APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Shares Purchased by UniSuper Management Pty Ltd

UniSuper Management Pty Ltd boosted its stake in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 25.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 82,652 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,025 shares during the period. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd’s holdings in APA were worth $1,908,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in APA. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of APA by 84.1% during the 3rd 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 grew 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 buying an additional 1,258 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB increased its position in shares of APA by 77.9% in the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 1,338 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 586 shares in the last quarter. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of APA in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its holdings in shares of APA by 93.5% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,614 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 780 shares in the last quarter. 83.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

APA has been the subject of several recent research reports. UBS Group lowered their price target on APA from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $22.00 target price on APA and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Barclays reduced their price target on APA from $27.00 to $25.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $23.00 price objective on shares of APA in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of APA from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $28.25.

APA Stock Performance

APA stock opened at $20.92 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $7.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 3.26. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $21.58 and its 200 day simple moving average is $22.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. APA Co. has a 12-month low of $17.66 and a 12-month high of $36.05.

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

APA Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.25%.

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.