Zacks Research Brokers Increase Earnings Estimates for APA

APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for shares of APA in a research note issued to investors on Monday, March 30th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $0.37 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.36. Zacks Research 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 Q4 2026 earnings at $0.48 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.69 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.49 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.47 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.47 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.33 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $1.76 EPS.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $1.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.89 billion. APA had a net margin of 15.55% and a return on equity of 19.89%. The business’s revenue was down 26.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.79 EPS.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on APA. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on APA from $22.00 to $26.00 in a report on Monday, March 9th. Mizuho increased their target price on APA from $24.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Benchmark lifted their price target on APA from $33.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on APA from $26.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Johnson Rice upgraded APA from a “hold” rating to an “accumulate” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $35.00 to $40.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, APA presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $35.38.

APA Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of APA stock opened at $42.04 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $14.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.54 and a beta of 0.49. APA has a 52-week low of $13.58 and a 52-week high of $45.66. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $32.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $27.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On APA

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators grew its holdings in APA by 276.7% in the third quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 1,213 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 891 shares during the last quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC raised its stake in shares of APA by 115.1% during the 4th quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 1,327 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 710 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new position in shares of APA during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Spire Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of APA by 179.6% in the 3rd quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 1,521 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 977 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Camelot Portfolios LLC acquired a new stake in APA in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. 83.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Matthew Regis Bob sold 23,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director owned 6,634 shares of the company’s stock, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.69% of the company’s stock.

APA Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 25.06%.

APA News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research has raised multiple near‑term and full‑year EPS forecasts for APA (several quarterly upgrades and higher FY2026/FY2027 estimates), signaling modestly improved earnings outlooks though the firm retains a “Hold” rating; consensus FY estimate remains near $4.03. Zacks/MarketBeat coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens published a bullish note forecasting strong price appreciation for APA, which supports upside sentiment among growth‑oriented investors. Stephens Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for APA
• Positive Sentiment: Analysis on APA’s focus in Suriname Block 58 and its digital/workforce investments highlights a potentially low‑cost, large offshore development that can materially improve long‑term asset value and free‑cash‑flow visibility. How APA’s Suriname Block 58 Focus and Digital Push Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional analyst commentary and FY2028 earnings expectation pieces have been circulated (summary/expectations coverage). These provide context but are not materially different from recent consensus estimates. Equities Analysts Set Expectations for APA FY2028 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Commodity pressure: APA previously slid after crude oil softened on hopes of de‑escalation in the Iran conflict, showing the stock’s sensitivity to short‑term oil moves. That piece also flags recent insider selling and large institutional portfolio rebalances (significant reductions by some managers), plus several sell/underweight analyst stances and a median price target below current levels — all potential headwinds. APA slides as crude oil pulls back

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.