Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership (Form 3)

FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Clark Morris R 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 01/30/2026 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol SM Energy Co [SM] (Last) (First) (Middle) 1700 LINCOLN ST, SUITE 3200 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (Month/Day/Year) (Street) DENVER, CO 80203 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5) Common Stock, $.01 Par Value 62,812(1) D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Clark Morris R 1700 LINCOLN ST SUITE 3200 DENVER, CO 80203	X

Signatures

Andrew T. Fiske (Attorney-in-Fact)		02/02/2026
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among SM Energy Company ("SM Energy"), Cars Merger Sub, Inc. and Civitas Resources, Inc. ("Civitas"), (a) each outstanding share of Civitas' common stock was converted into 1.45 shares of SM Energy common stock and (b) each outstanding Civitas deferred stock unit (DSU) award fully vested and was converted into an SM Energy DSU award equal to the product of the number of shares of Civitas common stock subject to such Civitas DSU Award and 1.45, rounded up to the nearest whole number. Amount shown includes vested DSUs that will settle in SM Energy common stock upon the director's separation from the board.

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