Equinor (NYSE: EQNR) launches NOK 1.97B employee share buy-back

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Equinor ASA has begun a share buy-back programme of up to NOK 1,971,000,000 or 19,600,000 shares to support share-based incentive plans for employees and management. The programme runs from 13 February 2026 to 15 January 2027, with sub-limits on how many shares can be bought in each period.

On 13 February 2026, Equinor bought 596,119 shares on the Oslo Stock Exchange at a weighted average price of NOK 266.7250, for a total of NOK 158,999,840. Cumulatively under this programme, 1,298,387 shares have been repurchased for NOK 332,999,659. After these transactions, Equinor holds 61,297,656 treasury shares, equal to 2.40% of its share capital, including shares reserved for employee programmes and shares intended for future capital reduction.

Insights

Equity capital markets analyst

Equinor is executing a NOK 1.97B share buy-back mainly to fund employee share plans.

Equinor has launched a structured buy-back programme of up to NOK 1,971,000,000 or 19,600,000 shares, primarily to supply share-based incentive schemes. The purchases are spread between 13 February 2026 and 15 January 2027, with caps in early and later phases to control pace.

The company has already repurchased 1,298,387 shares for NOK 332,999,659, including 596,119 shares at an average NOK 266.7250 on 13 February 2026. These add to 61,297,656 treasury shares, representing 2.40% of share capital, combining stock for employee programmes and shares designated for eventual capital reduction.

This activity fine-tunes capital structure and supports compensation schemes, but the scale appears modest relative to a large integrated energy company. Future disclosures on further purchases within the 19,600,000-share ceiling will show how quickly the programme is utilised.

Form 6-K: How Foreign Companies Report to the SEC →

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of February 2026

Commission File Number: 1-15200

Equinor ASA
(Translation of registrant's name into English)

FORUSBEEN 50, N-4035, STAVANGER, NORWAY
(Address of principal executive office)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F [ X ]      Form 40-F [   ]

 This Report on Form 6-K contains a press release issued by Equinor ASA on February 18, 2026, entitled “Equinor ASA: Buy-back of shares to share programmes for employees”.

Equinor ASA: Buy-back of shares to share programmes for employees

Please see below information about transactions made under the buy-back programme for Equinor ASA (OSE:EQNR, NYSE:EQNR) for shares to be used in the share-based incentive programmes for employees and management.

Date on which the buy-back programme was announced: 4 February 2026.

The duration of the buy-back programme: 13 February 2026 to 15 January 2027.

Size of the buy-back programme: The total purchase amount under the programme is NOK 1,971,000,000 and the maximum shares to be acquired is 19,600,000 shares, of which up to 7,920,000 shares can be acquired in the period from 13 February 2026 to 15 May 2026, and up to 11,680,000 shares can be acquired in the period from 15 May 2026 to 15 January 2027.

On 13 February 2026, Equinor ASA has purchased a total of 596,119 own shares at the Oslo Stock Exchange at an average price of NOK 266.7250 share.

Aggregated overview of transactions per day:

Date	Aggregated volume (number of shares)	Weighted average share price (NOK)	Total transaction value (NOK)
13 February 2026	596,119	266.7250	158,999,840
Previously disclosed buy-backs under the programme (accumulated)	702,268	247.7684	173,999,819
Total buy-backs under the programme	1,298,387	256.4718	332,999,659

Following the completion of the above transactions, Equinor ASA owns a total of 61,297,656 own shares, corresponding to 2.40% of Equinor ASA’s share capital, including shares purchased under the previous buy-back programme for the share-based incentive programmes for employees, and shares purchased under Equinor’s disclosed buy-back programmes which will be used to reduce the issued share capital of the company.

This is information that Equinor ASA is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

Appendix: A detailed overview of all transactions made under the buy-back programme that have been carried out during the above-mentioned time period is attached to this report and available at www.newsweb.no.

Further information from

Investor relations
Bård Glad Pedersen, senior vice president Investor Relations,
+47 918 01 791

Media
Sissel Rinde, vice president Media Relations,
+47 412 60 584

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

		Equinor ASA
		(Registrant)
Date: February 18, 2026		/s/ TORGRIM REITAN
		Torgrim Reitan
		Chief Financial Officer

FAQ

What is Equinor (EQNR) buying back under the 2026 share programme?

Equinor plans to repurchase up to 19,600,000 shares, with a total purchase amount capped at NOK 1,971,000,000. These shares are primarily intended for employee and management share-based incentive programmes, with some earmarked for future reduction of the company’s issued share capital.

Over what period will Equinor (EQNR) conduct this share buy-back?

The buy-back runs from 13 February 2026 to 15 January 2027. Up to 7,920,000 shares can be bought between 13 February and 15 May 2026, and up to 11,680,000 shares may be acquired from 15 May 2026 to 15 January 2027.

How many Equinor (EQNR) shares were recently repurchased and at what price?

On 13 February 2026, Equinor bought 596,119 shares on the Oslo Stock Exchange at a weighted average price of NOK 266.7250 per share. The total transaction value for that day was NOK 158,999,840 under the ongoing buy-back programme.

What is the total amount repurchased so far in Equinor’s 2026 buy-back?

Under the current programme, Equinor has repurchased a total of 1,298,387 shares for NOK 332,999,659. This includes the latest 596,119-share purchase and previously disclosed buy-backs, as summarised in the aggregated transaction overview table.

What percentage of its share capital does Equinor (EQNR) now hold as treasury shares?

After the latest transactions, Equinor holds 61,297,656 own shares, corresponding to 2.40% of its share capital. This total includes shares reserved for share-based incentive programmes and shares acquired under broader buy-backs intended to reduce the company’s issued share capital.

Why is Equinor (EQNR) carrying out this share buy-back programme?

The programme mainly supplies shares for employee and management share-based incentive schemes, aligning compensation with company performance. Some repurchased shares also support Equinor’s previously disclosed buy-back initiatives, which are designed to reduce the company’s issued share capital over time.