Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Takes $5.16 Million Position in APA Corporation $APA

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new position in APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 210,933 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,159,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned about 0.06% of APA as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in APA by 157.1% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,060,135 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,970,000 after buying an additional 1,869,891 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in APA by 13.6% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 14,030,230 shares of the company’s stock worth $340,657,000 after acquiring an additional 1,674,739 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of APA by 29.6% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,462,476 shares of the company’s stock worth $108,349,000 after acquiring an additional 1,018,326 shares in the last quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of APA by 7,627.3% during the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 1,013,516 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,608,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000,400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in shares of APA by 160.5% in the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 336,277 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,165,000 after purchasing an additional 892,438 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

APA News Roundup

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%

APA stock opened at $44.39 on Friday. 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’s 50-day moving average is $30.70 and its 200-day moving average is $26.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.68 billion, a PE ratio of 11.13 and a beta of 0.67. APA Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $13.58 and a fifty-two week high of $44.54.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share 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 the consensus estimate of $1.89 billion. APA had a return on equity of 19.89% and a net margin of 15.55%.The business’s revenue was down 26.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.79 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that APA Corporation will post 4.03 earnings per share for the current year.

APA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. APA’s payout ratio is currently 25.06%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on APA. Zacks Research raised shares of APA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of APA from $23.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Capital One Financial raised their price objective on APA from $32.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Mizuho lifted their target price on APA from $24.00 to $29.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on APA from $29.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $33.81.

Insider Buying and Selling at APA

In other news, Director Matthew Regis Bob sold 23,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were 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 trade represents a 77.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.69% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.