Zacks Research Issues Optimistic Estimate for APA Earnings

APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA) – Research analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for APA in a research note issued on Monday, March 30th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $0.37 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.36. Zacks Research currently 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.29. APA had a return on equity of 19.89% and a net margin of 15.55%.The business had revenue of $1.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.89 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.79 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 26.6% on a year-over-year basis.

APA has been the subject of several other research reports. Wolfe Research increased their price target on APA from $39.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on shares of APA from $31.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of APA from $22.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, March 27th. Evercore increased their target price on shares of APA from $25.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Benchmark raised their target price on shares of APA from $33.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $35.38.

APA Stock Down 2.6%

Shares of APA stock opened at $41.35 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $31.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The company has a market capitalization of $14.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.36 and a beta of 0.67. APA has a 1-year low of $13.58 and a 1-year high of $45.66.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On APA

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of APA by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 106,667 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,609,000 after purchasing an additional 375 shares during the period. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in APA by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 28,171 shares of the company’s stock worth $689,000 after purchasing an additional 396 shares in the last quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC raised its holdings in APA by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 14,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $358,000 after buying an additional 461 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in APA by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 94,848 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,303,000 after buying an additional 485 shares during the period. Finally, one8zero8 LLC lifted its stake in APA by 1.2% during the third quarter. one8zero8 LLC now owns 42,254 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,026,000 after buying an additional 488 shares in the last quarter. 83.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other 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 transaction of $833,290.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 6,634 shares in the company, valued at approximately $240,349.82. This represents a 77.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.69% of the company’s stock.

APA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. APA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 25.06%.

Trending Headlines about APA

Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Renewed investor interest in APA’s large, low‑cost Suriname Block 58 and the company’s digital/workforce technology push — a longer‑term production and margin story that can support higher future cash flows. How APA’s Suriname Block 58 Focus and Digital Push At APA (APA) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple Zacks Research upgrades to near‑term and FY2026–FY2028 EPS estimates show analysts nudging earnings forecasts higher, which supports the company’s fundamental outlook (Zacks maintains a Hold).
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens sharply raised its price target from $24 to $45 while keeping an Equal Weight rating — a clear vote of confidence that can attract buyers and help limit downside. Stephens adjusts price target on APA to $45
• Positive Sentiment: APA’s renewable/solar arm is expanding manufacturing capacity in Northwest Ohio — a diversification effort that can provide optionality beyond upstream oil & gas. APA Solar expands manufacturing campus in Northwest Ohio
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and liquidity context: APA’s P/E (~10.4) and improved trailing profitability (reported EPS beats last quarter) keep the stock in investors’ value/energy rotation despite volatility; median analyst target remains below current levels, reflecting mixed views.
• Negative Sentiment: Commodity shock: oil prices eased toward ~$100/bbl on hopes the Iran war could wind down, removing a recent “war premium.” That direct drop in crude undercuts realized pricing and near‑term free cash flow for APA and was the dominant proximate cause of today’s weakness. APA slides as crude oil pulls back
• Negative Sentiment: Selling pressure risks: recent insider and large institutional reductions (notable funds trimmed positions) plus a cluster of Underweight/Sell analyst ratings increase downside risk if oil prices normalize — these flows can amplify down‑oil trading days. Institutional & insider activity and analyst coverage

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.