APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Short Interest Update

APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 19,030,000 shares, an increase of 18.7% from the October 31st total of 16,030,000 shares. Approximately 5.3% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 6,530,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.9 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on APA shares. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of APA from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of APA from $29.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. Susquehanna cut their price target on shares of APA from $52.00 to $48.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of APA from $26.00 to $25.00 in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Finally, Mizuho cut their price target on shares of APA from $35.00 to $28.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, APA currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $32.57.

APA Trading Down 1.4 %

APA stock opened at $22.34 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.24. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $24.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $27.11. APA has a 52 week low of $21.15 and a 52 week high of $37.82. The company has a market capitalization of $8.26 billion, a PE ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 3.24.

APA Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 22nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.48%. APA’s payout ratio is 14.12%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On APA

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of APA. Comerica Bank grew its stake in APA by 0.9% during the first quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 176,535 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,069,000 after buying an additional 1,641 shares in the last quarter. Atria Investments Inc boosted its stake in shares of APA by 20.3% in the 1st quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 41,684 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,433,000 after purchasing an additional 7,032 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of APA by 257.7% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,665 shares of the company’s stock valued at $84,000 after purchasing an additional 1,920 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of APA by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,558 shares of the company’s stock valued at $105,000 after purchasing an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Moody National Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in shares of APA in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $478,000. 83.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About APA

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.