundamental headlines. SM Energy Outpaces Stock Market Gains

SM Energy Company Profile

SM Energy Company (NYSE: SM) is an independent energy firm engaged in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. The company focuses on identifying and exploiting unconventional onshore basins, leveraging advanced drilling and completion techniques to optimize resource recovery. SM Energy’s operations are supported by an integrated approach to reservoir management and strategic midstream partnerships, enabling efficient transportation and marketing of hydrocarbons.

The company’s core asset areas include prolific basins such as the Permian, Eagle Ford, and the Rocky Mountain region.