APA (NASDAQ:APA) Price Target Raised to $45.00

APA (NASDAQ:APA) had its price objective boosted by Raymond James Financial from $31.00 to $45.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on APA. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of APA from $23.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Roth Mkm upped their price objective on shares of APA from $23.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Susquehanna upped their target price on shares of APA from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Stephens upped their target price on APA from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Benchmark lifted their price target on shares of APA from $33.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $33.81.

APA Trading Up 3.7%

NASDAQ:APA opened at $44.39 on Wednesday. APA has a 52 week low of $13.58 and a 52 week high of $44.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.82. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $30.70 and its 200-day moving average is $26.48. The firm has a market cap of $15.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.13 and a beta of 0.67.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.29. APA had a net margin of 15.55% and a return on equity of 19.89%. The business had revenue of $1.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.89 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.79 earnings per share. APA’s quarterly revenue was down 26.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that APA will post 4.03 earnings per share for the current year.

APA Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.06%.

Insider Activity at APA

In other news, Director Matthew Regis Bob sold 23,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.23, for a total transaction of $833,290.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 6,634 shares in the company, valued at $240,349.82. This trade represents a 77.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.69% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of APA by 9.2% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 15,321,936 shares of the company’s stock valued at $374,786,000 after purchasing an additional 1,291,706 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of APA by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 14,710,034 shares of the company’s stock worth $359,807,000 after acquiring an additional 285,542 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in shares of APA by 21.8% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 10,425,586 shares of the company’s stock worth $255,010,000 after buying an additional 1,864,900 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in APA by 76.9% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 7,171,963 shares of the company’s stock valued at $175,426,000 after buying an additional 3,117,032 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in shares of APA by 29.6% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,462,476 shares of the company’s stock valued at $108,349,000 after acquiring an additional 1,018,326 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

APA News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Capital One raised its price target on APA to $51 and kept an overweight rating, implying meaningful upside vs. recent levels; this analyst upgrade helped lift investor sentiment. Capital One adjusts price target on APA to $51
• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James published a forecast calling for strong price appreciation in APA, adding institutional bullishness that can attract momentum buyers. Raymond James Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for APA
• Positive Sentiment: APA reported a new gas discovery in Egypt, which could accelerate production, lower unit costs and strengthen the company’s natural‑gas exposure—key fundamentals for energy-sector upside. APA’s New Gas Discovery Strengthens Egypt’s Energy Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity: investors bought ~17,525 call contracts (about 55% above typical call volume), signaling short‑term bullish positioning that can amplify upside intraday.
• Positive Sentiment: Ariel Investments’ Charles Bobrinskoy (vice chairman) publicly noted APA is well positioned for rising natural‑gas demand, reinforcing investor narratives around long‑term commodity tailwinds. Ariel’s Charles Bobrinskoy: APA is very well positioned for increased demand in natural gas
• Neutral Sentiment: Truist initiated coverage of APA (coverage initiation often increases visibility and volume; impact depends on the assigned rating and price target). Truist Financial Initiates Coverage on APA
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks noted APA is up ~47% since the last earnings report and asks whether that run can continue—this is discussion of momentum rather than new fundamental data. APA Up 47.1% Since Last Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $22 to $43 but kept an “underweight” rating — the firm’s cautious stance (despite a higher PT) can cap some upside and introduces a near‑term bearish signal. Morgan Stanley raises PT but keeps underweight
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage and analyst activity have driven APA to a new 52‑week high after upgrades, attracting momentum and technical buyers. APA Sets New 52-Week High After Analyst Upgrade

APA Company Profile

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.