Short Interest in Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) Increases by 7.5%

Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) experienced a notable rise in short interest during January. As of January 15th, the short interest stood at 15,270,000 shares, reflecting a 7.5% increase from the 14,200,000 shares reported as of December 31st. Currently, about 0.6% of the company's total shares are sold short, indicating a moderate level of bearish sentiment among investors. With an average daily trading volume of 3,540,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.3 days, suggesting a plausible timeframe for covering the short positions.

Recent Upgrades from Analysts

Several analysts have recently commented on Equinor ASA shares. Morgan Stanley upgraded Equinor from an 'equal weight' rating to an 'overweight' rating, raising the price target from $25.80 to $30.90 in a report released on January 7th. Furthermore, Redburn Atlantic revised its rating from 'neutral' to 'buy' in a report dated November 20th. StockNews.com raised its rating on Equinor from 'buy' to 'strong buy' on January 29th. Barclays also upgraded its stance from 'equal weight' to 'overweight' on November 25th, while JPMorgan Chase & Co. transitioned its rating from 'underweight' to 'overweight' as of December 9th. There are currently varied ratings on the stock, with one analyst selling, three holding, four buying, and two giving it a strong buy rating. Data from MarketBeat reveals an average recommendation of 'Moderate Buy' with an average price target set at $29.45.

Institutional Investors and Hedge Funds Taking Positions

In recent developments, several institutional investors and hedge funds have made adjustments to their positions in Equinor ASA. For example, ABC Arbitrage SA acquired a new stake valued at approximately $9,043,000 in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Mediolanum International Funds Ltd entered with a new stake worth around $6,203,000 in the third quarter. Drum Hill Capital LLC also purchased a new stake in the company during the fourth quarter amounting to about $4,023,000. Additionally, the Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position valued at approximately $3,685,000 in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings by 3.7% in the third quarter, owning a total of 3,751,243 shares valued at $95,019,000 after adding 132,157 shares recently. Overall, institutional investors and hedge funds hold approximately 5.51% of Equinor's stock.

Current Stock Performance

Equinor ASA shares opened at $24.42 on a recent Tuesday. The company boasts a market capitalization of $68.21 billion, a PE ratio of 7.50, and a P/E/G ratio of 1.31, with a beta of 0.83. In terms of liquidity, the current ratio is 1.48 and the quick ratio stands at 1.38, while the debt-to-equity ratio is reported at 0.51. Over the past year, Equinor has seen a low of $21.85 and a high of $29.45, with a 50-day simple moving average of $23.98 and a 200-day moving average of $24.91.

Equinor ASA Announces Dividend

Equinor ASA has also declared a quarterly dividend expected to be paid on Friday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on February 14th will receive a dividend of $0.35 per share. This dividend translates to an annualized payout of $1.40, reflecting a dividend yield of 5.73%. The ex-dividend date is set for February 14th, and the company's payout ratio is reported to be 35.89%.

Company Overview

Equinor ASA is an energy enterprise involved in the exploration, production, transportation, refining, and marketing of petroleum and various energy forms both in Norway and internationally. The company's operations span multiple segments, including Exploration & Production Norway, Exploration & Production International, Exploration & Production USA, Marketing, Midstream & Processing, Renewables, and others.

Equinor, Stocks, Investment