Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Hsbc Global Res

Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR - Free Report) to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday, February 10th,Zacks.com reports.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on EQNR. Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Equinor ASA from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. StockNews.com cut Equinor ASA from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Danske upgraded Equinor ASA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Equinor ASA from an "underweight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, December 9th. Finally, Berenberg Bank raised Equinor ASA from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $29.45.

Equinor ASA Price Performance

Shares of Equinor ASA stock traded down $0.31 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $23.11. The stock had a trading volume of 2,999,812 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,006,957. The stock's 50 day moving average is $23.91 and its 200 day moving average is $24.73. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Equinor ASA has a twelve month low of $21.85 and a twelve month high of $29.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.53 billion, a PE ratio of 7.43, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.83.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.82 by ($0.19). Equinor ASA had a return on equity of 20.33% and a net margin of 8.49%. Equities analysts expect that Equinor ASA will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Equinor ASA Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. Equinor ASA's payout ratio is currently 37.62%.

Institutional Trading of Equinor ASA

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in EQNR. Reston Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Equinor ASA in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. GeoWealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Equinor ASA by 254.5% in the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 1,372 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 985 shares during the period. Manchester Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Equinor ASA in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Equinor ASA in the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Equinor ASA during the fourth quarter worth about $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 5.51% of the company's stock.

About Equinor ASA

Equinor ASA, an energy company, engages in the exploration, production, transportation, refining, and marketing of petroleum and other forms of energy in Norway and internationally. It operates through Exploration & Production Norway; Exploration & Production International; Exploration & Production USA; Marketing, Midstream & Processing; Renewables; and Other segments.