APA (NASDAQ:APA) Stock Moved Up to Strong-Buy by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of APA (NASDAQ:APA) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Saturday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on APA. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of APA from $36.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Roth Capital set a $39.00 target price on APA in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on APA from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. Susquehanna raised their target price on APA from $47.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded APA from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $44.97.

APA Stock Performance

APA stock opened at $44.63 on Friday. APA has a fifty-two week low of $23.06 and a fifty-two week high of $52.96. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $45.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The company has a market cap of $15.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 0.29.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.60 by $0.34. APA had a net margin of 23.08% and a return on equity of 28.34%. The business had revenue of $2.77 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.48 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.93 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 30.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that APA will post 6.52 EPS for the current year.

APA announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Wednesday, September 16th that authorizes the company to repurchase 40,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

APA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 22nd will be given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 22nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. APA’s dividend payout ratio is presently 16.23%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On APA

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Hollencrest Capital Management raised its holdings in shares of APA by 520.8% during the first quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 596 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co boosted its position in APA by 623.0% during the third quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 629 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 542 shares during the last quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in APA during the first quarter valued at $28,000. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in APA during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, MidFirst Bank purchased a new position in APA in the second quarter valued at about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about APA

Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: APA’s Q3 adjusted earnings more than doubled year over year, with revenue and EPS beating analyst estimates. Higher oil prices and U.S. production helped drive the results. APA Q3 Earnings Beat on Strong Oil Prices and U.S. Output
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 free-cash-flow outlook by $600 million to $2.9 billion, strengthening the case for debt reduction and financial flexibility. APA Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Higher Cash Flow and 2027 Plans
• Neutral Sentiment: APA is advancing exploration in Uruguay and considering a second FPSO for Suriname. These projects offer potential longer-term growth, but their eventual returns remain uncertain. APA charters rig for Uruguay well and hints at a second Suriname FPSO
• Negative Sentiment: Management expects higher spending in 2027 to advance Suriname development and exploration. While intended to support future growth, the investment could limit near-term cash available for debt reduction or shareholder returns.

About APA

APA Corporation is an independent energy company that explores for, develops and produces crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its activities include operating wells and related infrastructure, as well as evaluating and developing oil and natural gas resources.

The company’s principal operating areas include the United States and Egypt. APA also has offshore exploration interests in Suriname, where it has worked with partners to assess resources in the region.

APA traces its history to Apache Corporation, founded in 1954.