Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on APA (NASDAQ:APA)

APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Friday. Traders purchased 17,525 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 55% compared to the typical daily volume of 11,274 call options.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other APA news, Director Matthew Regis Bob sold 23,000 shares of the 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 approximately $240,349.82. This trade represents a 77.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.69% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On APA

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of APA. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators lifted its stake 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 buying an additional 891 shares in the last quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC increased its position in shares of APA by 115.1% during the fourth quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 1,327 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 710 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in shares of APA during the third quarter worth $34,000. Camelot Portfolios LLC acquired a new stake in shares of APA during the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Spire Wealth Management raised 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 acquiring an additional 977 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research upgraded APA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on APA from $22.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday. Wolfe Research upped their target price on shares of APA from $39.00 to $45.00 in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Raymond James Financial raised their target price on shares of APA from $31.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of APA from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, APA has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $33.81.

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 Stock Up 3.7%

Shares of APA stock opened at $44.39 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $30.70 and a 200 day simple moving average of $26.48. The stock has a market cap 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. APA has a 12 month low of $13.58 and a 12 month high of $44.54.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $1.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.89 billion. APA had a return on equity of 19.89% and a net margin of 15.55%.The company’s revenue was down 26.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.79 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that APA will post 4.03 EPS for the current year.

APA Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio is presently 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.