Truist Financial Issues Pessimistic Forecast for SM Energy (NYSE:SM) Stock Price

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) had its price target reduced by Truist Financial from $48.00 to $47.00 in a report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the energy company’s stock. Truist Financial‘s target price points to a potential upside of 46.27% from the stock’s previous close.

SM has been the topic of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on SM Energy from $47.00 to $46.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of SM Energy from $32.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on shares of SM Energy from $39.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Scotiabank started coverage on shares of SM Energy in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $39.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of SM Energy in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price objective on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, SM Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $40.47.

SM Energy Stock Performance

SM stock traded up $1.07 during trading on Thursday, reaching $32.13. 1,352,062 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,784,906. SM Energy has a twelve month low of $17.45 and a twelve month high of $41.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $37.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $30.46. The company has a market capitalization of $7.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.79 and a beta of 0.80.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The energy company reported $1.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.01 by ($0.06). SM Energy had a net margin of 13.69% and a return on equity of 21.49%. The business had revenue of $2.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.04 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.33 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 167.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that SM Energy will post 8.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at SM Energy

In other SM Energy news, Director Ashwin Venkatraman sold 3,650 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.28, for a total transaction of $139,722.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 12,525 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $479,457. This represents a 22.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP James Barker Lebeck sold 17,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.02, for a total value of $647,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 14,705 shares in the company, valued at $544,379.10. This represents a 54.34% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.45% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SM Energy

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Lido Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in SM Energy by 25.5% during the 3rd quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 24,347 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $822,000 after purchasing an additional 4,946 shares during the last quarter. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC raised its position in shares of SM Energy by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC now owns 13,409 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $453,000 after buying an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its position in shares of SM Energy by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 49,243 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $1,726,000 after buying an additional 1,860 shares in the last quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of SM Energy by 6.4% during the 3rd quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,306 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $348,000 after buying an additional 618 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in SM Energy by 24.7% in the third quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,164 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $411,000 after buying an additional 2,406 shares in the last quarter. 94.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More SM Energy News

Here are the key news stories impacting SM Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue rose 167% year over year to $2.16 billion, beating estimates, while operating cash flow reached $1.1 billion. The company used cash to redeem $417 million of debt and return $133 million to shareholders; merger synergies also reached $400 million. SM Energy Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined fourth-quarter production expectations and is targeting low-1x leverage by year-end 2026, supporting the outlook for continued production and balance-sheet improvement. SM Energy outlines Q4 production and leverage target
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the revenue beat, adjusted earnings of $1.95 per share missed analyst expectations of about $2.01. The shortfall contributed to selling pressure, and shares crossed below their 50-day moving average, a potentially negative technical signal. SM Energy share price crosses below 50-day moving average following weak earnings
• Negative Sentiment: SM Energy may temporarily shift drilling away from the Uinta Basin in early 2027 because of regional constraints. A change in drilling location could create uncertainty around the near-term operating plan. SM Energy may shift drilling amid Uinta Basin constraints

SM Energy Company Profile

SM Energy Company is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its activities include acquiring prospective acreage, drilling and completing wells, and managing producing properties in U.S. onshore oil and gas basins.

The company’s operations are primarily concentrated in Texas, including the Midland Basin in West Texas and the Eagle Ford shale region in South Texas. SM Energy focuses on development of unconventional resources and uses horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies to produce hydrocarbons from shale and other tight-rock formations.

Founded in 1908 as St.