Equities Analysts Set Expectations for APA Q1 Earnings

APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA) – Research analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for APA in a report released on Wednesday, March 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $0.36 for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.54. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for APA’s current full-year earnings is $4.03 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for APA’s Q3 2026 earnings at $0.40 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.66 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.48 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.46 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.46 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.32 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $1.73 EPS.

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 return on equity of 19.89% and a net margin of 15.55%.The business had revenue of $1.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.79 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 26.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Capital One Financial lifted their target price on shares of APA from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of APA from $24.00 to $28.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of APA from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. William Blair began coverage on APA in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $32.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Roth Mkm lifted their price target on APA from $23.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, APA presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $30.08.

APA Stock Up 2.6%

APA stock opened at $34.47 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The company’s 50 day moving average is $27.88 and its 200 day moving average is $25.37. The stock has a market cap of $12.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 18.58 and a beta of 0.67. APA has a 1-year low of $13.58 and a 1-year high of $34.59.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On APA

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in APA by 9.2% in 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. grew its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 285,542 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its stake 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 during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of APA by 76.9% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 7,171,963 shares of the company’s stock worth $175,426,000 after buying an additional 3,117,032 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in APA by 29.6% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,462,476 shares of the company’s stock valued at $108,349,000 after buying an additional 1,018,326 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

APA Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.06%.

Trending Headlines about APA

Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler raised its price target to $37 (neutral rating), signaling upside relative to recent levels and providing near-term buy-side support. Piper Sandler raises APA target
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs published a bullish forecast for APA, calling for strong price appreciation — this high-profile backing can lift investor sentiment. Goldman Sachs bullish on APA
• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital raised its target to $29 and reiterated Sector Perform, citing oil strength and earnings momentum — another supportive institutional view. RBC raises APA target
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data showed zero shares outstanding for March (likely a data anomaly); it does not appear to be exerting real pressure or squeeze risk at present.
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays raised its target to $28 but maintained an “underweight” rating — the new target still sits below recent trading levels, which could cap upside and weigh on sentiment. Barclays adjusts APA price target
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut multiple near-term and medium-term EPS estimates (several quarters, FY2026–FY2027 and FY2028 revisions) and retains a “Hold” rating — broad downward revisions reduce forward earnings visibility and are a negative catalyst for valuation.

About APA

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.