Key Points
- Insider sale: APA director Matthew Regis Bob sold 23,000 shares on March 18 at an average $36.23 for about $833,290, cutting his holdings by roughly 77.6% to 6,634 shares (SEC filing).
- Quarterly results: APA beat EPS estimates with $0.91 vs $0.62 and reported revenue of $1.99 billion (above $1.89B est), although revenue fell 26.6% year-over-year.
- Dividends and analyst stance: The company declared a $0.25 quarterly dividend (annualized $1.00, 2.6% yield, ex-dividend Apr 22), the stock trades near $39, and consensus analyst rating is "Hold" with an average target of $30.52.
APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA - Get Free Report) Director Matthew Regis Bob sold 23,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.23, for a total transaction of $833,290.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 6,634 shares in the company, valued at approximately $240,349.82. This trade represents a 77.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.
APA Stock Up 2.8%
NASDAQ:APA opened at $39.11 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $13.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 16.84 and a beta of 0.67. APA Corporation has a one year low of $13.58 and a one year high of $39.52. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $29.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $25.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.82.
APA (NASDAQ:APA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.29. APA had a return on equity of 19.89% and a net margin of 15.55%.The firm had revenue of $1.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.89 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.79 earnings per share. APA's revenue for the quarter was down 26.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that APA Corporation will post 4.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.
APA Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. APA's payout ratio is 25.06%.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of APA. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators raised its stake in shares of APA by 276.7% during the third quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 1,213 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 891 shares in the last quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC grew its position in APA by 115.1% in the 4th quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 1,327 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 710 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new position in APA during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Spire Wealth Management increased its stake in APA by 179.6% during the 3rd quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 1,521 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 977 shares during the period. Finally, Camelot Portfolios LLC bought a new stake in shares of APA during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Institutional investors own 83.01% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
APA has been the subject of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of APA from $23.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of APA from $30.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of APA from $29.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of APA from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Stephens boosted their price objective on shares of APA from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $30.52.
Get Our Latest Report on APA
Key APA News
Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Crude-driven rally lifted APA’s shares as Middle East supply concerns pushed oil prices higher, which typically increases exploration & production firms’ near-term cash‑flow expectations and valuation leverage. APA gains as crude oil jumps on renewed Middle East supply fears
- Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on APA to $38 (from $29) while keeping a "neutral" rating — the PT increase signals improved analyst near-term valuation (even though the firm remains cautious). MarketScreener
- Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho and a separate note reported modest upward adjustments to APA’s targets (Mizuho to $29; another report to $27). These lifts are supportive but still sit below some investor expectations and the current trading level. APA Price Target Raised to $27.00 Mizuho Boosts APA Price Target to $29.00
- Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data in the latest print appear anomalous (reported as 0 shares / 0.0 days), suggesting a data or reporting issue rather than a material change in short positioning; treat this item cautiously.
- Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Director Matthew Regis Bob sold 23,000 shares at an average $36.23 (≈$833k), reducing his holdings by ~77.6% — an outsized insider sale that can weigh on sentiment. SEC filing
- Negative Sentiment: QuiverQuant’s summary notes sizable historical institutional reductions (e.g., Harris Associates, UBS AM, Blackstone) from recent quarters — large past selling by major holders can cap rallies and increase volatility. QuiverQuant institutional holdings
About APA
(
Get Free Report)
APA Corporation (NASDAQ: APA) is an independent exploration and production company engaged in the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas resources. The company operates through three core regions: the United States, Egypt and the North Sea. Through its integrated approach, APA combines geological and geophysical expertise with technical innovation to identify and develop hydrocarbons in both onshore and offshore settings.
In the United States, APA's largest position is in the Permian Basin of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, where it holds substantial acreage dedicated to oil-focused drilling and production.
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