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SM Energy (SM) Jumps 9.5% on Double-Digit Dividend Hike

By Angelica Ballesteros | February 28, 2026, 7:26 AM

We recently published 10 Stocks Ending February With a Bang. SM Energy Company (NYSE:SM) was one of the best performers on Friday.

SM Energy snapped a four-day losing streak on Friday, climbing 9.47 percent to close at $23.13 apiece, as investor sentiment was bolstered by a 10-percent increase in its quarterly dividend beginning this year.

In an updated report earlier in the week, SM Energy Company (NYSE:SM) said that it approved the distribution of higher quarterly dividends amounting to $0.22 to all shareholders on record as of March 9, 2026, payable on March 23.

The initiative followed the company’s successful sale of assets amounting to $950 million, which helped boost its balance sheet, coupled with a 14 percent lower capital spending and reduced rig activity, among others.

Apart from dividends, SM Energy Company (NYSE:SM) is also underway with the buyback of $500 million worth of its shares to support shareholder value.

Of the total, some $12 million has been successfully bought back, with the initiative expected to run until December 31, 2027.

In other news, SM Energy Company (NYSE:SM) also announced its earnings performance in the fourth quarter and full-year 2025. Net income dropped by 15.8 percent to $648 million from $770 million in 2024, while total operating revenues and other income increased by 17 percent to $3.15 billion from $2.69 billion year-on-year.

SM Energy (SM) Jumps 9.5% on Double-Digit Dividend Hike
Photo by Kwon Junho on Unsplash

In the fourth quarter alone, net income declined by 42 percent to $109 million from the $188 million in the same period a year earlier, while total operating revenues and income declined by 17 percent to $705 million from $852 million year-on-year.

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READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now.

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