APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) has received an average rating of “Hold” from the nineteen analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have given a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $28.25.

Several brokerages recently commented on APA. Barclays cut their price target on shares of APA from $27.00 to $25.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on APA from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Raymond James cut APA from a “strong-buy” rating to an “outperform” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $45.00 to $32.00 in a research report on Monday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of APA from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of APA from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th.

APA Price Performance

Shares of APA stock opened at $20.92 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $7.62 billion, a PE ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 3.26. APA has a twelve month low of $17.66 and a twelve month high of $36.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $21.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $22.90.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.97 by ($0.18). The business had revenue of $2.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.31 billion. APA had a net margin of 24.36% and a return on equity of 27.86%. Sell-side analysts predict that APA will post 4.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

APA Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 22nd will be given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 22nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.78%. APA’s payout ratio is currently 44.25%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On APA

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its stake in shares of APA by 1,087.9% in the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 1,077 shares in the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC increased its stake in APA by 84.1% during the third quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 1,182 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 540 shares during the period. Riverview Trust Co increased its stake in APA by 5,718.2% during the fourth quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 1,280 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,258 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its position in shares of APA by 77.9% during the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 1,338 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 586 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of APA in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 83.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

APA Company Profile

APA Corporation, an independent energy company, explores for, develops, and produces natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids. It has oil and gas operations in the United States, Egypt, and North Sea. The company also has exploration and appraisal activities in Suriname, as well as holds interests in projects located in Uruguay and internationally.