Key Points
- CEO Mark Pearson sold 38,313 shares on April 8 at an average price of $40.05 for $1,534,435.65 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plan, trimming his stake by about 4.56% to 801,683 shares (≈$32.1M).
- The board approved a $1.0 billion share repurchase (up to ~7.7% of shares) and the company paid a $0.27 quarterly dividend (annualized $1.08, ~2.9% yield), signaling shareholder return support.
- Analysts remain largely positive with a consensus "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $57.73, implying meaningful upside versus recent trading around the high $30s to low $40s.
Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:EQH - Get Free Report) CEO Mark Pearson sold 38,313 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.05, for a total transaction of $1,534,435.65. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 801,683 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,107,404.15. This represents a 4.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
Mark Pearson also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Tuesday, January 20th, Mark Pearson sold 39,700 shares of Equitable stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.20, for a total transaction of $1,834,140.00.
Equitable Stock Performance
Shares of EQH stock opened at $37.50 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $10.51 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.78, a P/E/G 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. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $40.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $45.13. Equitable Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $35.19 and a one year high of $56.61.
Equitable Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th were paid a $0.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. Equitable's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -22.41%.
Equitable announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, February 11th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 7.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of brokerages have commented on EQH. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Equitable from $59.00 to $54.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Raymond James Financial set a $60.00 price target on shares of Equitable in a research note on Monday, January 5th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Equitable from $66.00 to $58.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Equitable from $57.00 to $49.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Equitable in a research report on Monday, January 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $57.73.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on EQH
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equitable
Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Equitable by 15.3% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 46,021 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,193,000 after purchasing an additional 6,123 shares during the period. Smith Asset Management Co. LLC raised its position in shares of Equitable by 14.0% in the fourth quarter. Smith Asset Management Co. LLC now owns 82,004 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,907,000 after purchasing an additional 10,055 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its position in shares of Equitable by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 111,134 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,296,000 after purchasing an additional 5,166 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of Equitable by 16.0% in the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 120,655 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,749,000 after purchasing an additional 16,655 shares during the period. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd raised its position in shares of Equitable by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 22,247 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,060,000 after purchasing an additional 631 shares during the period. 92.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Key Equitable News
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
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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