📄 What This Document Is 📰

This document is a Form 6-K, which is a required filing by Equinor ASA—a foreign private issuer—to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Essentially, it functions like a public press release, giving investors and the market an immediate, detailed update on a specific corporate action. The filing, dated April 20, 2026, focuses entirely on the company's plan to buy back its own shares. 👉 This signals that the company is actively managing its capital and enhancing its share-based incentive program for employees and management.

⛽️ What Equinor Does 🏭

Equinor ASA is a major global energy company. Although the filing doesn't go into detail about their operations, the fact that they are making a massive public capital move confirms their role as a publicly traded entity in the energy sector. They operate globally, maintaining listings on both the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE:EQNR) and the NYSE (NYSE:EQNR). 👉 Since they are reporting through a 6-K, they are making sure U.S. investors are kept fully informed about their financial activities.

💰 The Buy-Back Program Overview 🎯

The central theme of the filing is the formal share buy-back program. This is a structured plan where a company uses its cash to buy its own stock from the open market. This reduces the total number of shares available, which can, theoretically, increase the value of the remaining shares (earnings per share). The buy-back was initially announced on February 4, 2026, and is designed to reward employees and management through share-based incentive programs.

• Total Value: The program has a total purchase amount of NOK 1,971,000,000.
• Maximum Shares: Over the program's life, Equinor can acquire a maximum of 19,600,000 shares.
• Program Window: The buy-back is active from February 13, 2026, to January 15, 2027.

📅 Phased Share Acquisitions ⏳

The company structured the buy-back into distinct time periods to manage the capital expenditure over time. This phasing limits the financial exposure in any single quarter, which is a common strategy for large companies.

• First Phase: Between February 13, 2026, and May 15, 2026, Equinor can acquire up to 7,920,000 shares.
• Second Phase: The remaining shares can be acquired between May 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027, allowing for up to 11,680,000 shares.

📊 April 15, 2026 Transactions 💸

The filing provides granular details about the transactions that actually took place on April 15, 2026. Tracking these numbers is crucial because it shows the real-time execution and market impact of the program.

• Date: On April 15, 2026, Equinor purchased 444,297 own shares on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
• Average Price: The average price paid for these shares was NOK 357.8681 per share.
• Day’s Value: This single-day activity totaled NOK 158,999,723 in value.

📈 Cumulative Buy-Back Performance 🏆

Equinor provided a running total to show how far along the program is. This aggregated overview helps readers understand the momentum and historical cost of the buy-back.

• Previous Accumulated Buy-backs: Prior to April 15, 2026, the company had accumulated 1,068,721 shares, totaling NOK 317,999,694.
• Total Buy-backs to Date: Following the transactions on April 15, 2026, the total accumulated shares stood at 1,513,018 shares, with a total value of NOK 476,999,417.

🌟 Current Share Ownership Position 💼

The buy-back program directly impacts the share capital structure. This section confirms the current status of the company’s ownership, which is necessary for calculating key financial metrics like earnings per share (EPS).

• Total Own Shares: Following these transactions, Equinor owns a total of 64,867,299 own shares.
• Ownership Percentage: These own shares correspond to 2.54% of Equinor ASA’s total share capital.
• Use of Shares: These shares are designated for both the employee incentive program and general reduction of the company’s issued share capital.

🚨 Compliance & Regulatory Context ⚖️

Equinor notes that the transparency provided is not just voluntary—it is legally required. The company explicitly states that this information is mandatory under the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the disclosure requirements of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act (Section 5-12). 👉 This indicates a high level of regulatory compliance and transparency for its international investors.

👨‍💼 Corporate Sign-Off and Oversight 🖋️

To give the filing formal authority, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) must sign the report. This signature confirms that the financial details presented are accurate and reported according to SEC rules.

• Signatory: The filing was signed by Torgrim Reitan, the Chief Financial Officer.
• Date: The report was signed on April 20, 2026.

📞 Contacts and Resources ℹ️

If an investor or journalist needs more details about the buy-back or Equinor's corporate activities, the filing lists specific contacts.

• Investor Relations: For financial queries, the contact is Bård Glad Pedersen, Senior Vice President Investor Relations, at +47 918 01 791.
• Media Relations: For media queries, the contact is Sissel Rinde, Vice President Media Relations, at +47 412 60 584.
• Appendix: A detailed, full overview of all transactions is available in an attached appendix on the company's website (www.newsweb.no).

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🧠 The Analogy

Think of a share buy-back like a homeowner renovating their house. Instead of taking out a new mortgage (which would increase their debt), the homeowner uses existing equity (the money from the buy-back fund) to fix up the kitchen and bathrooms (the employee incentive programs). By using existing wealth to improve the property, they make the home look better and increase its overall value for the next buyer (the remaining shareholders).

🧩 Final Takeaway

Equinor is executing a large, structured buy-back program using over NOK 1.97 billion over the next year, which reinforces shareholder value and rewards employees while remaining highly compliant with international financial regulations.