Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR)’s share price gapped down before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $41.60, but opened at $37.82. Equinor ASA shares last traded at $39.00, with a volume of 5,402,746 shares.

Key Equinor ASA News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Sharp drop in short interest — short interest fell ~34% to ~20.0M shares (0.7% of float) as of Mar 13, lowering potential short‑squeeze risk and removing some downward pressure on the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley upgrade — the broker moved EQNR from “underweight” to “equal weight” with a $40.40 price target, signaling more neutral-to-positive institutional sentiment and providing a modest upside reference point.
• Positive Sentiment: Share buy‑back acceleration — Equinor expanded its first tranche of the 2026 buy‑back programme, lifting treasury holdings to ~2.51%, which supports shares via repurchases and boosts EPS. Equinor ASA: Share buy-back – first tranche for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Stronger JV financing — the Shell‑Equinor JV Adura secured a $3bn reserve‑based lending facility, improving liquidity and funding for North Sea production. Shell-Equinor JV Adura secures $3 billion lending facility
• Positive Sentiment: Brazil project progress — Equinor has started drilling producer/injector wells at the Raia gas project, and is pursuing new Santos Basin exploration (adds near‑term production optionality). Equinor starts drilling at Brazil’s Raia, eyes new Santos Basin exploration in 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Renewables expansion — Equinor added the 230 MW Esquina do Vento wind project in Brazil (targeting 2028 start), supporting longer‑term decarbonization and growth in renewables. EQNR Expands Brazil Footprint With Esquina do Vento Wind Project
• Positive Sentiment: Broker support — UBS upgraded Equinor (additional analyst support can buoy demand). Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Upgraded at UBS Group
• Neutral Sentiment: Market view on valuation — opinion pieces argue EQNR remains undervalued, but these are thematic views rather than immediate catalysts. Equinor Stock (EQNR) Stays Undervalued as Market Overlooks Opportunity
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate PR on global expansion — coverage noting Equinor’s broadening presence is informative but not an immediate price driver. Equinor ASA Expands Global Energy Presence Amid Evolving Industry
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed analyst consensus — some brokerages still rate EQNR a “Reduce”, which could cap upside or weigh on sentiment if reiterated. Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Reduce” from Brokerages
• Negative Sentiment: Options activity shows bearish interest — unusually large put buying (5,193 puts, ~24% above typical daily volume) indicates some traders are hedging or betting on downside volatility.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Equinor ASA from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Equinor ASA from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $40.40 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Zacks Research raised Equinor ASA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group upgraded Equinor ASA from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded Equinor ASA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $34.61.

Equinor ASA Stock Up 1.6%

The firm has a market cap of $117.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.06 and a beta of 0.35. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $29.89 and its 200 day moving average is $25.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.27.

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $25.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.31 billion. Equinor ASA had a net margin of 4.74% and a return on equity of 15.23%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Equinor ASA will post 3.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Equinor ASA Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This is a positive change from Equinor ASA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. Equinor ASA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 64.21%.

Institutional Trading of Equinor ASA

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Blair William & Co. IL raised its stake in Equinor ASA by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 14,837 shares of the company’s stock valued at $351,000 after purchasing an additional 389 shares in the last quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Equinor ASA by 1.9% during the second quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC now owns 23,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $581,000 after buying an additional 424 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in Equinor ASA by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 37,331 shares of the company’s stock valued at $910,000 after buying an additional 428 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC increased its holdings in Equinor ASA by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 9,039 shares of the company’s stock valued at $220,000 after buying an additional 434 shares during the period. Finally, Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Equinor ASA by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 24,805 shares of the company’s stock valued at $605,000 after buying an additional 437 shares in the last quarter. 5.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Equinor ASA

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.