APA (NASDAQ:APA) Sets New 1-Year High on Analyst Upgrade

APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday after Benchmark raised their price target on the stock from $33.00 to $40.00. Benchmark currently has a buy rating on the stock. APA traded as high as $33.10 and last traded at $33.10, with a volume of 95027 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $32.38.

APA has been the subject of several other reports. TD Cowen upgraded shares of APA to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $31.00 target price on shares of APA in a report on Monday, November 24th. William Blair started coverage on APA in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $32.00 price target for the company. Mizuho lifted their price target on APA from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Capital One Financial dropped their price objective on APA from $32.00 to $31.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $28.92.

Trending Headlines about APA

Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: APA announced a dual listing on Nasdaq Texas, which could increase local liquidity and visibility with Texas‑based investors and reinforce the company’s Permian Basin ties. APA Corporation Announces Dual Listing on Nasdaq Texas
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish analyst notes and price‑target increases have surfaced this week (Benchmark raised its target to $40 with a Buy; Susquehanna and BMO published positive commentary and a separate report raised the target to $34), supporting upward momentum and investor confidence. APA Price Target Raised to $34
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlighted APA as a value upstream pick amid oil volatility, noting low valuation multiples, improved cost structure and cash flow — a narrative that attracts income/value‑oriented energy investors. Why One Energy Expert Is Betting on These 3 Oil Stocks Now
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC and Piper Sandler raised price targets (to $29 and $30) but kept sector‑perform/neutral ratings — a mixed signal that trims downside risk but doesn’t add a strong buy case. RBC/Piper Sandler PT adjustments
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest reports flagged a “large increase” but the underlying data shows 0 shares / NaN changes — likely a data error and currently not meaningful for price pressure or squeeze dynamics.
• Neutral Sentiment: Legislative chatter (H.R.7554) aiming to limit greenhouse‑gas regulation could, if enacted, ease regulatory risk for fossil‑fuel producers — a policy tailwind but highly uncertain and not a near‑term catalyst. H.R. 7554 CARBON Act
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank trimmed its FY2027 EPS estimate (from $1.65 to $1.50), signaling some analyst caution on near‑term earnings power; that could cap upside if others follow with cuts. Scotiabank cuts FY2027 estimate (MarketBeat)

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

APA Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average is $27.04 and its 200 day moving average is $24.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.19, a PEG ratio of 15.73 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.82.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.29. APA had a net margin of 15.55% and a return on equity of 19.89%. The firm had revenue of $1.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.89 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.79 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 26.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that APA Corporation will post 4.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

APA Dividend Announcement

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 paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. APA’s dividend payout ratio is 25.06%.

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.