Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for APA (NASDAQ:APA) Stock

APA (NASDAQ:APA) had its price target upped by research analysts at Barclays from $24.00 to $28.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an “underweight” rating on the stock. Barclays‘s target price indicates a potential downside of 18.77% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Stephens raised their price objective on APA from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Johnson Rice upgraded APA from a “hold” rating to an “accumulate” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $35.00 to $40.00 in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $31.00 target price on shares of APA in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of APA from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of APA from $22.00 to $26.00 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $30.08.

APA Trading Up 2.6%

APA stock opened at $34.47 on Friday. 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 company has a market cap of $12.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.64, a PEG ratio of 18.58 and a beta of 0.67. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $27.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.37. APA has a 52 week low of $13.58 and a 52 week high of $34.59.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $1.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.89 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.79 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 26.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that APA will post 4.03 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On APA

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its position in shares of APA by 869.7% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 194,418 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,872,000 after purchasing an additional 174,369 shares in the last quarter. United Capital Management of KS Inc. purchased a new position in shares of APA in the third quarter valued at $1,214,000. Prudential Financial Inc. grew its holdings in APA by 38.8% during the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 284,275 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,199,000 after purchasing an additional 79,451 shares in the last quarter. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in APA during the 3rd quarter valued at $2,337,000. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in APA by 2,049.4% during the 3rd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 403,511 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,797,000 after buying an additional 384,738 shares during the period. 83.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More APA News

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.

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.