Barclays Cuts Equitable (NYSE:EQH) Price Target to $49.00

Equitable (NYSE:EQH) had its price objective cut by Barclays from $57.00 to $49.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on EQH. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Equitable in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Equitable from $60.00 to $58.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Equitable from $67.00 to $66.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods started coverage on shares of Equitable in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $53.00 target price for the company. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $60.00 target price on shares of Equitable in a research report on Monday, January 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Equitable has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $57.73.

Equitable Stock Down 2.6%

EQH opened at $37.50 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $40.42 and a 200-day moving average price of $45.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.51 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.42, a current ratio of 0.13 and a quick ratio of 0.13. Equitable has a one year low of $35.19 and a one year high of $56.61.

Equitable declared that its board has initiated a share buyback program on Wednesday, February 11th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 7.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Equitable Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th were paid a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 4th. Equitable’s dividend payout ratio is presently -22.41%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Equitable news, COO Jeffrey J. Hurd sold 14,358 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.04, for a total value of $574,894.32. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 89,403 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,579,696.12. This represents a 13.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark Pearson sold 39,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.20, for a total transaction of $1,834,140.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 652,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,166,059. This trade represents a 5.73% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 139,161 shares of company stock valued at $6,096,913 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equitable

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Equitable in the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Covestor Ltd grew its stake in Equitable by 124.7% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 728 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 404 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in Equitable during the third quarter valued at $36,000. Hilltop National Bank purchased a new position in Equitable during the third quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Equitable in the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.70% of the company’s stock.

Equitable News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Equitable this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board-approved $1.0 billion share buyback (up to ~7.7% of shares) provides balance‑sheet support and buyback-driven EPS/capital return optionality. MarketBeat EQH Company Page
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly dividend of $0.27 (annualized $1.08, ~2.8% yield) remains in place, offering income support for shareholders. MarketBeat Dividend Report
• Positive Sentiment: Despite recent trims, the analyst consensus remains largely positive (many Buy/Outperform ratings and a consensus target near the mid‑$50s), implying continued upside from current levels. MarketBeat Analyst Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS cut its price target from $66 to $58 but kept a “buy” rating — the target still implies sizable upside vs. the current price. UBS PT Lowered to $58 (AmericanBankingNews)
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo trimmed its target to $56 and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered theirs to $51, yet both maintain overweight/outperform stances — these trims reduce upside expectations slightly but are not full downgrades. Benzinga: Wells Fargo & KBW Coverage TickerReport: KBW PT Lowered
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO/COO-level insiders (Nick Lane and Jeffrey Hurd) sold shares under pre-arranged 10b5‑1 plans (combined disclosed sales on/around April 8), which can sap near‑term sentiment despite being pre-planned. InsiderTrades: EQH Insider Sales

About Equitable

Equitable Holdings, Inc (NYSE: EQH) is a leading provider of life insurance, annuities and retirement plan services in the United States. Through its insurance subsidiary, AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company, the firm offers a broad range of permanent and term life insurance products designed to help individuals and families manage risk and build wealth. In addition, Equitable provides fixed, variable and indexed annuity solutions to support income planning in retirement, as well as a suite of group retirement and pension plan services for employers and plan sponsors.

The company also maintains an asset management arm that delivers investment strategies across equities, fixed income and alternative asset classes for both retail and institutional clients.