APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Director Acquires $100,026.98 in Stock

APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Director Juliet S. Ellis purchased 4,391 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $22.78 per share, for a total transaction of $100,026.98. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 12,436 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $283,292.08. This represents a 54.58 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

APA Stock Performance

Shares of APA opened at $22.86 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.46 billion, a PE ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 3.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.24 and a quick ratio of 1.24. APA Co. has a one year low of $20.95 and a one year high of $37.82. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $23.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $26.58.

APA Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.37%. APA’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.12%.

Institutional Trading of APA

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in APA. CWM LLC grew its stake in shares of APA by 25.4% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 11,604 shares of the company’s stock worth $342,000 after acquiring an additional 2,349 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of APA during the 2nd quarter worth about $251,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of APA by 31.9% during the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 19,709 shares of the company’s stock valued at $580,000 after buying an additional 4,764 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of APA by 6.9% in the second quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 7,703 shares of the company’s stock valued at $227,000 after buying an additional 499 shares during the period. Finally, GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC grew its position in APA by 1,325.0% during the second quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 1,710 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 1,590 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Scotiabank lowered their target price on APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on shares of APA from $28.00 to $26.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of APA from $49.00 to $47.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of APA from $26.00 to $25.00 in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on APA from $39.00 to $33.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 30th. Four research 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $32.52.

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.