Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Sees Large Drop in Short Interest

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) saw a significant drop in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 26,093,992 shares, a drop of 14.0% from the December 31st total of 30,357,850 shares. Approximately 0.9% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 5,919,253 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.4 days. Based on an average trading volume of 5,919,253 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.4 days. Approximately 0.9% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Institutional Trading of Equinor ASA

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mirabella Financial Services LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Equinor ASA in the third quarter valued at about $730,757,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in Equinor ASA by 30.2% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 15,759,942 shares of the company’s stock valued at $384,227,000 after acquiring an additional 3,659,611 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Equinor ASA by 1,437.7% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,286,328 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,741,000 after acquiring an additional 2,137,642 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Equinor ASA by 113.0% in the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 1,787,778 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,945,000 after purchasing an additional 948,609 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Equinor ASA during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $21,366,000. 5.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Equinor ASA News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Equinor sold roughly 30% of volumes from its U.S. onshore gas assets into the January cold snap, capturing higher spot prices and lifting near-term cash flow. Equinor sold about 30% of its US gas on spot market during January price spike
• Positive Sentiment: Equinor will commence the first tranche (up to USD 375m) of its 2026 buy?back program on Feb. 5, signaling shareholder return priority and supporting the share price. Equinor to commence first tranche of the 2026 share buy-back programme
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 profit declined year?over?year but fell by less than analysts expected, which can reduce downside pressure on the stock. Equinor Q4 profit falls, but less than expected
• Neutral Sentiment: Company released full Q4 and FY2025 figures (adjusted operating income USD 6.20bn; adjusted EPS USD 0.81), providing transparency but mixed topline pressures from lower commodity prices. Equinor fourth quarter and full year 2025 results
• Neutral Sentiment: Board proposed a Q4 cash dividend of USD 0.39 (subject to AGM approval), which supports yield-seeking investors but is not yet finalized. Equinor ASA: Key information relating to proposed cash dividend for fourth quarter 2025
• Neutral Sentiment: Management flagged an earnings slide driven by weaker commodity prices but plans a 10% reduction in operating costs and lower capex in 2026 — cost measures may help margins but benefits will take time. Equinor Posts Earning Slide, Targets Cost Cuts in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the buy?back tranche, Equinor has pared back its overall repurchase plans after quarterly profit missed some analyst estimates — a reduction in buybacks lowers a direct source of support for the share price. Equinor Reduces Share Buyback as Quarterly Earnings Tumble

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on EQNR. DZ Bank lowered Equinor ASA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Equinor ASA from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating on shares of Equinor ASA in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Equinor ASA in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Equinor ASA from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and nine have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $22.71.

Equinor ASA Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE EQNR opened at $26.40 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $77.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 0.38. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $23.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $24.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. Equinor ASA has a 52-week low of $21.41 and a 52-week high of $28.26.

Equinor ASA Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. Equinor ASA’s payout ratio is 57.82%.

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.