Bernzott Capital Advisors Has $4.51 Million Stake in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

Bernzott Capital Advisors boosted its position in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 1.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 195,235 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 3,450 shares during the period. APA makes up approximately 2.2% of Bernzott Capital Advisors’ investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. Bernzott Capital Advisors’ holdings in APA were worth $4,508,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI grew its stake in APA by 6.7% during the second quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 6,860 shares of the company’s stock worth $202,000 after buying an additional 429 shares in the last quarter. Empirical Finance LLC grew its stake in APA by 1.6% during the third quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 31,272 shares of the company’s stock worth $765,000 after buying an additional 497 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in APA by 16.9% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 3,556 shares of the company’s stock worth $87,000 after buying an additional 513 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of APA by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 46,603 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,372,000 after purchasing an additional 521 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Segment Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of APA by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Segment Wealth Management LLC now owns 54,367 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,330,000 after purchasing an additional 535 shares in the last quarter. 83.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on APA shares. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $32.00 price target on shares of APA in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Scotiabank reduced their price target on shares of APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of APA from $25.00 to $22.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of APA from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 9th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $30.55.

APA Stock Down 1.2 %

APA stock opened at $25.15 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.24. APA Co. has a 52-week low of $20.32 and a 52-week high of $36.04. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $22.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $25.58. The firm has a market cap of $9.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 3.16.

APA Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.98%. APA’s payout ratio is 14.12%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Juliet S. Ellis purchased 4,391 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $22.78 per share, for a total transaction of $100,026.98. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 12,436 shares in the company, valued at $283,292.08. This trade represents a 54.58 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

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.