APA (NASDAQ:APA) Price Target Raised to $51.00

APA (NASDAQ:APA) had its price target raised by Capital One Financial from $32.00 to $51.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning,MarketScreener reports. Capital One Financial currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on APA. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of APA in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on APA from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Barclays upgraded APA from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $35.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, March 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on APA from $29.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on APA from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $33.81.

APA Stock Performance

Shares of APA opened at $44.39 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.68 billion, a PE ratio of 11.13 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $30.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $26.48. APA has a 52-week low of $13.58 and a 52-week high of $44.54.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last issued its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $1.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.79 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 26.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that APA will post 4.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

APA Dividend Announcement

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 given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio is 25.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling at APA

In related news, Director Matthew Regis Bob sold 23,000 shares of APA stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.23, for a total value of $833,290.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 6,634 shares in the company, valued at $240,349.82. The trade was a 77.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.69% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On APA

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in APA by 76.9% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 7,171,963 shares of the company’s stock worth $175,426,000 after purchasing an additional 3,117,032 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in APA by 157.1% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,060,135 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,970,000 after buying an additional 1,869,891 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley boosted 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 during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of APA by 13.6% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 14,030,230 shares of the company’s stock worth $340,657,000 after buying an additional 1,674,739 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of APA by 29.6% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,462,476 shares of the company’s stock worth $108,349,000 after acquiring an additional 1,018,326 shares in the last quarter. 83.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting APA

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.